China's central and local governments have shifted to high gear in a campus security clampdown after a string of deadly attacks against students in schools and kindergartens.

The education authorities of many provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities held conferences on how to improve campus security after Zhou Yongkang, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said campus security was a "major political task" on May 3.

Provincial governments ordered more police patrols near campuses, 24-hour identification checks at school gates and guards to be stationed in campuses.

China has recently witnessed a surge in school attacks. The worst occurred in Nanping City, Fujian Province, when a man killed eight elementary school children in March.

In the latest case, five kindergarten class children and a teacher were injured when a man attacked them with an iron hammer before killing himself at a school in Shandong Province.