Students at Ruijing Middle School in north China's port city of Tianjin are reported to have been denied the rights to enter their dorms by going through the school's main gate just because some South Korean students are living "next door" to them.

 

 

The main entrance (right) is now the privilege to South Korean students, while Chinese students are only permitted the side entrance (left) in Ruijing Middle School in Tianjin, north China.

 

Shanghai's Xinmin Net Monday quoted a student netizen from Ruijing Middle School as saying the school authority not just demanded their Chinese students go by the school's side door to their dorms, but also asked those who used to live on the ground floor of the dorm building to move onto the second and third floors, just to make room for South Korean students the school authority has recently enrolled.

 

"The South Koreans now all live in luxuriously appointed double-dorms on the ground floor and are authorized to use the school's main gate, while we Chinese have to squeeze, eight people to a room -- a room which only has one fan on upper floors. Moreover, we are only allowed to use the side door!", the student strongly complained to the Xinmin Net.

 

Tianjin Municipal Education Authorities said that, according to an investigation into Ruijing Middle School, the school is now decorating the dorms on the ground floor for South Korean students. The dorms on the ground floor will be furnished with water heaters, fridges and TV. This is said to help South Korean students feel at home.

 

A spokesman of the school said if Chinese students apply in the future, they may also live on the ground floor and use the main door.

 

Xinmin Net was informed that the South Korean students pay 100,000 yuan (US$13184) in tuition a year, something which the school has not denied or confirmed.

 

(CRI July 10, 2007)