The authorities of a high school at Qingtian county in Lishui city of Zhejiang province have persuaded a student to quit school or be admitted to another institution because they think he looks "ugly" and scares other students. This is shocking and the school's action shows it lacks basic ethics and disrespects human dignity, says an article in Beijing Times. Excerpts:

The student's face was disfigured in a fire. In fact, he narrowly escaped death. But instead of empathizing with the student, surnamed Gao, and helping him with his studies, the school has turned his life into a nightmare.

The school authorities used the parents of other students - claiming that many parents fear Gao would scare their children - to drive the boy out of school. But the school should realize that it cannot deny a student the right to education and humiliate him for his looks.

The school is trying to please other students and their parents in order to earn maximum profit and, in the process, trampling one of the fundamental rights of Gao. Even if some students and parents are worried that Gao's presence is unwelcome, the school should have educated them about human dignity and the importance of the right to education.