Chinese school draws ire for plan to charge students for naps

A private school in China has introduced a ‘pay to nap’ system wherein the students are expected to pay for afternoon naps in the new school year.

The matter came out in the open after the screenshot of a notice shared on the Chinese social media platform WeChat went viral, which was later confirmed by a staff member of the school.

According to a report on the Chinese news organisation South China Morning Post, the screenshot shows three ways to nap listed along with their fees, with no explanation for the charges.

The notice issued by Jiesheng Primary School, situated in the Guangdong province, goes to state the charges for the types of naps that they are offering. The school also assures that staff will be entrusted to monitor the students while they are taking naps.

Napping on the desk would invite a charge of 200 yuan (Rs 2,309), napping on mats laid out inside the classroom would be charged around 360 yuan (Rs 4,091) and napping on beds set up inside private rooms would incur a charge of 680 yuan (Rs 7,729).

However, Chinese news platform Xibu Juece has reported that the regulation was not a unified judgement and that private schools were entitled to bring forth such moves.

According to a staff member quoted by the publication, official regulations were followed while deciding upon the nap charges. They also added that taking naps is not mandatory and that students can go back to their homes during lunch break, if needed.

Dongguan City Development and Reform Bureau spokesman told South China Morning Post that the charges are reasonable as teachers would be present to monitor the students.

The matter has sparked a wide-ranging debate on the digital space with many questioning the logic behind such a system.

(1 Chinese Yuan=11.55 Indian Rupees)