University's meal check can help poorest students

Huazhong agricultural University has recorded the details of its students' spending on lunch and dinner during the past 15 days. The 10 percent who spent the most on their meals have been disqualified from receiving the subsidies granted to disadvantaged students. Comments:

The university's well-intentioned decision still needs improvement in practice. Although students can appeal if they are mistakenly disqualified, it would cost too much for them to file such a complaint, and too long for the school to conduct a follow-up investigation. As for identifying impoverished students, if conditions permit, students both below and slightly above the poverty line should all be included in the evaluation, which would not only protect the dignity of the poorest students, but also enable help and care for those students just above the line.

Wuhan Evening News, Oct 14

Instead of examining and verifying which students are entitled to the subsidies, the university has resorted to a snap judgment based on the students' spending on meals. This will, to some extent, push students to either not eat enough or seek ways to manipulate the records. Hence such a decision is both divorced from reality and runs counter to the original purpose of better using the poverty relief money to improve the lives of the poorest students. It is a typical example of lazy administration.

Chongqing Times, Oct 14

A closer look at the report will show that people have over-interpreted the university's practice. It has only excluded those top 10 percent of students who spend the most at the canteen from applying for student subsidies. Most students from poverty-stricken families fall in the remaining 90 percent. Huazhong Agricultural University has made a positive attempt to adopt a different way of determining who is entitled to the subsidies. However, the evaluation would be more reasonable and convincing if other indicators were taken into consideration, such as students' spending on basic life necessities on campus and their family situation.

Chongqing Morning Post, Oct 14