Teachers barred from attending students' graduation dinners

The education authorities in Anhui, Guangdong, Shaanxi and Shandong provinces issued official documents recently to ban students from inviting their teachers to graduation dinners, Xinhua News Agency reported on Wednesday.

During the graduation season in July, many parents whose children are enrolled in universities would hold banquets in the name of thanking their children's teachers.

But in recent years, such banquets became more luxurious, and some parents used the opportunity to receive gift money from subordinates. Some parents also gave teachers money at the dinners, the report said.

The ban has received a mix response from parents.

Wang Kaiyu, a sociologist with Anhui provincial academy of social sciences, said the intent of the ban is good, but not all banquets are used to bribe teachers. Some parents really want to show their appreciation for the teachers, Wang said.