Hu Benjun, who is a classroom advisor in the school, arranged the first lesson as a psychological relief class. "I want to help them to build up confidence for life, society and themselves," said Hu.

On May 17, 549 students in the No.1 Middle School of Mianyang City resumed classes with earthquake knowledge as the first lesson.

On May 19, Juyuan Middle School, severely damaged by the earthquake, resumed lessons, beginning with three-minute silence for fellow students killed in the quake. The school is located in Juyuan Town, which is between Dujiangyan City and Chengdu. Two teaching buildings for grade two and grade three collapsed in the earthquake.

Everybody wants to help

On May 27, Beijing Luxun Middle School welcomed two new students-Yang Fan and Zhou Chen-from Dujiangyan in Sichuan. Following directives from the MOE, educational bureaus and schools are actively accepting students from quake-hit areas and providing subsidies to help them lead a normal life.

"We are very happy. I never thought that I could come to study at a school in Beijing," said Yang. Yang and Zhou's parents are working in earthquake relief, so they have come to Beijing to live with relatives.

The headmaster of Luxun Middle School, Yan Hong, said that teachers were busy preparing to take in students from the quake-hit region. "Everybody wants to do something for the quake-hit areas," he said. The school has also appointed a teacher specifically to help with psychological relief.

Yan added that in order to help the two students get involved in their new class and relieve any stress they might feel, nobody has been told they come from the quake-hit area apart from a few teachers.

Preferential treatment

On May 17, a working team organized by the MOE went to the quake-hit areas to make detailed plans for the resumption of classes with local bureaus. Two days later the first batch of tent schools were set up for students from severely hit areas. Students preparing for the college entrance exams in early June were mainly transferred to other areas to resume their studies. People's Education Press also provided free textbooks for the students. The MOE made it clear that the government is responsible for the reconstruction of the schools.

On May 26, the MOE issued a policy favoring students in quake-hit areas in the college entrance exam. In addition to raising the admission quota of students in Sichuan, students who have contributed to earthquake relief efforts will enjoy preferential treatment, including free admission to university.

The MOE also made plans for the reconstruction of buildings in the quake-hit areas using safe building methods.

"Our next step will be reconstruction of school buildings," a leading official in the Education Department of Sichuan Province said. "The new school buildings should be resistant to earthquakes above 8 magnitude."