BEIJING: Three central government departments have launched a special regulatory campaign against art training institutions after recent allegations of sexual harassment committed by the founder of a well-known art institution caught attention online.
Jointly run by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Public Security and the State Administration for Market Regulation, the campaign will strictly address any sexual assault and harassment against students by people working at the institutions, according to a release by the Ministry of Education on Wednesday.
It also targets institutions without licensing and tutors without qualifications, and aims to root out misconduct including false advertising, pricing fraud and helping students cheat in art exams.
Local governments should enhance cooperation among different agencies, the departments said, and a national and local reporting mechanism will be set up to receive tips from the public.
Chinese students can take additional art exams to get into art school majors in the national college entrance exam, or gaokao. Many students resort to art training institutions to improve their scores.
In September, netizens accused Zhao Weixian, a student at Beijing Film Academy’s directing department, of sexually harassing more than 20 female students, and luring or forcing them into wearing swimsuits or short shorts under the guise of doing his directing homework.
–The Daily Mail-China Daily news exchange item
