In recent years, the anti-corruption campaign in China has been intensifying, with a paradoxical trend where the more the Communist Party cracks down on corruption, the more instances of corruption emerge. The education sector is no exception, as a pervasive culture of corruption has been uncovered. In just one region of Jiangxi Province, at least 17 middle school principals and secretaries have been taken down within a span of nearly four months.
On July 15th, the Discipline Inspection Commission of Ji’an City in Jiangxi Province announced that the former principal of Ji’an County Middle School, Xu Canming, is under scrutiny for serious violations of discipline and law.
Public records indicate that Xu Canming, a native of Ji’an County in Jiangxi, began working in September 1981, joined the Communist Party in November 1990, and retired in October 2020. He had worked at Ji’an County Middle School, a prestigious provincial-level key school in Jiangxi.
Prior to Xu Canming, the principal of Ji’an County Middle School, Long Biqiang, voluntarily surrendered in May and faced investigation.
Apart from these two individuals, the principals and secretaries of other prominent schools in Jiangxi Province, such as Anyuan Middle School in Pingxiang City, have also come under investigation.
In July, the Discipline Inspection Commission of Pingxiang City announced that Ao’an, the vice secretary of the Party Committee and principal of Anyuan Middle School, is being probed for serious violations of discipline and law.
In March, Ao’an’s predecessor at Anyuan Middle School, Zhong Yiguan, was investigated for similar violations.
The Discipline Inspection Commission of Jingdezhen City reported in June that Zhang Li, the Party Committee Secretary of Jingdezhen No. 2 High School, is also under investigation for serious violations.
According to incomplete statistics from The Paper, in the past four months alone, at least 17 middle school principals and secretaries have been ousted across various cities in Jiangxi.
Among them, 6 individuals from Ji’an, 3 from Yichun, 2 from Jingdezhen, 2 from Pingxiang, 2 from Nanchang, 1 from Yingtan, and 1 from Jiujiang. The list includes figures like Chen Yongkai, the vice secretary of the Party Committee and principal of Anfu Middle School in Anfu County, Wang Xueping from Taihe Middle School, and Zhang Li from Jingdezhen No. 2 High School.
In addition to middle schools, multiple primary school principals and secretaries have also been targeted in Jiangxi since April. These include: Yi Wenhai, former party branch secretary and principal of Zhuting Town Central Primary School in Yuanzhou District of Yichun City; Huang Shaozhen, former principal of Changbei Second Primary School in Nanchang City; and Chen Houyong, the party general branch secretary of Taoxin Primary School in Jingdezhen City.
In April, the authorities in Jiangxi convened a special conference to address the issue of corruption in the education sector, emphasizing the need to foster a healthy political environment and educational atmosphere in the province.
The frequent removals of middle school principals and secretaries in Jiangxi have sparked discussions among netizens:
“It seems like corruption in the education sector is not limited to just Jiangxi. We should conduct a nationwide investigation!”
“The rampant corruption in the education system is exploiting parents repeatedly. There are considerable rent-seeking opportunities in areas such as canteen operations, school uniform procurement, admissions, and recruitment, leading to increased instances of corruption.”
“Corruption in education is a hallmark of the Party’s governance on campus. After tackling corruption in healthcare, focusing on education corruption can yield significant funds to alleviate fiscal deficits.”
It’s not just Jiangxi; corruption issues also plague the education systems in other provinces. On June 14, an article published on the “Clean Sichuan” website organized by the Sichuan Discipline Inspection Commission and Supervisory Department revealed the corrupt activities of Wang Chun, former Party Committee Secretary and principal of Liushu Middle School in Shehong City, Sichuan.
According to the report, in July 2021, Wang Chun, who was only 37 years old at the time of his appointment as principal, accepted bribes totaling 900,000 RMB (Chinese Renminbi) from a canteen contractor, He, between November and December of the same year, to facilitate his business operations at the school cafeteria.
On June 24, the “Clean and Honest Liangshan” website detailed the corruption case of Chen Fangcai, the former principal of Luning Middle School in Mianning County, Sichuan. During Chen’s tenure as principal in 2022, he colluded with the then Director of General Affairs, Sha, to embezzle over 800,000 RMB worth of funds by issuing fake invoices and diverting school cafeteria supplies between 2018 and 2022.
In a report from December last year, it was revealed that, from July 2013 to the present, seven principals of primary and secondary schools in Shenzhen have been brought down for corruption and bribery.
The report stated that similar to corruption in other industries, the primary cause of corruption in the education system lies in the unchecked power of leadership, allowing the formation of “independent kingdoms” within schools, fostering a culture of corruption.
Despite administrative discussions on various matters within schools, the ultimate authority still lies with the principal. For instance, in the procurement of educational materials, there is a set procedure involving the subject department’s coordination and grade-level research group leaders selecting materials and negotiating prices. However, if the principal does not approve, the process becomes meaningless.