Recently, Nanjing University has invested over 31.52 million yuan (approximately 4.38 million USD) in an artificial intelligence (AI) system aimed at monitoring student engagement in classrooms through metrics such as head-up rate and attendance. This initiative has ignited widespread panic and dissatisfaction among students.
In a notification sent to students, the university announced that it would be utilizing an upgraded smart classroom system over the summer to record attendance data for an entire week. Following this announcement, an image purportedly from the “Smart Classroom System” surfaced online, displaying not only video footage from within the classrooms but also detailed statistics on tardiness, attendance rates, and the aforementioned head-up rate.
Some educators cautioned students in group chats that the raw data collected could directly impact their ordinary grades and might even lead to the cancellation of exam scores.
The introduction of the smart classroom system has led to a considerable amount of anxiety and discontent among students. Some students voiced their concerns to the media about the possible exposure of personal information. Even without face recognition capabilities, the very idea of monitoring head-up rates has been unsettling for many.
According to public bidding documents released by the Chinese government’s procurement website, the total contract for the construction of Nanjing University’s smart classroom system exceeds 31.52 million yuan. The project encompasses upgrades to equipment in 113 classrooms on the Xianlin campus and one teaching management center. Notably, the bidding documents stipulated that the system would include algorithms for “face detection, face recognition, AI attendance tracking, and AI head-up rate calculation,” thus facilitating functions for unintrusive attendance tracking, student role-call, and head-up rate assessments.
In response to mounting concern, Nanjing University issued a statement on the 4th, refuting claims that attendance rates would be linked to student grades. The university emphasized that it would not conduct face recognition without proper authorization. Additionally, they confirmed that the head-up rate tracking function would be officially discontinued, with plans to test attendance statistics moving forward.
The trend of implementing AI-driven smart classroom systems for attendance and engagement metrics has already become common practice in Chinese higher education institutions. Universities such as Beijing Institute of Technology, Shenyang Engineering Institute, Ningxia University of Technology, and Jiangnan University have adopted similar systems.
Online reactions have flooded in, with many netizens expressing their frustrations, pointing out issues like the paradox of allocating millions for surveillance while neglecting basic amenities like air conditioning in student housing. Comments like, “They can invest millions in surveillance measures, but improving student dorm conditions? Sorry, there’s no budget for that,” highlight a growing discontent with university priorities.
Others have criticized the ethos behind the initiative, stating, “Is this really education? It feels more like treating students as livestock being monitored for disease.” The discontent has led to comparisons of university classrooms to surveillance laboratories, with some concluding that the underlying motive appears to be commercial in nature.
In summary, the introduction of such surveillance technology within educational settings has sparked a broader dialogue about student privacy, educational values, and institutional priorities in China. The pushback from students suggests a growing awareness and resistance against what many perceive as invasive monitoring practices.