[Sportschosun Jang Jong-ho] A school in China has come under fire after requiring parents of new students to submit not only their occupations, but also their car brand, license plate number, and purchase price during the enrollment process. As criticism grew that the school was collecting too much personal information and discriminating against students based on family background, education authorities ordered the school to stop the practice and delete all information already collected.
According to Chinese outlet China Newsweek and Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP), Dongying No. 1 Middle School in Dongying City, Shandong Province, distributed a family background survey to incoming students in late June.
The form asked for basic personal details such as parents' names, workplaces, job titles, and mobile phone numbers. It also included items requiring the brand and license plate number of the family car, as well as its purchase price. When requesting vehicle information, the school added a note saying, "Please fill it out with confidence, as it will be used for internal purposes only."
However, once the form was posted online, criticism poured in.
Internet users reacted by saying, "Are teachers trying to treat students differently based on their parents' financial background? If not, why collect this information?" "If I write that I'm unemployed, will my child be assigned to the back row of the classroom?" and "A shameful school that has forgotten its mission as an educator."
As the controversy spread, the Dongying City Education Bureau said it had recently confirmed the facts. It ordered the school to immediately stop collecting personal information and to delete all data already obtained.
The bureau said, "We will conduct a full inspection of all schools in the city to see whether similar personal data collection practices exist," and added, "We will do our utmost to protect the personal information of students and parents."
A graduate who said he had attended the school also told local media in an interview that he had submitted similar information when he enrolled. He said the school explained at the time that it was "for campus safety management."
A school official explained that registering students' vehicle numbers was intended to allow parents to park near the school when picking up their children.
As for why car prices were collected, the official said it was "to use as reference material when selecting recipients for scholarships given to financially struggling students." Even so, criticism continues over whether it is appropriate to use sensitive personal information such as car prices as a criterion for scholarship screening.
Jang Jong-ho bellho@sportschosun.com
