Following the resumption of classes in China amid the coronavirus epidemic, strict lockdown measures and poor management have prompted a backlash from students at multiple institutions across the country.

Students at Xi’an International Studies University were seen shouting in protest for at least half an hour on the balconies of their dormitories, online footage showed. They accused the school of double standards, allowing staff to go in and out while grounding the students.

“Staff members cannot guarantee they won’t be infected either. Villagers are also allowed in and out of the campus,” said a senior student who preferred to stay anonymous.

The students have submitted complaints to the school, but to no avail.

The only supermarket on campus raised their prices amid the lockdown, before it was shut for selling expired food. Another student complained that only one of four bathrooms was in use, leading to long queues.

At Sichuan University of Media and Communications, students got into a verbal conflict with security guards, after the guards threw away their food deliveries and smashed the signboards of the courier.

The university later responded on Weibo, putting the blame on the deliverers for entering the campus against the rules and clashing with the guards. As for the behavior of individual security guards, the school promised to investigate and handle it in a serious manner.

Since April, at most schools across the country, returning students have been ordered to stay on campus to contain the spread of the virus. Students are not even allowed to go home over the upcoming National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holiday.

In response to the growing discontent, the Chinese Ministry of Education has issued an order, reminding schools to relax their policies. Exemptions should be granted to specific activities such as doctor appointments, family visits and job hunting and the procedures required should be simplified.

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