China's local education authorities are taking measures to help resettle students from areas affected by the May 12 earthquake, according to the Ministry of Education on Wednesday.

Areas within Sichuan Province that suffered relatively little damage are making efforts to take students whose schools were damaged or destroyed by the quake, by fast-tracking enrolment procedures.

Neijiang City, in Sichuan, had admitted more than 300 pupils and middle school students from disaster-ravaged areas by May 28, while 838 students of Aba Teachers College, located at the epicenter, Wenchuan, have been moved to the provincial capital Chengdu, said a ministry spokesman.

Institutes of higher education in Sichuan had received 28,761 students from counterparts in seriously hit areas by May 26.

Other provinces and municipalities are also providing favourable policies for students from quake areas.

Chongqing Municipality, which has exempted relocated students from fees, had receiving more than 1,500 by May 25, said the spokesman.

The eastern coastal province of Jiangsu is offering a "green pass" for relocated students, reducing education fees and providing psychological aid. The province had admitted 3,134 students by May 30.

Zhejiang Province in east China will not only exempt students from all fees, but also contribute 5,000 yuan (721 US dollars) a year to each student's expenses.

(Xinhua News Agency June 5, 2008)