SHANGHAI, Feb. 21 (Xinhua) -- Shanghai published a new guideline to prevent bullying and ensure safety at kindergartens, primary and secondary schools across the city.
The Shanghai municipal government ordered its educational authorities to prevent, promptly discover and effectively handle school bullying, including cyberbullying.
It ordered each school to have a hotline and contact person students can turn to when bullying occurs. Schools should design guidebooks on bullying and school violence for students and raise their awareness, according to the document.
A solid protection system should be put in place to safeguard the rights of the students, it said. Zero tolerance should be given to any physical abuse, sexual harassment and illegal behaviors in schools.
To better protect students from injuries, all students in preschool, primary and secondary schools will be covered by a school liability insurance, it said.
Schools and other organizations are encouraged to set up funds to supplement the insurance and aid victims of injuries.
As supervisors of the educational sector, government officials at the district level will be held liable in ensuring the safety of schools.
Shanghai has over 3,000 kindergartens, primary and secondary schools providing education for around two million students.
