A new plan for the college entrance exam policy for migrant children in Beijing will be worked out by the end of this year, the city's education authorities said on November 16.

The Beijing Municipal Commission of Education made the announcement in response to an application filed by migrant worker volunteers in October. The volunteers asked educational departments to publish the results of migrant children's college matriculation research and measures for balancing educational resources.

The commission said that the new plan will provide equal rights to education and entry opportunities for migrant children.

However, it did not give a clear answer on whether migrant students who take the national college entrance exam in June 2013 could stay in Beijing for the exam.

Under current policies, children of migrant workers are not free to attend senior high schools or take the national college entrance exam outside of their home provinces.

Figures provided by the commission show that about 400,000 migrant children were studying at primary and middle schools in Beijing in 2011.