Guideline to enhance security on campuses

Shanghai will establish a 200-meter safe zone around schools, according to a guideline designed to enhance campus security that was released by the municipal government on Wednesday, as students started their first day in the city's public schools.

The guideline also covered on-campus security education, food safety, online addiction prevention, on-campus bullying, school bus management and emergency response, among other topics.

The guideline - a response to the central government's call to make every school campus "the sunniest and safest place" for children - clarified how security zones would be set up around school campuses.

It said schools should double the number of security guards to four - up from the current mandatory two - during rush hours. The public security department will work with schools to provide community patrols and protective equipment within 100 meters of school gates.

The city also seeks to establish a 200-meter security zone around schools by enhancing management and supervision of any business or service offered within the zone.

"The establishment of a security zone around a school campus is an innovation that sets a higher standard, as it also clarifies responsibilities," said Tian Xiangxia, deputy secretary-general of the Shanghai Law Society's Institute of Minors Law.

Shao Zhiyong, director of the education bureau in Shanghai's Yangpu district, said: "The guideline has not only identified potential campus security risks but focuses on corresponding prevention measures. It invites the participation of security personnel, parents, lawyers and society for a comprehensive safety risk prevention and control system."

The city also said that primary and secondary schools must carry out emergency evacuation drills at least once a month, and kindergartens must do so at least once per quarter.

One official per 1,000 students for each school will be designated to oversee campus security, the guideline said.