Across China: School safety highlighted as new semester begins

September marks the start of the new school year in China. As students return to campus, school safety has become the center of attention across the country.

In Changsha, capital of central China' s Hunan province, the local fire squad exhibited firefighting gear to a group of middle schoolers during a presentation on skills to deal with fire emergencies.

"Most of the students have never used an extinguisher. We would not count on the students to put out fires, but it is important that they have the necessary knowledge and skills when emergency situations happen," said one firefighter.

Similar safety education campaigns have been launched across the country. Safety is viewed as particularly important after the deadly blasts in Tianjin Binhai New Area on Aug. 12, which killed at least 150 people.

More than 300 primary and secondary schools in the Binhai New Area began the new semester on Monday after the local government hired workers to repair, clean and disinfect the areas surrounding the schools.

On Sunday, parents were taken on a tour of the TEDA No.1 Primary School, located seven kilometers from the blast site. Zeng Jia, an official in the Tianjin Economic Technology Development Area, said the quality of air, water and soil at the schools are all normal.

"I understand the parents still have worries after the blast. We have done a lot of work to ensure the safety of the school facilities," said Li Yan, principal of the school.

More than 160 students, some of whom had their houses damaged by the blasts, were moved to other parts of the city or transferred to new schools.

Following the Tianjin blasts, a nationwide safety overhaul was called for, especially in schools. School authorities have been ordered to better prepare themselves for emergencies.

In northeastern China' s Shaanxi province, education authorities, accompanied by police, launched a ten-day safety inspection for kindergartens and schools.

In Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, maintenance workers and electricians were invited to check pipeline and electric wire safety on campuses. Outdated boilers and elevators were replaced.

Over the last weekend, China's top legislature adopted amendments on the Criminal Law to emphasize the importance of school bus safety, giving harsher penalties to those who violate the rules surrounding student transportation.

According to the amendment, overloaded school buses and drivers that exceed the designated limit can now face criminal detention and fines. Endit