I very much doubt stuff like this is confined to China - it actually made me think of Orwell's account of his prep school - but that’s where it happened and is currently generating controversy.
A true story that took place in one of Beijing's key elementary schools: the class head master asked students to anonymously write down their opinions of her, promising no retaliation regardless of the content. Two children voiced negative opinions. The head master was enraged. She demanded that whoever wrote these negative comments to surrender and confess. The class fell silent. Sneeringly, the teacher proceeded to read the eulogies. Once she finished reading, the writer had to come up to claim ownership. Thus, she was able to screen her pupils one by one...
The wider point is that she was also mocking the kids who wrote good things, on the assumption that they were just flattering her.
Let a hundred flowers bloom; let a hundred schools of thought contend...
Posted by: Malcs | September 06, 2010 at 01:52 PM
Related story: my dad's class at school got up to some mischief while the teacher was away. When Miss Baker discovered (whatever it was), she announced that she was going to parade the entire class and wait for the offending party to come forward. They stood there in silence....until one of them yelled "Miss! It wasn't ME!" and they all got detention.
Posted by: Alex | September 06, 2010 at 02:00 PM