In the discussions surrounding the "Yang Fan Gate" incident at China University of Political Science and Law, there has been no shortage of criticism and condemnation of Professor Yang Fan's policy of prohibiting students from skipping classes at will. Some commentators have even gone so far as to declare that "skipping class is a symbol of freedom" and "skipping class is the student's right," a viewpoint that seems to be quite popular.
Admittedly, Professor Yang Fan's approach in this incident was inappropriate; however, to claim that skipping class is an expression of freedom clearly represents a swing from one extreme to another. By tearing down the authority of one professor and simultaneously attempting to establish the dominance of students, nothing constructive is achieved, and it could lead to significant harm in the long run.
The arguments for the notion of "freedom to skip class" generally revolve around ideas such as "if the teacher isn't good, students should have the option not to attend" or "teachers have no right to force students to waste their time." This essentially implies that students can skip class without any conditions.
I do not believe that "skipping class is freedom."