Local govts accountable for school building safety  

教育部:地方各级政府领导是校舍安全第一责任人

近日，国务院办公厅转发了教育部等部门《关于建立中小学校舍安全保障长效机制的意见》，教育部有关负责人指出，地方各级人民政府主要领导是校舍安全第一责任人，对本辖区校舍安全工作负领导责任。[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.