The Nanhui District People's Court yesterday ordered a local elementary school to pay 44,205 yuan (US$5,326) to the family of a student who was killed after getting off a school bus in March.
Xiao Long (pseudonym), who was in grade one at the time of the accident, was knocked down by a car while crossing the road after getting off the school bus, which stopped across the road from his home on March 17.
In the past, the bus stopped on the side of Xiao's home.
Xiao's parents filed the lawsuit against the school, saying it didn't take proper care of Xiao.
But the school argued it shouldn't take the responsibility for Xiao's death.
It insisted its responsibility for Xiao ended when he got off the bus. What's more, the school pointed out the bus was free of charge and it didn't make any promise to the students' parents about where children would be dropped off.
Xiao and other students got off the coach 87 meters away from a crosswalk that day. There were no teachers on the bus to help them cross the street.
The school had agreed before the case to pay Xiao's family 10,000 yuan, but said that was out of pity, not an acceptance of responsibility.
But the court said Xiao, as a child, didn't have the ability to protect himself. So the school should be blamed for letting him cross the road without an adult.