Chinese headmaster 'suspended' after students forced to take exam outdoors in heavy smog
Schools have been closed under China's 'red alert' warning, but the headteacher did not want to cancel the planned exams
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Chinese headmaster has reportedly been suspended in China after more than 400 students were forced to sit an exam outdoors in heavy smog.
Dense smog has smothered much of China for the last five days, and schools, factories and highways have been closed in attempts to improve air quality.
The five day "red alert" warning, the highest level in China's four-tiered warning system, affects 460 million people, according to calculations from Greenpeace East Asia.
However, local media reports said that although the school in Linzhou, Hanan province, was closed due to the red alert, the headmaster did not want to cancel the planned exams.
Around 480 students from the Number One Middle School reportedly sat English, maths, Chinese and PE exams in the smog.
Images posted on social media showed rows of students working at exam tables on a sports field.
The headteacher has since been suspended, The Straits Times reports.
The smog may finally clear soon, forecasters have said.
The news will come as a relief to hundreds of millions of people breathing dangerously polluted air and struggling under the government's emergency measures.
China has long had some of the worst air in the world, blamed on its reliance on coal and a surplus of older, less efficient cars.
It has set pollution reduction goals, but also has plans to increase coal mining capacity and eased caps on production when faced with rising energy prices.
Additional reporting by agencies
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments