In Ning'an in northeast China's Heilongjiang
Province, 106 people have been confirmed dead,
including 102 schoolchildren, and three others are still
missing, according to latest reports released Friday by Xinhua News
Agency.
Yesterday, the Ministry of Education (MOE) reminded all schools,
including kindergartens, that safety education is mandatory,
pushing school safety back into the spotlight again.
The message took on a particular sense of urgency and purpose
following the disaster.
Six specific measures have to be implemented to ensure safety at
schools, said Chen Xiaoya, vice minister of education, during a
teleconference jointly held by the Ministry of Public Security and
the MOE yesterday in Beijing.
One: Schools have to coordinate safety measures with local
public security authorities.
Two: Local authorities should conduct safety checks in schools
nationwide. Any classroom deemed to be dangerous has to be
renovated or rebuilt.
Three: School buses have to undergo safety checks by traffic
departments, and private vehicles cannot be used as school
buses.
Four: The production and dealing of dangerous goods and articles
are strictly forbidden on any campus. Vehicles that do not belong
to the school cannot be parked on the grounds.
Five: Emergency evacuation drills -- in the event of floods,
mudslides, earthquakes and fire -- have to be conducted in all
schools, urban and rural.
Six: Boarding schools should have night patrols and roll calls
to ensure that all students are safe in their dormitories.
"Safety education is being emphasized once more," said Ma
Jiabin, an official with the Elementary Education Division of MOE,
referring to the Ning'an floods.
Safety awareness already has a place in the school curriculum.
Since 1996, the last Monday in March is the designated Safety
Education Day for primary and secondary schools, Ma said.
Different themes are chosen each year. This year, it is road
traffic safety because road traffic accidents are the No.1 cause of
death among students.
(China Daily June 17, 2005)