New Jiangsu School Grapples with Plot of Toxic Land Across Street

(Beijing) – When the new term started in late February, many of the 2,400 students at the Changzhou Foreign Language School in the eastern province of Jiangsu weren't sure they wanted to go back to class.

Some parents decided to keep their children at home, while others have tried to transfer them to different schools. Ever since the popular multilingual secondary school, with classes from the seventh to 12th grades, moved to a new 153 acre campus in September, students have been falling ill. Parents say a foul odor shrouded the school in December, and many students have suffered from rashes, drowsiness and nosebleeds.