Security escorts in Xicheng district march during their launch ceremony. Zhang Yujun / for China Daily

A highly trained team of 200 will begin protecting students and teachers at 60 middle and primary schools starting in September.

Members of the campus escort team took part in a high-profile drill at a local high school on Saturday to show the public what they are capable of, according to Beijing Morning Post.

The team, known as the Xicheng Campus Escort, will be the first professional campus security service in the capital, said the report. The force will replace regular security workers on school property.

"The 200 members were selected from 600 candidates through a very strict standard similar to that used in the selection of police officers," Wang Hui, an official with the Xicheng District Branch of Beijing Public Security Bureau, was quoted as saying in Beijing News.

The professional escort team is made up of people with good educations and high quality recruits who understand local circumstances, added the Beijing Evening News.

More than 60 percent of the escorts are residents of Xicheng district with close ties to local schools.

Two-thirds of the team's members received a college or undergraduate education.

They will be responsible for registering vehicles entering and leaving schools and dealing with emergencies and violent incidents.

The escorts will be equipped with items including batons, sprays and steel forks to assist them with their work in protecting students and teachers from attackers.

The professional team will receive training from the armed police and the public security police. Overseas security experts have also been invited to give lectures on useful subjects, including first aid, arrest procedures and self defense.

The members will undergo vigorous psychological testing similar to tests taken by police officers, according to Wang.

The government is funding the initiative.

"The 1,800-yuan-per-month salary, in addition to the insurance and the housing fund, is a satisfactory salary for a fresh graduate like me," Li Yin, a 21-year-old woman told Beijing News.

About 40 young women are among the 200-member team.

Typically, the incomes of professional security guards - mostly migrant workers from areas outside Beijing - are between 1,000 yuan and 1,500 yuan in the capital.

"I did have other choices at graduation, such as working for foreign enterprises, but I love the tranquil atmosphere of the school grounds and this new profession will bring me new opportunities," Li said.

The escorts will be spread between the 60 schools in the area and focus on primary schools and kindergartens.

All primary schools and kindergartens in Xicheng district will get either three or four security team members before the end of next year, by which time some 900 workers will be needed, said to Wang.

The team was introduced following several high-profile stabbing incidents at schools nationwide.

China Daily

(China Daily 08/16/2010 page25)