Post-quake schools will be "safest"

Source: Xinhua | 05-07-2009 09:46

The construction of schools must be safe, reliable and closely supervised, according to a State Council circular issued ahead of the one-year anniversary of the Sichuan earthquake.

Construction authorities have been ordered to strengthen safety controls and provide technical support in the building and reconstruction of all school projects.

It said there would be severe punishment for those found engaged in illegal practices.

"The quality of school buildings is a concern of social stability and should be the focus of local authorities at present and in the coming days," it said.

It comes as the nation prepares to mark the May 12 anniversary of the 8-magnitude earthquake in which many students were killed and buried under collapsed school buildings.

According to the latest Sichuan provincial construction authority statistics, a total floor area of 1.997 million sq m of school buildings collapsed, accounting for 1.3 percent of the total collapsed floor space.

Since that time, the construction quality of school buildings has been a major cause of public concern.

A nationwide campaign was launched last June to test all school buildings and find those with problems that might endanger students.