Translated from Beijing Youth Daily

The new school year starts this week in China. But students in some primary schools?-- in Huanggang, of Hubei province, Yuncheng, of Shandong province, and Mengjin, of Henan province?-- have to take desks with them to school because the schools do not have enough money to buy them.

Even if one of the counties concerned is a national-level poor county, its costly government buildings are quite magnificent and impressive compared with local shabby schoolhouses. The other two counties are not poor at all compared with the other counties in their provinces.

If these problems are not caused by corruption or embezzlement, the governments input in education affairs must be seriously inadequate. It is justified for local authorities' focus to be on economic development. But they should not ignore the children, who represent the future not only for their family but the whole country.

Education may be one of the most rational and rewarding investments.

Local governments must take concrete actions at once to improve school conditions for the children. Otherwise, the people responsible for the conditions should be held responsible for the problems.