Shanghai (AsiaNews/Agencies) - Today, the annual session of the People's Assembly (parliament) gets underway. China's leading economic city is facing many headwinds and unresolved problems after the expulsion of the local party boss on corruption charges. Chen Liangyu was forced out in September of 2006, on allegations of redirecting pension funds for private speculation.

The scandal involved more than 25 political and business leaders, and since then the communist party has had three different secretaries. The political changes taking place have created more interest in the opening of parliament, which is often asked only to ratify decisions already taken elsewhere.

It is the first session for the newly elected Hong Gang, a migratory worker in the shipyards, who tells the South China Morning post that he hopes to "better link ordinary people and government officials". Recently thousands of people have held public protests for days, over the decision to extend the magnetic levitation train, routing it through their neighbourhoods. The residents are concerned about electromagnetic radiation, and the government has decided to resume work on the railway without consulting them.

In his remarks on the work of the past year, mayor Han Zheng, who is up for re-election, says discussions will include economic growth, which should top 10% for the 16th consecutive year, and the growing problem of inflation. Consumer prices in the city grew by 5.2% from November 2006 to November 2007, with steep rises in food prices. The city continues to grow, and is working on ambitious new construction projects for the World Expo in 2010: over the past 2 months, three subway lines have been completed, and a project has been announced for building an artificial island in the bay of Hangzhou.

But still unresolved are the problems of the three million migrants who live in the city, many with their families. Yesterday Yin Houqing, deputy chief of the Shanghai Education Commission, announced that by 2010 more than 240 unauthorised schools, attended by 380,000 migrant children, will be closed "to integrate them into the public education system". According to the project, the primary schools (for children up to 11 years old) will be brought into the public system if they meet certain requirements, like the employment of teachers with legal residency and at least five years of experience. The middle schools (for children 12-15 years old) will be recognised. The government says it has allocated 30 million yuan per year to support and improve schools for migrants.

The news created anticipation among the migrants, who are waiting to see the results, but are already hoping to have soon "better institutions and better educational resources".