University bans students from hanging up bed curtains in dorms

A university in Jiangsu province has come under fire for trying to take away what little privacy that Chinese college students are attempting to cling on to.
One student at the Jiangsu Second Normal University caught fellow netizens’ attention online recently by posting about how her school does not allow students to hang up privacy curtains around their beds.
A staff member confirmed this to reporters, explaining that the rule was implemented two years ago for “safety reasons.”
“Curtains will isolate students in a closed space. If the students have an accident, others may not discover it,” the worker said. “A similar thing happened here before. We must ensure the safety of students.”
Of course, it’s these others that students are trying to avoid with the curtains. Typically, a Chinese university dorm room houses between four to eight students in one cramped room.

A post about the policy on Weibo has gathered more than 400,000 likes and thousands of sarcastic and negative comments from netizens.

“It is recommended that the school also remove beds from the dormitory. After all, students will be in danger when they go to bed,” reads one comment.
“They also try to manage this? Can’t students have some private space,” says another.
“When I was in college, my roommate wouldn’t turn off the lights and played games. I didn’t sleep at all, so I moved out and rented a place,” reads one more.
Compared with in the West, universities in China exert much more influence over the personal lives of students. Schools have known to ban students from wearing mini-skirts, feeding each other, and celebrating Christmas.

WATCH

 TRENDING NOW

JOIN THE COMMUNITY

Be a part of Shanghai's largest,
most vibrant network of foreigners & friends!
1. Add us on WeChat at helloshanghaiist
2. Text "Living in Shanghai"
3. Wait to be added to a WeChat group
4. Ask questions, seek recommendations
and connect with like-minded people.

BE SEEN BY SHANGHAIIST READERS

商务合作微信号 | theshanghaiist
[e-mail]