BEIJING, Feb. 2 -- The Shanghai Education Commission will set up regular classes for sick children in pediatric hospitals so they don't miss too much school while they are undergoing medical treatment.

    The plan came after Zheng Shan, a doctor with Fudan University's Children's Hospital, put forward a proposal at the ongoing Shanghai People's Congress plenary meeting, pointing out that sick children are neglected and excluded from the current education system.

    The proposal was immediately approved by Shen Xiaoming, the commission's director, who is also a pediatrician himself. He said that the commission would allocate funds from the education budget to set up "hospital schools" and send professional teachers to give classes in wards.

    The commission will also provide in-home classes for 812 handicapped children who are not able to attend schools this year. But details of that program have not yet been announced.

    Zheng said that hospitals receive many children who have to stay in wards for long-term treatment due to serious diseases. A kidney disease, for instance, will usually require a hospital stay ranging from six months to three years.

    Poor health condition prevented sick children from attending schools with their peers. Without any classes in hospital, most of the youngsters spend their days watching TV and playing games.

    "I'm just worrying, how can they make a living in the future if they have no vocational skills at all," Zheng said.

    Shanghai Children's Medical Center invited volunteer teachers to teach young patients in 1998.

    The heavy workload involved in running the classes prevented both volunteers and the hospital from persisting with the scheme.