Local govts accountable for school building safety  

教育部:地方各級政府領導是校舍安全第一責任人

近日，國務院辦公廳轉發了教育部等部門《關于建立中小學校舍安全保障長效機制的意見》，教育部有關負責人指出，地方各級人民政府主要領導是校舍安全第一責任人，對本轄區校舍安全工作負領導責任。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- A circular issued by the State Council outlines local governments' responsibilities in ensuring the safety of school buildings, as well as an accountability system for their collapse.

Local government chiefs will be held responsible for any casualties caused by unsafe school structures, the circular said.

All chiefs involved in the project, including assessment, design and supervision, will be held accountable for any collapse due to location and building quality, it added.

Besides the accountability system, the circular also suggested annual safety checks, emergency warnings and accessible safety information.

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 to be done, as the number of primary and secondary students is huge and school facilities in rural areas are poor.

Safety of school buildings has gained much public attention since the Wenchuan earthquake in 2005.

A report in 2009 said 13 percent of government buildings were destroyed in the earthquake, while up to 57 percent of school structures were ruined.