Hundreds of junior high school students in the central Japanese city of Wajima will temporarily move away from their parents to a nearby city to continue their education. Wajima was hit hard by the January 1 earthquake.

City officials plan to send students from three junior high schools to public facilities in Hakusan City in southern Ishikawa Prefecture. The children cannot attend classes at their schools because they are being used as evacuation centers. The officials say about 250 of the schools' 401 students have agreed to go.

They say they will also send schoolteachers and mental health counselors to join the students.

They say those who choose to stay behind will also get assistance.

The head of the city's education board said he hopes the students can concentrate on their studies in a safe and secure environment. He also said the board believes the students are old enough to live away from their parents for a time -- probably up to two months.

A similar move is underway for senior high school students in the prefecture. More than 30 of them from the region moved on Monday to a hotel in the regional capital city, Kanazawa.

The hotel can accept up to 70 students. About 20 more are expected to arrive on Tuesday.

Officials say those students can study in unused rooms at a high school near the hotel. They also say the students can stay at the hotel until living conditions in their hometown improve. They add that family circumstances will determine when the students can return home.

Officials say they will consider securing more accommodations if more students want to leave their homes.