Parents try to clear air for children at Beijing schools

Students at Beijing Haidian Foreign Language Shiyan School attend a physical education class in a plastic dome that shuts out dirty air. ZHANG WEI/CHINA DAILY

Some meet obstacles to installing classroom filters, while others are successful

Hu Qingming, a Beijing resident whose daughter is a primary school pupil in the capital, collected 5,000 yuan ($770) with other parents to buy an air filter for their children’s classroom.

But Hu said the school refused to allow the parents to install the device.

“We had no choice but to give up the idea. Finally, we sold the filter,” said the father whose daughter attends Hepingli No 9 Primary School in Dongcheng district.

The lasting air pollution in Beijing has driven increasing numbers of parents to collect money and install filters in classrooms, but many were rejected by schools. The reasons given included disapproval from the Beijing Commission of Education.

Parents like Hu could not understand the commission’s stance and feared for their children’s health at school, with many complaining that the commission was not taking the issue seriously.

The commission said student health is among its top concerns, and it has been working with experts, research institutes and environmental protection authorities to seek the best way to control air pollution at schools.

The efforts made include reducing outdoor activities on smoggy days and suspending classes after a red alert for pollution has been issued.

The commission said it has considered installing air filters or ventilation systems at all schools in the capital. But no progress has been made to date, as such work must avoid other possible hazards that could harm students’ health.

An official from the Beijing Environmental Protection Bureau, who wished to remain anonymous, said a benchmark is needed to define air quality in classrooms.

Health authorities should set up detailed standards to ascertain when the density of PM2.5 in a classroom is at a level where air quality can be considered good, the official said, adding that such standards can act as a basis for further control of air pollution in classrooms.

While parents like Hu are in the majority, others in Beijing have installed air filters in their children’s classrooms.

Wang Qiang, whose 7-year-old daughter studies at the private Beijing Haidian Foreign Language Shiyan School, said his daughter’s class has enjoyed clean air since a filter was bought and installed last winter.

Wang Haifeng, whose son is a fourth-grade pupil at Wulutong Primary School in Xicheng district, teamed up with other parents to install a filter in their children’s class last month. “But neither installing air filters nor suspending classes is the total solution,” Wang Haifeng said, adding that the government should do its best to tackle the pollution problem thoroughly.

Parents try to clear air for children at Beijing schools

Schools and Parents Urge Regulation on Classroom Air Purifier Installing

As schools in Beijing and other parts of northeastern China suspend classes because of the red alert over air pollution, many parents are demanding that air purifiers should be installed for the students. [Photo: hexun.com] 

As schools in Beijing and other parts of northeastern China suspend classes because of the red alert over air pollution, many parents are demanding that air purifiers should be installed for the students.

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With major pollution days becoming more frequent, students are staying home, often without supervision. Their parents say it would be better if their children were in the classroom, and that’s why schools need to install air purifiers.

“Our school bought air filters last year. We did a little fund raising, with each parent throwing in several hundred for that.”

“We’ve already bought two air cleaners for the class, both of which are installed.”

The suggestions come as some parents say they received short notice from their child’s school during the first red alert for air pollution, issued earlier this month.

Many parents say they were caught by surprise, especially working couples, giving them little time to figure out how to take care of their children during the day.

Some parents have donated purifiers to their kid’s classroom, while others fund raise together to make the purchase.

However, making such a donation to a school doesn’t always happen smoothly, with some schools even returning the air purifiers to their well-intended donors.

Liu Liangcheng is the vice-principal of Beijing’s Taipinglu primary school, where each classroom has been installed with two air filters.

Liu says installing air cleaners bought by parents can lead to problems.

“We have refused air purifiers bought by parents before, as there is a clear and strict rule for education fees. We can’t just break the rule here. And fixed asset management is also a relevant issue. Also, if we accept one parent’s donation, there might be pressure on others who don’t have the ability to do so.”

He adds that without a standard guidance from local authorities, the brand-choice of the purifier, installation, and even the security of the device can each be an issue.

Also, experts say air purifiers can introduce other unhealthy factors.

Deng Gaofeng, head of the low-carbon-building study office with the China Academy of Building Research, says regular air filtering may cause CO2 concentration to rise.

“Take the classroom we tested for instance. If we keep windows and doors closed during classes, the concentrations of CO2 in the classroom will double from 1000 PPM to some 2000 PPM, while according to safety standards, the highest index should not be more than 1500.”

She adds that a more advanced and more expansive fresh air system is a heather solution.

Back in July, Beijing Municipal Government said it is discussing the possibility of a unified classroom air purifier installation plan, but no actual regulation has been published as of yet.

Schools and Parents Urge Regulation on Classroom Air Purifier Installing