Four children hospitals in Shanghai are to offer compulsory education programs to hospitalised children beginning this fall, officials from the Shanghai Education Commission said.

It is estimated that about 800 children patients will benefit from the scheme.

According to the scheme, a child hospitalised for above 10 days is eligible to apply. Relevant hospitals will then organise a curriculum according to the children patients' particular needs, assuring them of a 35 minute lessons every week.

Xinhua Hospital, the Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai Children's Hospital and Shanghai Children's Medical Centre will become China's first hospitals to provide such lessons from September 1.

The cost will be shared by the hospitals and local education departments in the different districts where the hospitals are located.