BEIJING - China's Ministry of Education has issued a circular banning commercial advertisements and activities from entering campuses, according to the ministry.

The circular was released after reports of commercial activities sneaking into kindergartens, primary schools or secondary schools in the provinces of Shandong, Sichuan and Hubei.

Local education administrations should inspect all schools and kindergartens in the region, ensuring that all exam papers, certificates of merit, uniforms, textbooks, teaching materials, stationery and apps sent to campuses are strictly inspected, the circular said.

School administrators should pay particular attention to outsiders that distribute things with commercial advertisements on campus under the disguise of holding activities.

The circular called for establishing a long-term mechanism for school management, ordering that any activities intended for students must be approved by education administrations at county level or above.