Commentary

China Watch

Forum Digests

Columnists

Letters

Students must not be exploited

(China Daily)
Updated: 2008-12-15 07:37

We should guard against students being exploited by their schools, says an article in Yangtze Evening Post. The following is an excerpt:

At a middle school in Yibin, Sichuan province, female students clad only in summer uniforms on a cold day, were recently made stand on the playground to welcome the school's superiors.

After this incident was exposed on the Internet, the school told the media it did not force the students, they did it voluntarily. The students were also provided with warm clothing.

Very often schools cancel classes so that students can welcome visitors, but to make them do it on a cold day dressed only in summer uniforms is unfair.

We doubt whether the students did it of their own free will.

The fundamental reason for such ridiculous events is that some schools tend to focus more on how to please their superiors and local educational officials. The wrong mindset has led to school work be more centered on officials rather than on students.

That is why many schools have been turned into political platforms where students are used to promote the ambitions of the staff.

(China Daily 12/15/2008 page4)