The Ministry of Education issued an emergency circular yesterday calling on all schools to draw a lesson from the stampede in Aksu, Xinjiang, which left 41 students injured on Monday.
The ministry has repeatedly issued specific requirements to prevent stampedes, but some schools are still ignoring them, according to the circular.
'Education authorities on all levels should immediately inform schools, teachers and students so that they can... pay more attention to such issues and prevent such accidents happening again,' it said.
Safety education should be conducted immediately so that students can fully understand the main reason for and severe consequences of the stampede and comprehend basic protection measures, it said.
'Students should be educated not to race or push each other when going up and down the stairs and not to panic or crush one another when someone falls. They should develop the good habit of using the stairs in an orderly fashion and walk slowly, quietly and by the right side.'
Preventive measures were also specified, such as safety inspections to determine whether the handrail and the width of the corridor are adequate for students.
More than 120 pupils fell on stairs at the No 5 Primary School at noon on Monday while rushing to the playground after class.