School students in flooded south China begin new semester on time after clean up

After cleaning up the mess left by the flooding of their schools this summer, students in south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region began the new school semester Tuesday.

Longshan Primary School in Fengshan County, Hechi City, was inundated with floodwaters for more than ten days after downpours hit the area from June 28 to July 10.

The floodwaters reached as high as the second floor of buildings of one school that sits in a low-lying area surrounded by mountains, said Li Zhengcai, head of the school.

"As the water level rose, we moved the school supplies to the second floor. But then, even the second floor was inundated, and students' books and stationery were destroyed," said Li, "but fortunately, no students were injured in the flood."

Ban Huadi, a fourth-grade student, said he was "very happy" to see his school clean and in order, after the flood left his classroom in a mess.

"Desks and chairs were scattered all around the room. The water mark on our classroom walls was higher than me," Ban said.

School faculty, students and nearby villagers - some 60 people in total - spent four days cleaning up the school.

Floodwaters totally submerged fourth-grader Ran Caiying's four-story home, ruining many of her toys.

Carrying her brand new school books, Ran said, "I will study hard and when I grow up I will build a better house that cannot be destroyed by flooding."

Nearly one thousand schools were affected by flooding in Guangxi this summer.

The students started the new semester on time, but before they did, local education authorities checked school buildings for safety hazards, said a spokesman of the region's education department.

Source: Xinhua