Chinese say quake killed 5,335 children

China for the first time today gave its official estimate for the number of children lost last year's devastating Sichuan earthquake. It says 5,335 schoolchildren died or remain missing after the quake, nearly a year ago – a figure far lower than other independent estimates, says the BBC's Beijing correspondent.

When the earthquake struck, a disproportionate number of school buildings collapsed. The child death toll is a sensitive issue because of accusations that many school buildings were badly built. China's longstanding one-child policy makes children that much more precious to parents. And that will make the 12 May anniversary of the disaster that killed up to 90,000 people especially unbearable for so many.

Tu Wentao, head of the Sichuan education department, said the delay releasing the figures was because they had to be compiled from various government agencies."These numbers were reached through legal methods. We have wide agreement on these numbers," he told a press conference in the provincial capital Chengdu.

News reports at the time of the disaster said 9,000 children and teachers died, while independent surveys put the figure closer to 7,000.Sichuan authorities say the quake also left another 546 students disabled. The figures do not include casualties from surrounding provinces. The government has admitted that nearly 14,000 schools were damaged or collapsed in the magnitude-8 earthquake.

Parents have blamed local corruption and official neglect for the collapse of so many schools and for the loss of their children. Many say that when they have complained they have been harassed or detained. Some correspondents say parents have been stopped from going back to the schools on sensitive occasions, and the authorities are believed to be monitoring parents leading up to the anniversary of the disaster. Human Rights Watch has called on Beijing to be more open about the quake, compensate victims' relatives and allow parents to file lawsuits. "Parents of student quake victims, who are trying to understand how and why their children died, deserve answers and compassion, not threats and abuse," said Sophie Richardson, the group's Asia advocacy director.

The official China Daily newspaper today reported that a circular issued by the cabinet had ordered safety controls for the construction of schools to be strengthened. The circular those who engaged in illegal practices would be severely punished.

By Hayley Jarvis for SOS Children