The government will urge cram schools to strengthen their existing guidelines to ensure student safety, following the fatal stabbing of a 12-year-old girl by a part-time teacher in Kyoto Prefecture earlier this month, a government official said Thursday.

The Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, which supervises the cram school business, the education ministry, the National Police Agency and the Cabinet Office will jointly request the schools work out detailed safety measures by early next year, according to a METI official.

At present, cram schools only have general guidelines on student safety. The government wants them to draft measures on improving teacher qualifications and providing safe commuting routes, the official said.

Based on the updated guidelines, the government will hold seminars by the end of March to raise awareness about student safety, he said.