Three schools hit by the recent riots in Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture of China's Gansu Province resumed classes on Friday. All 64 riot-affected schools in Gannan were now operational.

The schools are the Gannan Animal Husbandry School, the Jone County's Niba School and Dagao School, according to the prefectural government.

At the Labrang Tibetan Primary School in Xiahe County, children could be seen enjoying sports lessons in the playground on Friday afternoon. Other students and teachers worked on a blackboard newspaper about the upcoming Olympic Games.

The school, with a student body of 1,008 and 61 faculty, suspended operation when violence erupted in Xiahe on March 15. It reopened the following day, headmaster Liu Haisheng said.

Since March 14, beating, smashing, looting and arson occurred in the counties of Xiahe, Maqu, Luqu and Jone and Hezuo City in Gannan, resulting in the injuries of 94 people and economic losses totaling 230 million yuan (32.6 million U.S. dollars).

A male teacher named Cering at Labrang Tibetan Primary School said the memories of the violence still haunted many of the faculty and students alike and caused them concern for their safety.

The school's 24 male teachers have been divided into four groups to patrol the school at night to ensure safety, Cering said.

Schools in Aba County, Sichuan Province, and Lhasa have also resumed classes as life returned to normal after the riots.

(Xinhua News Agency March 29, 2008)