China to improve school safety

BEIJING - China is to establish a procedure which should guarantee the safety of school buildings, according to a circular issued Tuesday by the State Council, China's cabinet.

The procedure will include safety checks twice a year, emergency warnings, easily accessible safety information and risk-averse management strategies. Local government chiefs will be held responsible for any casualties caused by unsafe structures.

A safe building policy for primary and secondary schools, which began in 2009, has sharply reduced accidents but, according to the circular, there is still plenty that can be done. The number of students is huge and school facilities, especially those in rural areas, are far from perfect.

Local governments will step up repairs, reinforcement, reconstruction and expansion until all schools meet national standards.