Investigation Reveals Abuse in Chinese 'Military Schools'

Former students have described agonizing experiences at Lizheng Quality Education School and other institutions within the same network. Baobao, who attended the school at age 14, stated that students who disobeyed rules were beaten so severely they could not sleep on their backs or sit down for days.

"Cada momento era agonizante" (Every moment was agonizing), said Baobao, now 19. She revealed that she considered suicide and knew other students who attempted it. The investigation gathered testimony from 23 ex-alunos (former students) who reported being beaten or forced to perform extreme physical exercises.

Despite the presence of surveillance cameras, the abuse was relentless. Baobao described how instructors used pipes to beat students, leaving them with severe bruises and black marks. "The punishment is constant," she stated. "If the dance routines or military boxing aren't precise, or are poorly executed, you will be punished."

Another survivor, Zhang Enxu, reported similar experiences at a different school in the network. She was forced to perform thousands of repetitions of exercises like push-ups. "The orders to execute exercises like push-ups could start in 1,000 repetitions," she explained. She also suffered a physical attack that caused hearing loss in one ear.

The investigation revealed disturbing allegations of sexual violence and kidnapping. One former student reported being raped, while two others, including Baobao, described sexual assaults by instructors. Baobao recounted a "deeply offensive" strip search where an instructor "touched all my sensitive areas."

Zhang Enxu described being attacked by a night-shift instructor in her dormitory. "He grabbed me by the hair and dragged me to the floor, then sexually assaulted me," she said.

Perhaps most shocking are the reports of forced kidnappings. Thirteen students claimed they were abducted with their parents' consent by staff posing as police or internet regulators. Filmagens secretas (secret footage) exposed how staff pretended to be authorities to transfer youths to the institutions.

When Zhang visited her family grave, three men claiming to be police appeared. "They said my data had been used in fraud. They dragged me forcibly to the car. My parents stood still while I was taken away," she recalled. Once inside, students found themselves behind locked gates with no permission to leave.

These centers are part of a growing industry promising parents that military-style discipline can fix issues like internet addiction, teenage dating, and depression. The network is operated by or linked closely to Li Zheng, a veteran who founded his first center in 2006.

Parents pay exorbitant fees for these programs. Baobao's mother paid approximately 40,000 yuan (about R$ 28,000) for six months. Zhang Enxu's parents paid 65,800 yuan (about R$ 46,000). Despite these high costs, Baobao received no academic classes.

The business model is lucrative. In a hidden camera recording, a director at a new school linked to the network explained that tuition could be at least US$ 25,000 per student per year. "The profits in this sector are enormous," said Li Yunfeng, a director at a new institution in Fujian.

However, the operational model relies on deception. Staff admitted to telling "harmless lies" to lure students. "When we organize the searches, we tell a harmless lie," a staff member said. If deception failed, instructors would "immobilize and carry" the student to a vehicle.

Although corporal punishment has been banned in China for decades, these schools operate in a regulatory gray zone. The sector is difficult to regulate because responsibility is split between education, civil affairs, and market regulation authorities.

When abuse allegations surface, consequences are rare. Li Zheng was arrested earlier this year on charges of involvement in organized crime. However, his associates immediately opened a new school. "Whenever there is public outcry, he changes the name or changes the legal representative," said Mu Zhou, a volunteer helping document abuses.

Even when authorities intervene, the closure is often temporary. The school attended by Baobao was forced to suspend new enrollments after a student suicide in 2020, but it continued operating and later changed its name to Quality Education for Teenagers. It currently houses around 300 students aged 8 to 18.

The Chinese Embassy in London stated that the government "attaches great importance to the legal operation of educational institutions" and that all institutions "must comply with relevant laws and regulations." Despite this, survivors like Baobao are left with lasting trauma. "These schools are essentially a scam," Baobao said. "The predominant educational model is violence generating more violence... they simply should not exist."