Guangdong school’s housing requirement sparks controversy

An education bureau in South China reiterated on Thursday that enrollment at primary schools will not be affected by freshmen’s housing area, after a local school required applicants living in less than 50 square meter houses must have lived there for at least four years.

Shenzhen Luoling Foreign Language Experimental School, a primary school that reportedly provides high quality education in Guangdong Province, on Tuesday announced housing requirements for children applying to the school, China Central Television reported.

To meet the school’s requirements, applicants living in less than 50-square-meter houses must have lived in those houses for at least four years more than those who live in larger ones.

The education bureau of Luohu district apologized on Thursday for causing panic among parents.

“We insist on approving applications from children in the school neighborhood. All children who meet the requirements will be admitted to the school,” the bureau’s statement said.

The number of enrolment has met its limit in the school, and the restrictions on candidate students’ housing are meant to give priorities to those children of school age who actually live in the neighborhood, the school explained.

Some net users accused the school of unfairly treating people living in small houses. “Bigger house, better access to good education, how is that fair,” wrote one net user.

In China, children are only able to enter public schools near the home their family legally owns. Many parents are buying new homes right before enrollment to gain their child a position in popular schools.