Beijing University is to relaunch a consultation scheme to request students addictive to internet to attend internet cessation class

Beijing University, top university in China, is to relaunch the scheme ' consultation’ requiring students addictive to internet to attend 'internet cessation class' according to university internal document. The scheme used to target students with extreme thinking last year.

The relaunched scheme changed one key word from helping ‘extreme thinking students’ to ‘students addictive to internet this year. It requires every college to submit a list of at least five to school every month as previously all colleges submit a list of zero. Students on the list are required to attend ‘internet cessation’ class with lectures and workshop.

Last May when the original scheme first published to keep a list of extreme thinking students, it triggered huge controversy inside and outside Beijing University thus not coming into final implement. ‘Since there is no such clear definition for ‘extreme thinking’ universally, it would restrain the creativity and diverse thinking of the most excellent students in China. ‘ according to 21st financial newspaper.

This year the university learnt its lesson by changing ‘extreme thinking students’ to students addictive to internet or with study difficulties but so far there is no consensus definition on internet addiction available. According to Sun Yuchen, one independent famous blogger with hundreds of thousands of followers from Chinese website sina.com, ‘this is against human rights as every adult enjoys his right to do things freely. School can’t force its adult students to attend certain consultation by catagorising them in ‘internet cessation’ class.

‘Suttlely the scheme is to regime creative students thinking in a way in accordance with Communist Party.’ he also says, ‘school should focus on the improvement of service for its students rather than punishing students who criticise on the service.’

Published on March 24th 2011, the Beijing Evening News quoted Zha Jing, Vice Minister of the university work department, consultation will be interested in students with radical ideas. Some students often exaggerated school work’s tiny faults, "such as school cafeteria food rose two pence. "

But some commentators believe that, if the university want to tag students with radical-thinker, the school should arrange students for speaking guide training, such as what department of the government could be critisised and to what extent can certain government actions be criticised. Some even joked to compile a "Beijing University students speaking guide" which may become a best-seller.

New criticals said that to require a list of five will be no difference from catagorising people with Right Party during Chinese cultural revolution. No right is granted to the university to catagorise its students either with internet addiction or extreme-thinker.