2010-03-29 22:39

BEIJING - Chinese Minister of Education Yuan Guiren on Monday called for concerted efforts to ensure safety in primary and high schools, after Tuesday's school knife attack that left eight children dead and shocked the country.

"There is no education if we cannot protect the lives of students," Yuan said at an event in Beijing to mark a national day of safety awareness among schoolchildren.

He urged education authorities across the country to make school safety a priority and to work with schools, police and other government agencies to ensure safety both on and around campuses.

Yuan also called on authorities to remain alert against potential safety risks and resolutely work to avoid serious and major security incidents.

A man stabbed eight children to death and wounded another five outside the gate of the Nanping Experimental Elementary School in east China's Fujian Province on Tuesday. Former community doctor Zheng Minsheng, 41, has been charged with murder in connection with the attack.