Education ministry issues summer safety warning

BEIJING - The Ministry of Education on Wednesday issued a circular to remind students to pay more attention to personal safety during the two-month summer vacation holiday.

The ministry asked schools to enhance safety education before vacation starts in early July in order to boost their students' knowledge of summertime safety risks.

Schools should teach students about what to do in the event of heatstroke, drowning, traffic or fire accidents, typhoons, thunderstorms, floods, earthquakes and landslides, the circular said.

The ministry also asked schools to ensure adequate numbers of chaperones for students who participate in summer camps and other extracurricular activities.

Students should swim only in standard swimming pools and avoid swimming in reservoirs, lakes and rivers, the circular said.

The circular warned local governments and schools to refrain from concealing accidents, adding that local governments and schools whose actions result in major accidents or who improperly handle emergencies will be severely punished.

Children play with homemade pinwheels after taking their final exams in Dahua Yao autonomous county, South China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, July 4, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]