Construction problems have emerged at two schools in Taichung ahead of the start of the new term — bad news for students and parents, while the city government has promised to speed up the work and carry out safety assessments.

• Work at Wenshan Junior High School has been under way for two years, but so far only the classrooms and toilets have been completed; the sports ground is still a muddy construction site.
• The Education Bureau says work on the sports ground is being pushed ahead at full speed, and that PE classes will be switched to swimming for the time being, with the ground expected to be usable by the time the swimming lessons finish.
• The delays were caused by inadequate foundations at the site when the school was originally built, compounded by the discovery of what appears to be a cultural heritage site during excavation.
• At Longquan Elementary School, a neighbouring construction project has caused the running track to subside and the covered sports court to tilt. City councillors are demanding a third-party assessment before they will allow children to take part in activities on the campus.
• The Education Bureau has promised to restore the running track and issue an assessment report by the end of the month, and to close the court if there are any safety concerns.

Outlook: The sports ground may still be unusable when term begins at the end of the month, and the assessment results at Longquan Elementary School will determine whether the court is closed.