Inspector resigns over fees inquiry
Probe into school computer charges thwarted, claims price bureau chief
A price control inspector in the Anhui city of Fuyang has resigned amid official pressure over his attempts to investigate excessive fees charged by local schools for computer facilities.
Former Fuyang Price Bureau chief Zhang Hongjun said his investigation into the claims of fee-gouging 'encountered all kinds of limits'. In his letter, Mr Zhang wrote: 'Exercising my personal ability was not supported.'
Mr Zhang launched the investigation a year ago after complaints that some schools were continuing to charge fees to buy computer equipment long after the equipment had been paid for.
Three years ago, Anhui education authorities ordered that computer classrooms be set up in secondary and primary schools and connected to the internet, but finance problems meant some could not afford the equipment.
The department then struck a buy-now, pay-later deal with suppliers, allowing schools to gradually pay off the costs of installation by collecting fees from students.
Schools were only allowed to charge each student up to 50 yuan each semester, for no more than six consecutive semesters. In Jieshou , a city under Fuyang's jurisdiction, five schools collected more than 1.45 million yuan in extra fees, the China Youth Daily reported.
Earlier this year, the price bureau asked some schools to stop collecting the fees, and other schools to lower their charges.
Local education administration and schools claimed that if the investigation continued 'the education sector would not be able to survive', the newspaper said.
Schools said they needed money to maintain equipment, and pay electricity bills and computer teachers' salaries.
Mr Zhang told the China Youth Daily that he had been under heavy pressure from the education sector not to proceed. 'After a serious inspection, the situation didn't get better and even worsened.'
He reported the situation to higher authorities, only to later find the report was handed on to municipal officials. 'This pushed me to the edge,' Mr Zhang said.
In April, he tendered his resignation but municipal leaders persuaded him to stay. Funding for Mr Zhang's bureau was then cut and his office told that it needed approval from higher authorities to carry out any investigations. In June, Mr Zhang was moved to another department and quit in July.
Yesterday, Mr Zhang said his boss had told him not to answer questions. 'I'm still an obedient cadre of the nation,' he said.
He said he agreed with some people's comments that he had a 'personality fault'. He said: 'I am not very flexible.'
Municipal authorities said they were investigating and requested 'absolute correction of unauthorised education charges'.
Wu Ni , a researcher at the China National Institute for Educational Research, said the fundamental problem was the lack of government funding for education.
