Chinese teenagers dressed in camouflage uniforms express gratitude in front of cameras at a youth correction centre, but the off-camera reality tells a completely different story.
According to a Chinese state media report they are beaten or sexually assaulted, leading to calls for better supervision and monitoring of such institutions.
Such schools accept teenagers who are rebellious, weary of studying, addicted to playing electronic games, or suffer from depression.
The institutions generally charge between 8,000 and 20,000 yuan (US$1,200 and US$3,000) a month to correct the behaviour of students in a quasi-military style, according to the news magazine Ban Yue Tan, a mouthpiece of the Communist Party.
Some camps use physical punishment disguised as “gratitude education” or “military education”, the report said.
“There is corporal punishment. But we do not directly beat them; instead, we tell the students to run a long distance, stand at attention or carry heavy objects for a long time. It is intended to let the students bear the consequences of their own mistakes,” a sales worker from an unnamed institution was quoted as saying.
He added: “They are problematic kids. We have to ‘work harder’ on them. Without a tough hand, they will not listen to us.”
In promotion videos released by some correctional institutions, instructors talk gently to students.
Some clips show students smiling and looking happy at the school’s “magical results”, in a stark contrast to their previous status when being sent to school by their parents.
But news of minors’ abuse at the camps frequently make headlines in China.
In August 2024, a 14-year-old girl in central Henan province died from corporal punishment at a correctional institution.
Her father sent her to the school after she said she did not want to study any more.
During her one-month stay at the institution, she was often told to stand in the scorching sunshine for hours while being deprived of water or food.
The girl had written six letters to her parents asking them to take her out of the camp. However, all the letters were intercepted by her teacher.
A 15-year-old girl, also in Henan, was raped by a teacher at an institution in 2023, after she was sent there by her mother after being caught smoking, playing truant and being rebellious.
The school, which was closed following the scandal, was also accused of slapping students and spraying chilli water on their faces.
Last year, a student at a correctional institution in Hunan province was beaten to deafness by seven instructors.
The Ban Yue Tan urged education, civil affairs and market supervision officials and police to jointly work together to strengthen supervision at such youth camps.
“The authorities should make market entry rules, standardise the courses at the schools and carry out inspections more often,” the media outlet said.
Such institutions have thrived in recent years thanks to the high demand from parents who are struggling to discipline their children.
Some parents even support the physical punishment, believing it is a “necessary measure”, the report said. -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
