Photo not related to article. [123rf]
Photo not related to article. [123rf]

A middle school in China has drawn sharp criticism after asking incoming students to submit detailed personal information about their parents — including their employer, job title and the vehicles they own. The school initially defended the practice but was ordered by education authorities to stop.

According to the South China Morning Post, Dongying No. 1 Middle School in Dongying, Shandong Province in eastern China distributed forms to new students late last month, asking them to fill in information about their parents.

The forms asked for parents' names, workplaces, job titles and mobile phone numbers — and went further, requesting the brand, license plate number and purchase price of any vehicle the family owned.

The school added a note reassuring parents that "the information collected will be used for internal school purposes only."

Once the forms circulated online, a wave of criticism followed.

"Isn't this ultimately about teachers treating students differently based on their parents' wealth? Why else would they need this information?" one user said. Another asked: "If I write down that my parents are unemployed, will my child end up sitting in the back of the classroom?"

One user who identified themselves as a graduate of the school said they had submitted similar information upon enrollment and were told at the time it was a campus safety measure, local media reported.

As the backlash grew, the school said the vehicle purchase price was requested as a reference for screening eligibility for financial aid subsidies available only to low-income students.

An anonymous school official told China Newsweek that students who submitted their license plate numbers would be allowed to park near the school when parents came to pick them up after class.

The Dongying Municipal Education Bureau launched an investigation into the matter and issued a statement on June 30 ordering Dongying No. 1 Middle School to immediately stop collecting personal information and delete all data already gathered.

The education authority said it would conduct a comprehensive review of all schools in the city for similar practices, adding that it was "committed to protecting the personal information of students and parents."

This is not the first time a Chinese school has sparked controversy by collecting information that could reveal a family's financial circumstances.

In May, an elementary school in Hubei Province drew criticism after asking students to fill out a questionnaire about their parents' occupations. The survey reportedly included questions such as "Is your parents' work environment hot, noisy or smelly?" and "How many hours a day do your parents work?"

China Pick
China Pick

jshan@heraldcorp.com