China Health & Science
China’s Neglected Problem: Student Kicked Out for Being Autistic
A young boy from Henan was sent away from school for being autistic, leading to furious reaction from Chinese netizens. China’s education system is failing our children with special needs, they say.
In Puyang (濮阳, Henan Province) an 8-year-old boy named Xiaoxuan (an assumed name) was kicked out of school after over 40 parents opposed to him to studying in the same classroom with other students because of his ‘hyperactive’ and ‘weird’ behavior, Henan Sina reports.
According to Xiaoxuan’s parents, their son suffers from autism and hyperkinetic disorder linked to birth complications.
Xiaoxuan was unable to start school last September, at the age of 7. After his parents took him to Beijing for a year-long rehabilitation training, the doctors reassured them that Xiaoxuan would be able to attend a mainstream school. They took him to a regular primary school in Puyang this September, hoping their son could attend school like every other child. But he was nevertheless forced to go home in late October.
“Everyone should have equals right to learn. What those 40 parents did negatively affects their own children too.”
Xiaoxuan’s story has sparked heated discussions on Sina Weibo. The topic “hyperactive boy required to leave school” (#男孩爱动被要求离校#) has been viewed about 60 million times, attracting over 40,000 comments since November 11. Many netizens are angry about what happened to Xiaoxuan and call for equal rights in education.
User Timfrk speaks out: “Don’t you have kids yourself? Can’t you put yourself in someone else’s shoes? Everyone should have equals right to learn. What those 40 parents did negatively affects their own children too.”
“The primary education period is a crucial time for kids to build perspective on the world, and it determines their outlook on life and values,” user Minoz explains: “Having a ‘special’ kid in the class is a wonderful opportunity for other kids to learn how to be understanding and tolerant. They now missed out because of their selfish parents.”
“Perhaps this boy is super smart, but his talent is burned out by China’s school system. This demonstrates how the education in China is failing.”
According to article 4 of China’s Compulsory Education Law (义务教育法), school-aged children and adolescents have equal rights to receive education. This means that children entering the education system are protected by the law, making it illegal to deprive them of the right to schooling.
In addition, according to the provincial law in Henan Province, Xiaoxuan’s school must take him in as a student, as there is no special school for him in the local area.
User Ahuang indicates: “These parents deprived Xiaoxuan of his right to education, which is against the law. What’s more, their behavior might make him diffident, withdrawn, and pessimistic. Who is responsible for that? Perhaps this boy is super smart, but his talent is burned out by China’s school system. This demonstrates how China’s education is failing.”
An important cause for the rejection of children with special needs is the Chinese approach of an exam-oriented educational system. The desire for high scores is deeply rooted in Chinese culture. Parents are concerned that the academic performances of their ‘normal’ children will be affected by the presence of ‘special’ children.
“A good learning environment is crucial to us. If there is a kid who talks a lot and interferes with others during class, not only the students but also the teacher will be affected.”
Students from Henan Province particularly suffer from the great pressure of the China’s college entrance exam system (gaokao). As higher educational resources (number and quality of universities) are distributed unevenly across China, it is said that students are not treated fairly during the admission process, which is called “regional discrimination“. A university usually sets a fixed admission quota for each province, with a higher number of students coming from its home province. But because Henan province has fewer universities per capita than for example Beijing, an applicant in Henan needs a significantly higher score than his Beijing counterpart to attend the same university. Therefore, fierce competition starts from grade one. Parents have no choice but to make sure their kids have the best learning environment.
Weibo user “Original” shares: “Parents and children from China, especially from Henan Province, are dealing with the huge pressure of schoolwork and college entrance exams. A good learning environment is crucial to us. If there is a kid who talks a lot and interferes with others during class, not only the students, but also the teacher will be affected. I sympathize with Xiaoxuan, but others should not shoulder responsibility for this problem.”
Another user named Lao Li writes: “We have to consider the enormous pressure that the students of Henan Province are facing. Schools are also extremely stressed about the high enrollment rate. The children are victims of the education system, generation after generation.”
“We should follow the Japanese example where schools put kids with special needs together in a class, and assign extra teachers to teach them and provide extra care.”
Though some users try to argue in favor of the 40 parents and the school principal, the majority of Weibo users condemn their decision and question the principal’s ability to cope with Xiaoxuan’s issue. “The school principal seems useless. He should have calmed the parents down, and should have resolved the problem with the right solutions instead of asking Xiaoxuan to leave school,” says user Lanear.
Weibo users also suggest their own solutions to the issue. For instance, user “Rabit9104” purposes: “We should follow the Japanese example where schools put kids with special needs together in a class, and assign extra teachers to teach them and provide extra care. This then also gives them the chance to engage with other students in a regular school. This is called inclusive education.”
Xiaoxuan is not alone. A similar case has happened before. In 2012, a boy with autism was refused by four regular schools in Shenzhen after principals received complaint letters from other parents. The number of special schools in China is limited, and mainstream schools don’t always have the facilities and funds for special education. Special needs children face considerably more difficulties in accessing education than their fellow students.
Zhang Xiujuan, an expert on special education at Shenzhen University, pointed out in 2012 that all teachers from regular schools should receive training on special education. She also suggests that teachers should be given a monthly compensation if they have special students in the class, since they will need to put in extra efforts. Local education departments should also increase the penalties and punishment for schools that refuse to enroll special needs students.
By Yiying Fan
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China Health & Science
Cancer Diagnoses in Young Doctors at Same Lab: About the Zhongshan Hospital Controversy
Within a short time frame, three Chinese young doctors received cancer diagnoses after working in the same laboratory at the Zhongshan Second Affiliated Hospital.
Over the past week, a case of three young doctors working in the same laboratory at a renowned Guangzhou hospital being diagnosed with a rare form of cancer has repeatedly become a trending topic on Weibo and beyond.
The hospital involved is the Sun Yat-Sen University’s Sun Yat-Sen Memorial Hospital (中山大学孙逸仙纪念医院) – also known as the Zhongshan Second Affiliated Hospital (中山二院). Founded in 1835, the hospital is known for pioneering in western medical practice. It is also well-known for its cancer treatments and education.
The three medical workers, two breast surgeons and one trainee doctor, all developed cancer just before or in 2023 after working at the Breast Cancer Center (乳腺肿瘤中心实验室). The issue first became a big topic of discussion around the night of November 6 and on November 7, when netizens’ posts started circulating on social media about how several people connected to the oncology lab got diagnosed with cancer.
One of the claims made is that one of the young doctors was expelled from the research team’s WeChat group by the team leader Dr. Su Shicheng (苏士成) upon revealing her cancer diagnosis. This assertion was later confirmed to reporters by the woman’s sister, Lele (乐乐). The staff member involved, Huang Mei (黄敏), is battling pancreatic cancer and she is currently not doing well.
The other researchers, all approximately 30 years old, are suffering from synovial sarcoma and breast cancer.
The topic soon gained traction as people assumed the lab safety at the Zhongshan Hospital must be blamed for the cancer cases. When the research center in question suddenly got dismantled on November 8, the discussions intensified as social media users speculated that the hospital was trying to get rid of evidence.
The hospital denied that the medical workers had contracted cancer due to exposure in the lab environment. Staff members later claimed that the alleged dismantling of the lab on November 8 was already scheduled as part of the fire department’s orders, emphasizing that it was unrelated to the ongoing controversy.
Photos of the lab getting dismantled shared on Weibo.
On November 9, the China Association for Science and Technology (中国科学技术协会) posted on their official social media account, calling for a thorough and professional investigation into the case to uncover the truth.
Online Anger and Suspicions
Chinese political commentator Hu Xijin (@胡锡进) also posted a lengthy column about the issue on his social media. In his post, Hu critiqued the manner in which Zhongshan Second Affiliated Hospital handled the controversy. Although he also stressed that he did not necessarily believe that the renowned hospital purposely crossed scientific ethics that might have increased cancer risks for students working in the laboratory-if their cancer is indeed related to their working environment,- he argued that the hospital should handle this case with greater transparency.
According to the Shanghai Morning Post (@新闻晨报), the laboratory was first opened in 2009 and has since trained more than 200 students. The three cancer patients have only started working at the laboratory in recent years.
Various international studies (e.g. here, here, here) have previously indicated that research in biomedical laboratories might involve an increased risk of certain types of cancer among employees.
While some Weibo commenters voice concerns about safety protocols at the hospital lab, the prevailing online anger is more about how the hospital is handling the situation. There is a sense that those involved are being silenced, that evidence is being tampered with, and that there is a special relationship between the lab team leader, Dr. Su Shicheng, and the hospital director, Song Erwei (宋尔卫).
Adding to the suspicions, Dr. Su not only works directly under Song as a deputy director of the Breast Cancer Center but has also co-authored an academic essay with Song’s son, Song Shijian (宋世键). Some people believe they are all covering for each other.
“If they [the hospital] finally holds a press conference, they’d better invite Ms. Huang who was kicked out of the WeChat group!” some commenters on Weibo wrote.
Meanwhile, there is an increased media focus in China on the lab safety protocols at other hospitals as well. With Chinese media outlets interviewing medical students from other institutions, it has come to light that many say they have never actually received formal training regarding lab safety rules (#5位医学生眼中的实验室#, #多数受访学生称未接受实验室安全培训#).
As attention on the Zhongshan Second Affiliated Hospital case intensifies from various fronts, including the public, media, and medical associations, the pressure on the hospital is mounting to provide a clear and transparent response to the situation.
While many might wish for this case to fade away, this storm is not going to blow over anytime soon. Beyond the public’s need for answers, it is the medical workers who are struggling with their illness and navigating through this whirlwind who especially deserve the clarity they need.
“Let’s build up the pressure,” some netizens suggest, trying to keep the case trending.
“I’m so disappointed,” another Weibo user wrote: “I was determined to study medicine since senior high school, but the older I get the more I realize the ugly face behind the healthcare system.”
By Manya Koetse
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China Brands, Marketing & Consumers
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