Schools must treat all kids fairly

A PRIMARY SCHOOL in Yongfu county, Southwest China's Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, set up a special class last autumn with two elementary schools for the students with the lowest grades. According to parents of these students, the school allotted them the worst classroom and substitute teachers. Sichuan Online said on Friday:

The principal of the primary school denied any discrimination against poorly performing students and said the special class was to optimize the education for them.

But not all the students with the lowest grades were sent to the "optimized" class. Among 51 students with the worst grades, eight were sent to other classes, because their parents are said to be relatives or friends of teachers. So the worst performing students are even treated differently due to their family backgrounds or their families' social connections.