OPINION> Commentary
Students must not buy posts
(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-11-12 07:40

College students are using bribes to become student leaders to win more favors than others, says an article on the website www.jxcn.cn. The following is an excerpt:

Many college students try to obtain a leadership post on campus through bribes, according to a recent report. Some even spend more than 5,000 yuan ($732) to win the opportunity of sitting on the student union.

College students do not make money to support their study and living. But why do they exchange money for being a student leader? As the report said, that is mainly because the post can bring them favors, especially at the time of electing excellent students and Party membership candidates as well as awarding scholarships. Besides, the post can also help students with employers upon graduation.

At present, it is hard to become a student leader without resorting to any connections. In fact, it is also a capability to build and maintain relationships with others. But the purpose of becoming student leaders is not to develop relationships but to get some training so that they may improve their skills through student work. So, it is undesirable to indulge oneself in building relationships for a better-looking resume.

If colleges continue to think highly of student leaders while ignoring ordinary students and if employers still prefer student leaders, it would be impossible to ban the exchange of money and the post of a student leader on campus.

The horrible consequence is that some of them may become corrupt officials in the future.

(China Daily 11/12/2008 page8)