The government said yesterday that it would spend 8 billion yuan ($1.2 billion) for raising the safety of schools in earthquake and other disaster zones over the next three years. An estimated 7,000 classrooms crumbled in last May's 8.0-magnitude quake, which left nearly 90,000 people dead or missing. The State Council, or the Cabinet, said in a statement that the money would be spent reinforcing and upgrading the safety standards of primary and middle school buildings in areas prone to earthquakes, floods or other natural disasters. Projects will be awarded through bids and the work will be subject to official and public scrutiny, it said.