On the floor of the school admissions office, envelopes containing acceptance letters were scattered carelessly. This scene took place at the Software Engineering College under the Chongqing Beiruan Education Group located in Chaoyuan.
At the software engineering college's computer lab, neatly arranged desks and chairs stood without a single computer installed.
The Education Commission of Nan'an District stated that the Software Engineering College under the Chongqing Beiruan Education Group lacked the proper accreditation to operate as an educational institution.
In a report by journalist Gu Xiaojuan, on August 17th, Zeng Longlun, a 19-year-old high school graduate from Jianyang, Sichuan, came alone to enroll at the Software Engineering College under the Chongqing Beiruan Education Group, carrying beautiful dreams of university life. However, just a few days later, drastic changes occurred at the school: "specialized courses" turned into fishing, playing Chinese checkers, and badminton; teachers and the principal disappeared; landlords came to collect rent, migrant workers sought unpaid wages, and chaos reigned within the school... The students discovered that suddenly the entire college was left with only eight students, while the principal sent a text message stating: "The school is currently applying for bankruptcy..."
**Debt Collectors Everywhere**
Yesterday morning, reporters arrived at the Software Engineering College under the Chongqing Beiruan Education Group located in Zone B of the Changjiang Industrial Park in Chaoyuan, Nan'an. The college gates were locked, and the spacious hall was empty. In a large open hall on the first floor, reporters found traces of previous "office work." Inside were four desks, and thousands of returned college admission notices were scattered on the ground, all uniformly marked: "Recipient pays postage upon collection." In the first-floor hall, arguments broke out continuously, and crowds of people seeking money could be seen everywhere.
A man resembling a foreman said, "Apart from the workers' wages, the boss still owes me over 1.1 million yuan." Mr. Yao, the landlord, calculated for the reporter that the entire school premises were rented by Principal Huang from him, covering an area of more than 16,000 square meters, with rent amounting to around 1.2 million yuan. Yet Principal Huang had not paid a cent and even drove off one of his cars.
Reporters also noticed that among those collecting debts were various contractors who managed the school canteen and mall. They told reporters that the school had signed agreements guaranteeing the enrollment of 500 students, but so far, only eight students had been recruited. According to preliminary estimates, the school owed at least 2 million yuan.
**Specialized Courses Involved Playing Chess and Fishing**
Student Zeng Longlun told reporters that including himself, the school had recruited only eight students in total. These students came from places like Sichuan, five of whom had paid tuition fees ranging from 5,000 to 14,000 yuan. Some students, arriving later and noticing something amiss, did not pay their tuition.
On the afternoon of the day they registered, he and two classmates attended the first class, which was a Japanese language course. However, the next day, the school suddenly stopped classes. The teachers brought out Chinese checkers and let them play, then handed them badminton rackets to play badminton or suggested they go fishing in nearby ponds. Zeng Longlun said that on August 22nd, military training was supposed to begin, but the school postponed it due to insufficient student numbers, saying they would wait until everyone was present. Under strong demands from the students, on August 25th, the school sent them to a technical school for military training and said they would temporarily attend classes there. "The school was clearly deceiving us," Zeng Longlun said, prompting the students to call 110 and subsequently return to the school.
**All Teachers and Principals Vanished**
Zeng Longlun said that after realizing the problem, they approached the teachers demanding refunds of their tuition fees. However, the teachers alternated between claiming they had no money and promising to withdraw it from the bank. After withdrawing the money, the teachers never returned. Subsequently, Zeng Longlun and his classmates searched everywhere within the school for the teachers but found that all the teachers had disappeared. When they called the principal, the phone was either unreachable or unanswered.
On August 29th, Zeng Longlun and several classmates received a text message from their living teacher. The message read: "Sending you there is just for temporary basic courses and military training. Once everything here in Chaoyuan is ready, you will come back! With these issues arising, the school is currently applying for bankruptcy through legal procedures, and your tuition will be refunded accordingly! Recently, quite a few students have been persuaded to withdraw."
Subsequently, several classmates received a text message from the principal stating: "I'm on a business trip elsewhere these days. Your tuition will definitely be refunded. I've arranged for you to attend classes at another campus temporarily. Lately, there have been disputes among the workers. I applied for bankruptcy a few days ago and now await court liquidation, possibly with results by Tuesday."
**Education Commission Confirms Lack of Accreditation**
Yesterday afternoon, reporters contacted Principal Huang of the school multiple times using the phone number provided by Zeng Longlun. He explained that due to poor recruitment this year, the school's financial chain broke, and the school indeed applied for bankruptcy. However, neither he nor the teachers had "fled," but rather were on a business trip elsewhere. The teachers left because they feared debt collectors might cause trouble. After the school applied for bankruptcy, assets would be liquidated according to standard procedures, with priority given to refunding students' tuition fees. Other outstanding payments would be addressed based on the liquidation results and corresponding procedures. Principal Huang claimed that his school was established through affiliation with a university's continuing education department, making it legitimate. Currently, Huang is being investigated at the Huangnihe police station.
Subsequently, reporters approached the Education Commission of Nan'an District. According to relevant personnel, according to regulations, institutions offering degree education must first apply for approval from the Municipal Education Commission to operate in Chongqing. They have already learned about the matter and reported it to the Municipal Education Commission. However, feedback from the Municipal Education Commission indicates that this institution has not been approved and does not possess the necessary qualifications. Regarding Principal Huang's claim of affiliation with a university's continuing education department, the official stated that this is merely a cooperative arrangement between both parties. Any institution offering degree education operating in Chongqing must obtain approval from the Municipal Education Commission.
Following this, reporters informed the Tushan Town Government of the situation. Staff from the Social Affairs Office introduced that yesterday, after learning about the matter from the Education Commission of Nan'an District, they began investigating. Currently, the Nan'an police force has also intervened in the investigation.