If you’re a parent in Beijing, no doubt you’ve heard about the car accident that happened last year inside the grounds of Fangcaodi. On November 15, 2010, a young boy named Julien was run over by a school driver while on the school’s sports ground and dragged under the car for over 8 meters, sustaining terrible injuries. After an assessment by a doctor from SOS International, Julien was evacuated by plane to Switzerland for medical treatment.
The full details, as recounted by Julien’s father, are available on Sina.com in both English and Chinese. News of the Julien’s ordeal also hit the beijingkids blog.
After months of campaigning for increased safety precautions and training at Fangcaodi and Beijing schools in general, Julien’s parents have had their story picked up by the NY Times. Some choice quotes are included below:
“As a lawyer, we see so many of these kinds of incidents,” said Mr. Ge [the family’s lawyer]. “The only thing that is different about this one is that a foreign child is involved.”
"Until a final decision is made, we hope the media will not report this event.” [said the school’s spokesman Mr. Zhang]
Speaking at a meeting with parents in March,Ms. Li [Julien’s mother] said: “I’m fighting for school safety not just for my son, but for all children in China.”
[School principal Liu Fei] defended the school’s policy of allowing cars on campus. “Please understand the problems teachers have finding places to park their cars,” he said, according to several parents who attended [a meeting between the parents and the school].
Mr. Zhang, the school spokesman, said: “The school all along has taken the issue of safety very seriously.”
Are you happy with the safety precautions at your child’s school? Have you witnessed or heard of any other serious safety breaches in Beijing schools?
