Middle school forbids male and female students to dine together to prevent puppy love

A middle school in northwestern China’s Shaanxi province forbids male and female students to eat together by dividing the dining area into two parts in an effort to prevent puppy love. 

According to local newspaper Huashang, the measure has been implemented for several months and officials said it is effective.

Qiao Zhenyi, principal of Shenmu High School, explained that the school adopted the measure because some students had shown inappropriate behaviors at the canteen, which had bad influence to other students.

The school he worked at before had the same requirement, he said, adding that the parents support the practice as it not only eliminated inappropriate behaviors but prevented early romances among students.

However, the majority of students think the new measure makes them uncomfortable and is completely unnecessary.

“A boy and a girl sitting together does not necessarily mean they are in a relationship. They could be just talking or discussing school work,” a student of the school said.

Contact with the opposite sex is a normal phenomenon for high school students, Wang Guirong, a psychologist of the Yulin Number Two Hospital noted, further pointing out that the practice may work temporarily, but in the long run, it could have a negative impact on students’ mental health, which will even affect their academic performances.