China's first primary school established especially for children affected by AIDS held its opening ceremony Friday in a hospital in Linfen, in the northern Shanxi province, the Xinhua News Agency reported.

Eight children aged from six to eleven attended the opening ceremony. All of them acquired AIDS through mother-to-child transmission and had lost their mothers.

To make sure that such children get access to an education, Linfen Hospital for Infectious Disease funded the primary school, called Red Ribbon Primary School, within its AIDS Treatment Center.

Using the same teaching material issued by China's education authorities as used by other primary schools, Red Ribbon Primary School has been equipped with an adequate teaching facility as well as professional teachers and staff who can nurse the children. Currently, the school teaches curriculum from grade one to four.

The hospital took counsel with the children's guardians and got their approval before recruiting them. All of the school's students registered of their own free will.

The hospital has said that it will provide free accommodations for those children who will be receiving regular treatment at the same time.

Linfen Hospital for Infectious Disease has treated more than 300 AIDS patients including many children suffering from AIDS.
 
(CRI September 2, 2006)