Tan Jiehong, a 16-year-old student at the Dali Yanbu Vocational and Technical College in Guangdong, died last month after being forced to work 12-hour shifts at an electronic appliance facility as part of a school program. Tan had asked for sick leave after coming down with a fever the day he died. Factory managers, however, denied his request.
The school Tan attended forced him to work at the factory as a prerequisite to graduating. Although the school admitted that they routinely force students to work 10-hour shifts, they refused to comment on Tan’s death.