School ordered to repay fees for 'smart classes'

Authorities in Pu'er, Yunnan province, have ordered a middle school to return money it has charged students for buying tablets so they could get into better classes, according to a release from the State Council, China's Cabinet, on Monday.

A father surnamed Zhang contacted the State Council's online accountability inspections platform to report that Simao District No 4 Middle School had divided its students into "smart" and "regular" classes based on whether they had purchased tablets and related equipment from the school for 5,800 yuan ($866).

The State Council accountability inspections office directed local authorities to investigate the case.