300 Beijing schools to have buildings strengthened against earthquakes
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About 300 of the 2,500 primary and secondary schools in Beijing will reinforce their buildings in the upcoming summer vacation to make them more aseismatic.
The repair project was launched after an inspection of school buildings found them unqualified to resist a moderate earthquake, a government spokesman said Thursday.
Xian Lianping, a spokesman of the Beijing Municipal Education Commission, said the inspections started in mid-2008, right after the 8.0-magnitude Wenchuan earthquake struck Wenchuan of Sichuan Province, leaving 87,000 people dead or missing.
Students in 30 schools in Xicheng District will start their summer vacation on June 28, half-a-month earlier than normal, to ensure adequate time for the building reinforcing, Ning Mei, a spokeswoman of the educational bureau of Xicheng District, said.
Some schools shortened their winter vacation at the beginning of the year, or held classes six days per week this semester, to ensure time for the construction, Xian added.
Similar inspections and construction will also occur in Hebei, Jilin and Shandong provinces.
