Thaindian News

Beijing, March 9 (IANS) “Are you dating anyone now?” is one of the questions being asked from students at a university in China.

Students at Fuzhou University received the questionnaire having queries like “Where is your partner from?” The students have also been asked to tell about quarrels they had with their partners.

China Daily said that the “register your relationship” questionnaire was posted on Fuzhou University’s online forum. It has been criticised over the varsity’s alleged invasion of students’ privacy.

“I think the school’s behaviour was just ridiculous and pathetic,” a student from Fuzhou University said, adding: “As if we’re really going to tell them the truth.”

The university, while denying a policy asking students to participate in “relationship registration”, said the forms were released by a group of students who thought the questions offered a way to learn about the relationships of their classmates.

Ge Haixia, a Fuzhou University official, told China Daily: “The origin of the investigation was a student’s suicide last Thursday.”

“A sophomore hanged herself in the dorm, just because her boyfriend hadn’t replied to a short message.”

“We were shocked by how young a life we lost and how vulnerable college students can be,” Ge was quoted as saying.

The university then began collecting information on the relationships of students to better prepare for such a crisis.

Ge said: “The survey was not mandatory, nor very effective… As you can see most students took it as a joke.”

The university undertakes psychological test on some 5,000 freshmen every year, said Pan Xi, director of the university’s psychological consultation office.

“It’s a good thing that students are more open to talk about their troubles, but it also suggests the greater pressures they’re facing today.

“About 20 percent of students, mostly girls, said they have relationship problems,” she was quoted as saying.