SUFFER THE CHILDREN: One thing missing from some of the disaster-hit areas I visited in recent days was children. The young ones seemed to have bore the brunt of Monday's earthquake, partly due to the time the tremor struck: 2.28pm, a time when classes were in full swing.

The sight of these three huddling children aged 13 and 14, from the extended Meng family, was a rare one. But the setting - the ruinedshell of their former house, home to around 40 paper - was all too familar.

The deaths of so many schoolchildren have sparked anger amongsy parents, who are outraged by the allegedly poor construction of these schools.