School registration paternity tests go too far

HUMEN TOWN in South China's Guangdong province has started registration work for the pupils who will enter schools in September. However, some parents said they are required to provide paternity test results when applying for middle school for their children. Gmw.cn comments:

According to current policies, the parents' hukou (household registration), decides where the children can go to school. Humen has done a good move this year by allowing the children whose parents are without a local hukou to register, which means it is offering public resources to more people.

However, it is rather ridiculous for them to require paternity test results from the parents who apply to register their children for school. In its most recent statement, the local education department claimed that by doing so they hope to prevent illegal persons from providing false materials.