Schools planning Expo group trips

Teachers not under pressure to bring students to event: Officials

SHANGHAI - Local authorities dismissed rumors on Tuesday that students in the city are required to visit the Expo twice at their own expense during the six-month event in order to meet estimates of 70 million visitors.

The number of visitors to Expo 2010 Shanghai has so far fallen short of expectations, but authorities have not made it mandatory for schools to organize student trips to the Expo to make up for the shortfall, said Wang Xin, press officer with the municipal education commission.