Photo: Screenshot of Xuanwo Video

A middle school in Xinyang, Central China’s Henan Province, has asked its students to smash their cell phones in front of their schoolmates to improve their concentration on the upcoming high school entrance examination, according to a video published on Sunday.

In the video published by Xuanwo Video, at least four students take turns stepping onto the school podium, taking the hammer put on the desk in front of them, and smashing the phones several times with other schoolmates watching from the playground.

The school principal explained in the video that the measure was taken with the consent of the parents who had been worrying their children were spending too much time on their phones instead of doing school work. He added that the students also agreed.

“The tests are coming soon. Students are able to behave well at school. However, they would spend much more time on their phones once they got home for weekends, which made their parents worried,” the principal explained, and also noted that “students have agreed and signed the letters of commitment on this activity. They only smashed phones they brought from home which are about to phase out soon.”

Netizens vented their worries on Sina Weibo by saying that this inappropriate method not only destroyed property but also might cultivate violent tendencies on the students.

But some showed their understanding. One netizen said that, “asking students to pay attention to their school work instead of other stuff by smashing useless phones,” was only a warning.

In February, China has banned primary and secondary school students from bringing and using their phones at school.

In a notice issued by the Ministry of Education, elementary and secondary school students are asked not to bring their cell phones onto the campus, except when it is approved by their parents.

Global Times