A middle school in China is facing controversy for collecting personal information from the parents of incoming students, including their jobs, contact details, and vehicle information such as brand, license plate, and purchase price.
According to a report by China Newsweek cited by the South China Morning Post on July 8, Dongying No. 1 Middle School in Shandong Province required parents to provide details about their workplace, position, and vehicle information during the enrollment process. The form included sections for parents' names, workplaces, positions, and mobile phone numbers, specifically asking for the vehicle brand, license plate, and purchase price.
The school added a note stating, "This information will be used for internal purposes only. Parents can feel assured when providing this information." However, as the form circulated online, concerns over privacy invasion grew.
Chinese netizens expressed outrage, suggesting that the school was attempting to assess parents' economic backgrounds. One user questioned, "Does this mean teachers will treat students differently based on their parents' backgrounds? If not, why collect this information?" Another criticized, "If I write that I am unemployed, will my child sit at the back of the classroom?" Some commenters accused the school of forgetting its mission to nurture students' souls.
In response to the escalating controversy, the Dongying Education Bureau issued a statement confirming it was looking into the matter. The education authorities ordered the school to immediately cease collecting such information and to delete any data already gathered.
The Dongying Education Bureau stated, "We will take this incident as a lesson and will ensure that all schools in the city are checked for similar activities, prioritizing the protection of students' and parents' privacy."
Meanwhile, a netizen who claimed to have graduated from the school reported that he was also asked to provide similar information upon enrollment. He recalled that the school justified the collection of vehicle information as a safety measure.
An anonymous school official explained that collecting vehicle license plates was intended to allow parents to park their cars near the school when picking up their children. The official also claimed that the vehicle purchase price was used as a reference for determining financial aid eligibility for low-income students.
Despite these explanations, criticism continues. Many question how vehicle license plates and purchase prices are directly related to school safety management and whether the school is excessively probing into families' economic backgrounds.
This is not the first instance of privacy concerns regarding personal information collection in Chinese schools. In May, an elementary school in Hubei Province faced backlash for asking students to fill out a survey about their parents' jobs and working conditions, which included questions about whether their work environments were hot, noisy, or smelly, and how many hours they worked each day.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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