Young men play basketball on the playground of Baiyunlu campus of the No. 2 Experimental Elementary School in Beijing. (Photo/Beijing News)
(ECNS) -- Education authorities in Beijing's Xicheng District have launched an investigation after parents blamed playground renovation at an elementary school for making their children sick.
By Thursday, 205 students at the Baiyunlu campus of the No. 2 Experimental Elementary School reported symptoms that included nosebleeds, dizziness and nausea, itchy skin and loss of appetite, Beijing News reported.
Abnormalities were discovered in 48 students from 73 who took blood tests. A voluntary survey of 241 students, organized by parents, also found 10 percent suffered from chest tightness.
A father said only nine of 40 students attended his son's class on June 2 due to these ailments. He also said most children affected practiced on the new playground almost every day since May 28 to prepare for a sports meeting.
It was painted in April and then covered with a material to prevent the release of a strong smell in late May, the report added.
The Education Commission for Xicheng District said materials used in the playground renovation were qualified, but some parents doubt the tests were comprehensive and also questioned the construction procedure.
The school stopped all outdoor activities on June 2 and also promised to conduct new tests.
