Chinese students accused their professor of “counterrevolution”

Two students accused their professor of “counterrevolution” for his criticism of Chinese government during class, according to Netease (news.163.com).

Yang Shiqun, a professor in East China University of Political Science and Law, said he had been accused by his students after the class “Ancient Chinese Language”. The two students reported him to the public security bureau and Shanghai’s municipal education committee. What the teacher said now is withhold by police.

Wrong for criticizing government

The students said it was irresponsible for a professor to criticize Chinese government and Chinese culture in class,according to the website’s report. What the professor said was considered as counterrevolutionary speech, which meant that you said something anti-Chinese communism revolution. They warned the professor Yang Liqun in person that what he said in class had been already on file for police investigation.

The affair has raised strong row over current education system among netizens. Most young netizens fiercely criticized the two students. They said the two whistle blowers had their brain washed by the old education system controlled by government and lost their ability of independent thinking.

Education system’s fault?

Lin Dong, a university student, said that he thought “after the cultural revolution, the era which you could be convicted by your academic criticism of the government has been over”. He said he was too optimistic and underestimated the influence of traditional education system.

Some teachers are worried about the current education system. Yu Junwei, a lecture from Ren Ming University of China said that young people nowadays only cared about how to entertain themselves. Thinking independently and expressing their own opinion are the last things they are willing to do.

But Some other people said that if the teacher had their right to freedom of expression, the students also had their right to prosecute the irresponsible teacher and it was the turning point that student embarked on expressing their own opinion, fighting for their rights and countering the authorities like their teachers.