Beijing News: Shortcomings such as students standing for long periods of time to eat have not been resolved, but 15 counties have invested 167 million yuan in image projects. Recently, the National Audit Office disclosed the use of special education funds in the “State Council’s Audit Report on the Implementation of the Central Budget and Other Fiscal Revenues and Expenditures in 2024” (hereinafter referred to as the “Report”).
This time, the focus of the audit is on the construction of basic conditions for compulsory education schools, mainly focusing on the country’s 20 basic “bottom line requirements” and further requirements for filling shortcomings. The “Report” pointed out that among the 6,831 compulsory education schools in 159 counties in 11 provinces audited, 2,429 still have weak links.
In terms of basic security, the audit found that 1,668 schools in 123 counties have lost again after reporting that they have met the “bottom line requirements” since 2018. Some teaching buildings or student dormitories have quality risks, some are not equipped with boiling water supply facilities, some have multiple people or large bunk beds, and some water toilets or harmless dry toilets are not up to standard.
In terms of filling the gaps, the audit found that the gaps that should be filled coexist with over-construction, and “the pain and joy are uneven”. There are 1038 schools in 108 counties that have not been filled. Some classrooms are leaking; some computers are not equipped after being scrapped; some students have to stand for a long time to eat because there is no place to put chairs in the canteen. At the same time, 519 schools in 93 counties have over-construction beyond demand. Among them, 15 counties have invested 167 million yuan in image projects without filling the gaps.
For example, Tongchuan District, Dazhou City, Sichuan Province, spent 3.8207 million yuan in 2021 to purchase 190 banyan trees, ginkgo trees, etc. for another middle school without filling the gaps in student dormitories and restaurants in a rural school, with a unit price of more than 10,000 yuan.
In the case that five rural boarding schools in Huairen City, Shanxi Province, did not make up for the shortcomings such as shower facilities, from 2021 to 2023, it spent 2.3891 million yuan to build rockery, pavilions and other landscape projects or install colorful lights and other lighting projects for two county schools.
In addition, the audit also found that 110 counties eroded 4.089 billion yuan of funds for making up for shortcomings through direct misappropriation and false expenditures, some of which were used to repay government debts, some to balance the budget, and some to build teacher office buildings. 909 projects for making up for shortcomings in 100 counties were poorly managed, some fire protection facilities were not fully equipped, and some acceptances were perfunctory.
