Job Discussion Forums

[Artie]

Hi everybody, I am new to this forum and just wanted to share something that has happened in my school here in Mianyang. It's a private boarding school ,so students study and live here and every month they have five day holidays. But because of the SARS outbreak the school has been quarantined for about 1.5 months and all the May and scheduled monthly holidays were canceled. Four days ago the students got very nice news that they were going to have 9 day holiday . But after a lot of phone calls from the students' parents who had said they had been worried and insisted on students' staying (because of SARS) the school administration decided to cancel this holiday too. The students could not take this anymore (as one of my students said) so they organaized a kind of a strike. On the day of their monthly examination (yesterday) the students from the senior classes , mostly boys, refused to get up and go to their classrooms. Finally the school let them (only seniors) have some days off.
I have talked to some of my chinese colleagues and they said they were worried that the junior students might follow their senior students' example.

Has anything like this ever happen in your school?

Regards,
Artie.

[ESL Guru]

At our public uni it happens every week but we do not call it a strike. It is just that the seniors know they are graduating no matter what so they are like drop ins. Every once in a while they will drop in and visit a class.

Less than 30% od the seniors attend classes regularly.

[Kurochan]

My friend works in Zhengzhou, in Henan, and he said the students at the school next to him rioted when the officials told them they were quarrantined on campus because of SARS. They had wanted to get out because some students had gotten it. My friend doesn't know too much else about the situation, other than that it happened, because he was under quarrantine too.

[ESL Guru]

At our school in Southern Henan they have added 4 feet to all perimeter walls and topped them off with broken glass. They have also installed re-bar over all drainage ditches and pipes. This place is now maximum security so the kids are dropping sheets out the windows to get out. Will they start shooting them next?

We have been told that all of this security is to protect us foreign experts from getting SARS. Now doesn't that enhance the relationship between teacher and student?

[Minhang Oz]

A riot occured at my Shanghai college last year, a result of a battle of wills over the "lights out at 10.30' rule. It was clearly planned. When the power went off at that time, the chant of "kai deng, kai deng" devoloped into water bombs, light bulbs,chairs, burning newspaper all being thrown from the balconies. An investigating poilice car was pelted. It only needed Elvis to deliver "Jailhouse Rock" to complete the scene. Next day, the students were tired and a little sheepish [more than usual that is], the mess was cleaned up and new light bulbs fitted, and hey presto, the lights weren't turned off.
STUDENTS 1, MACHINE 0.

[Artie]

Yes, Guru, you are right. You do not or cannot call it a strike in a uni. In your uni the students are more independent and nobody cares about what they do. Their parents probably don't know what their kids are up to. Their main purpose is to pass the upcoming exams, somehow. And besides that, they have a lot more interesting things to do like drinking , hanging out with friends, occupying all dark corners in the uni with their girlfriends/boyfriends and so on. I say so because I used to have a girlfriend from a university and visit her there a lot. But the high school is a different situation. The school holds the whole resposibility for students' actions. And such actions result in the spoilt reputation of the school and students' understanding that they can do everything and get away with it.

ACTION ---- REACTION

Regards,
Artie.

[Roger]

"Schadenfreude" is the best joy!
Glad to note that schools are now paying for the unruly behaviour of some of their pampered little emperors and empresses!
China seems to be on the path of Japan.


Let's hope the authorities are learning their lessons EARLY!