College aims to illuminate young minds by cutting electricity to dorms

• Source: Global Times
• [09:39 June 01 2010]
• Comments

By Zhou Ping

A local private college has said it will continue cutting the electricity supply to its student dorms in the evenings in order to encourage students to attend study sessions, despite a student's recent complaints about the policy to local media.

Monday's Shanghai Morning Post reported that it had been contacted by a girl from Shanghai Jianqiao College in Pudong New Area, complaining that her life had been disrupted by the policy of cutting student dorm electricity supplies between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm from Sunday to Thursday. She said the practice violated her "communication rights and property rights," as she was deprived of Internet access during the period, despite having paid her fees.

Wu Guozheng, dean of the college's student affairs office, told the Global Times Monday that the electricity was cut each day to ensure that students would attend evening self-study sessions rather than play online games.

"This is something we have been doing for the past few years," said Wu. "We aim to help students form a good study habit by organizing them to study together.

"A large number of students in our school haven't formed a good study habit. Every year, dozens of students and parents are devastated when students fail or have to drop out due to their online games obsession."

Wu added that students who join the study sessions will benefit from supervision and tutoring from teachers, while those who do not attend will have their absence noted.

A member of staff surnamed Chen at the student affair's office at Tongji University in Yangpu district said that they do not require their students to gather for study sessions.

"If we force students to go to group self-study sessions, then how does their university life differ from their time at middle school?" Chen said. "University life is supposed to be colorful."

Opinions regarding Jianqiao College's methods were mixed among students the Global Times spoke to Monday.

"I think it's helpful in improving study efficiency and forming a good study habit," Cao Yuhua, a fourth year student at the Further Education College of the Shanghai International Studies University in Hongkou district, said.

However, a student from Jianqiao College itself was not so supportive. "I think that the school's aim is good, but it has chosen the wrong method," a freshman surnamed Li said. "Students who like to study will study wherever they are."