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Two fellow villagers help Lu Siling and her mother unload a borrowed table on Saturday at a primary school in Shunhe township in Macheng, Hubei province. Yuan Liyang / Changjiang Times |
Education officials in Macheng, Hubei province, have been asked to dig into their own pockets to help buy desks and chairs for primary school students in an impoverished area.
The move follows the publication on Monday of pictures of children in Shunhe township carrying furniture for the first day of the new school semester.
As of Tuesday, enough money had been pledged by officials to buy 100 sets of desks and chairs, according to Ruan Jing, a publicity official for the city.
Each set costs about 250 yuan ($39), she said, adding that authorities are also asking companies for help.