Chinese police arrest 46 over schooling protest

Beijing : Police in central China said yesterday they arrested nearly 50 people after a violent protest sparked by dissatisfaction with the local school system. More than 600 protesters gathered outside a police station in Leiyang city in Hunan province around midnight Saturday after security personnel stopped a protest earlier in the day, police said.

Trouble began after parents of some middle school students were told they would have to move their children into dormitories at a local private school, resulting in a dramatic increase in tuition fees, according to posts on Chinese social media. Additionally, commenters complained that unsafe levels of formaldehyde had been detected in some middle schools’ newly renovated dormitories.