A staff member teaches students how to wash hands properly during an epidemic prevention drill at a primary school in Daguan Town of Nanchuan District, southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, April 11, 2020. (WANG QUANCHAO / XINHUA)

BEIJING - China's Ministry of Education (MOE) issued a warning Saturday, requiring schools and kindergartens not to collect tuition and accommodation fees in advance before schools reopen.

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The ministry made clear in the statement that tuition fees and accommodation fees should not be collected in advance across academic years or semesters, requiring refunds of accommodation fees that have already been collected for the academic year in accordance with the actual accommodation situation.

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Stressing that schools are not allowed to collect fees illegally in the name of epidemic prevention and control, the MOE called for providing financial aid for poor students who were infected with the virus or whose families are affected by the epidemic.