On February 14th, a netizen exposed the student guidelines of the Longyuan Experimental School in Guangdong Province, which clearly stated that “disciplinary measures such as corporal punishment and standing in penance will be used for students who make mistakes, requiring both students and parents to sign and agree, otherwise they can choose another school,” sparking controversy.
The guidelines, known as “Rules for Attending Longyuan Experimental School,” revealed various rules and regulations, including a ban on bringing mobile phones into the school (including MP3 players, MP4 players, and other electronic devices). The school suggested that parents should uninstall internet and television at home for the safest approach.
Additionally, the guidelines also stipulated that students are generally required to wear school uniforms, and if not, the clothes worn should not exceed 100 yuan per set and shoes should not exceed 80 yuan per pair. Expensive clothing is not allowed to be worn to school.
The most controversial regulation is the seventh rule of the school, which mandates that for students who make mistakes, the school will appropriately use “corporal punishment” and “standing in penance” as disciplinary measures, primarily to teach them to take responsibility for their mistakes.
It was noted that “corporal punishment” mainly involves hitting the palms of the hands, not exceeding 10 strikes at a time, and “standing in penance” should not exceed 2 hours.
In the final section of the guidelines, the school requires both students and parents to sign and agree. The school stated that students or parents who cannot accept this regulation can choose another school.
On February 15th, the staff of the Longyuan Experimental School involved responded, confirming that the online content was true, and all campuses of Longyuan Experimental School have always had these regulations in place.
According to public information, Longyuan Education Group in Yangjiang City has established multiple branch schools in Yangdong District, Jiangcheng District, and other areas, being one of the larger scale private full-time nine-year integrated schools.
An article published in the Qilu Evening News stated that the right of students to receive equal compulsory education should not be infringed upon by any individual or behavior. Longyuan Experimental School’s requirement for parental consent to accept “corporal punishment” as a condition for admission is obviously improper and may even violate the “Law on the Protection of Minors.”
The above news has attracted attention and discussions among netizens.
Some netizens commented, “They claim to punish repeat offenders, but in reality, they punish children without background and who are introverted; treating children as inferior has become a common problem among educational workers within the system.”
Another netizen said, “This should not be allowed as it may lead to uncontrollable emotional outbursts and extreme behavior. Education professionals should tailor their teaching methods individually, and if the student does not improve despite multiple attempts, they can be expelled.”
A netizen expressed, “It’s not just about a few strokes; violent education only breeds violence. Some teachers resort to physical abuse, leaving a traumatic impact on my child, comparable to campus bullying.”
Another netizen believed that an authoritarian management mindset, viewing students as objects to be disciplined, with rules primarily focused on control, punishment, and exclusion, seriously deviates from a people-centered educational philosophy. True education should be built on trust, dialogue, and empathy, rather than creating superficial order through high-pressure methods.
Similarly, under the indoctrination of the Communist Party, serious bullying incidents in mainland China schools in recent years have led to frequent student suicides and jumping off buildings. Just two months ago, a netizen exposed Guangdong Meizhou Wuhua County Shuizhai Middle School, which required all students to sign a “commitment letter” stating that “if I engage in self-harm or suicide, it has nothing to do with the school, and neither I nor my parents or guardians will claim any loss or compensation from the school or disrupt the normal teaching order of the school for any reason.”
In response, a comment article by NetEase stated that this so-called themed class meeting under the guise of “cherishing life” is essentially a school’s “carefully planned” blame-shifting meeting, attempting to protect themselves through this way and dissociate from any uncertain student suicide incidents in the future.