With China facing worsening winter weather, the Ministry of Education Tuesday urged education authorities to adjust school timetables and holidays to ensure student safety.

After weather forecasters predicted thick fog and snow storms for most parts of China, the Ministry of Education ordered education departments and schools to make comprehensive preparations to deal with weather-related emergencies. Schools in areas hit by the May 12 earthquake were told to pay special attention to providing safe and adequate heating.

Every winter, students face an increased risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and traffic accidents, and all school authorities have been instructed to check the safety of their heating equipment. Schools have also been told to give students special pre-holiday road safety instruction, remind them they should not cross frozen rivers, play on frozen lakes or let off fireworks.

Educational departments at all levels have been told to work together with the police and traffic management departments to prevent unsafe vehicles such as tractors from carrying students. Schools in poor mountainous areas should ensure parents come to the school to pick up their children or else provide safe buses to take boarding students home.

The Ministry also forbade the practice of using holiday time to catch up with missed lessons. Anyone whose violation of the orders causes an accident will be held responsible for their actions.

(China.org.cn by Fan Junmei, December 25, 2008)