The work-study school accepts 13- 17-year-old people who have committed illegal or minor crimes and refuse to change their education. These people dropped out of regular primary and secondary schools, were expelled, or were considered unfit to stay in school, but not enough to be sent to juvenile reformatory, so they entered the reform school. The education content of reform-school is formal school education, vocational education and corresponding legal and moral education. The management of work-study schools is stricter than that of regular schools. Students live on campus and go home on weekends. The average life span is 2 years.
Before 1999, most of the reform schools were approved by the public security bureau of the school newspaper, or the public security bureau reported to the education department for approval before they could be enforced. 1999 Law on the Prevention of Juvenile Delinquency was amended to require the consent of parents (or guardians), schools and public security bureaus before implementation.