It has been reported that the third violent attack on Chinese schoolchildren in three days heightened widespread fears as the government again pledged to improve school safety.

The state-run Xinhua news agency has reported that in the latest attack Friday, five kindergartners and a teacher at the Shangzhuang Primary School in the Shandong province city of Weifang were injured by a man wielding an iron hammer.

Officials have said that the attacker set himself on fire and died and the children and teacher were not seriously injured.

The Ministry of Education told all school and educational officials to tighten security, cooperate with law enforcement and keep a close watch on school entrances.

Xinhua also said that Police cars patrolled near schools in major cities including Beijing, Chengdu and Hangzhou. The Wall Street Journal also reported that Police provided nearly 100 schools curved bars on steel poles to fight off potential attackers Beijing.

It was further reported that in the other attacks, a man stabbed 15 children and a teacher Wednesday in Guangdong province and Thursday 28 children and three adults were injured by a man in Jiangsu province. (With Inputs from Agencies)