Thousands of school principals in Kashgar, Northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region vowed Monday to keep their schools free of religious influence as authorities face the growing challenge of combating terrorism.
The principals of over 2,000 schools in Kashgar, including kindergartens, primary schools and high schools, signed a banner that read "defend schools against the infiltration of religion" on Monday, the Xinjiang Daily reported.
An official from Kashgar's education bureau told the Global Times on the condition of anonymity that they have been explaining the State's policy to students. Party members, teachers or underage students should not practice a religion, no matter whether they are at school or at home.
The official said they discovered that some students who wore no religious garb at school would practice religion at home, following their parents' guidance.
The official went on to say that combating extremism is an important task for the local authorities this year and that his bureau has tried to tackle the issue by regulating the outfits of students and teachers, improving campus culture and teaching students about the country's religious policy.
According to China's laws on education, educational and religious activities must be separated. A document issued by the Secretariat of the Central Committee of Communist Party of China stipulated that no one should be forced into practicing a religion, especially those under 18 years old.
"As the head of an educational institution, a principal is responsible for protecting their students from religious infiltration, and especially from extremist thoughts. Signing their names on a banner and making such vows in front of the national flag are both ways for them to remember their duty," said Lu Huadong, an official working in Kashgar's education department.
A court in Kashgar sentenced 12 people to death this month for organizing terror attacks. The terrorists attacked a police station and a government building in Elixku township on July 28. Some then moved on to the nearby Huangdi township, attacking civilians. A total of 37 civilians were killed.