A REPORTER with Guangdong Radio and Television was threatened by security officers of the Harrow International School Shenzhen Qianhai (Harrow Shenzhen Qianhai) and was hurt Friday when the reporter was seeking a response from the school on a refund issue reported by a citizen.

The reporter, Yao Hong, told Shenzhen Evening News that a citizen surnamed Tan recently reported that she paid a consultation fee of 28,000 yuan (US$4,250) before the start of the fall term this year to Harrow Shenzhen Qianhai.

Teachers with Harrow Shenzhen Qianhai told Tan that they can refund the consultation fee when Tan expressed dissatisfaction with the school’s bus service time and the delay of the new term.

Tan thus chose another school for her son.

However, Tan was told by the school in an email Oct. 26 that the promise of a full refund of the consultation fee was made by the teacher, not by the school, according to the Shenzhen Evening News report.

According to the school’s rule, it will not provide the refund.

The school dragged out the refund of the school’s consultation fee and Tan was not able to speak to the school officials after making a request. Tan then called the petition office of the Shenzhen Municipal Education Bureau.

Tan said the staff with the petition office told her the school did not have any education qualifications so far. Tan then asked to check the approval document for education qualification, and the school had not responded to this request yet at press time yesterday.

The reporter Yao visited the school Friday afternoon. “A man who claimed to be responsible for the security guard department threatened us, saying that media is not allowed to take pictures of students without permission and that the place where we stood is under the control of the school. But we were filming at the front space of the school, which does not belong to the school based on my knowledge,” said Yao.

Yao then filmed the surrounding area of the school. It was then that the security officers squeezed Yao’s throat.

Yao made a report to the police. Yao’s injuries were later evaluated by legal medical experts, whose evaluation was that it did not reach the standard of slight injury. Thus, the school did not compensate Yao.

Yao went to the school Saturday but still did not receive a response, Shenzhen Evening News reported.

The school said they would release an official declaration yesterday, but had not given a response as of press time.

(Wang Jingli)