University looks to avoid liability for potential suicides  

广东高校要求新生签协议：自杀或自伤自己担责

昨日，东莞理工学院城市学院5000多名新生完成报到，他们踏入校园的第一件事，就是与校方签订《学生管理与学生自律协议书》。协议书明确：“学生本人对自杀、自伤引起的后果承担责任”。[查看全文]

(ECNS) -- A college in a Guangdong provincial city has begun requiring freshmen to sign an agreement of "student management and self-discipline," which explicitly states that students should take responsibility for the consequences if they self-mutilate or show suicidal behavior, the Nanfang Daily reports.

The move by City College of Dongguan University of Technology has sparked outrage among students and parents.

"It seems like the school just provides a place for students to live, and doesn't care whether the students are developing in a healthy way,. said a freshman.

Another said the school is shirking its responsibility and lacks humanistic awareness.

A parent said: "We sent our children here because we trusted the college. If something bad happens to our children, the first reaction we will have is to ask the school for an explanation."

But some students said they can understand the school's motives. "Students are obligated to assume responsibility for themselves when they turn 18 years old," one said.

A director at the school said they just wanted to notify students of issues to pay attention to at dorms. "The school won't shirk responsibility for students just because of the agreement," he said.

Xiong Bingqi, deputy president of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, said the agreement is invalid. "It's crude for colleges to teach students safety with such an agreement," he said. "Colleges should improve their management and create a favorable environment for students, not look for a way to pass the buck."