China has issued a new set of baseline requirements for basic operating conditions in primary and secondary schools, as part of efforts to advance the standardization of school facilities nationwide.

Photo via China Daily

The 20-point list, issued by the Ministry of Education and three other departments, covers five areas: school building construction, safety and security, living facilities, teaching equipment, and staffing. All regular primary and secondary schools are expected to meet these baseline standards within three years.

For instance, schools are required to implement closed management, with one-button alarm devices and anti-crash barriers installed at school gates, as well as video surveillance in key areas. School buildings must comply with national fire safety standards and be equipped with effective firefighting and emergency lighting equipment.

Each student should have their own desk and chair with a backrest. Drinking water meeting hygiene standards must be provided. Sports facilities should be adequate to meet physical education curriculum requirements, including at least one type of ball game among soccer, basketball, volleyball, and table tennis.

Psychological counseling rooms must be set up. Classrooms should have blackboards or interactive whiteboards, with internet access of no less than 100 Mbps. Schools need computer rooms or information technology labs, and science labs for primary schools, while middle and high schools must have physics, chemistry and biology labs.

Music and art classrooms with necessary teaching equipment are required. Libraries or reading rooms should be stocked with books, including e-books, to meet students' reading needs.

For boarding schools, dormitories must not be located in basements or semi-basements. Each boarding student should have their own bed with safety guardrails on the upper bunk. Boarding schools must also provide canteens, toilets and washing facilities, as well as bathing facilities.

Schools are required to set up infirmaries or health rooms, equipped with first-aid kits, and staffed with full-time or part-time school doctors or health teachers.

Full-time security guards with proper certification must be hired based on standards. The number of full-time teachers should be sufficient to offer all nationally required courses, with at least one full-time or part-time mental health teacher per school. Dormitories should have on-site administrators, with female dormitories staffed by female administrators.

The new standards are an upgrade of the 20 baseline requirements introduced in 2014. Local authorities are encouraged to raise provincial standards based on local conditions.

To ensure implementation, the ministry said it will establish work records, conduct school-by-school inspections, adopt tailored plans for under-performing schools, and strengthen oversight. A zero-tolerance approach will be taken toward failures to meet the baseline standards.