BEIJING - All schools nationwide should purchase school buses in accordance with an approved list of qualified vehicle types and vendors in order to ensure safety, the Ministry of Education said in a circular published on Monday.

The circular said all school buses purchased by elementary schools and kindergartens should be bought from approved vendors, adding that schools that do not do so will lose their licenses.

The Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has maintained a list of qualified school bus vendors and brands since 2007. A total of 441 vehicle types produced by 52 enterprises have been approved thus far.

A string of school bus accidents occurred in China last year prompted the government to introduce new safety regulations and standards for school buses to better ensure students' safety and allay public concern.

The most serious accident occurred in November last year, when 21 students were killed after their nine-seat minivan, which was crammed with 62 preschool students, crashed in Northwest China's Gansu province.