Chinese university asks students to sign suicide waivers

DONGGUAN, China, Sept. 18 (UPI) -- A Chinese university is asking each incoming freshman to sign a suicide waiver, absolving the school of responsibility should the student commit suicide.

The 5,000 incoming students at City College of Dongguan University of Technology, in Guangdong province, receive the required waiver in their packet of admissions paperwork, Time magazine reported.

Outraged parents and commentators have called the requirement an indication of excessive pressure on already overstressed students.

"I think this kind of agreement is irresponsible and unfair," said the mother of a freshman who identified herself as Mrs. Li. "The school should provide counseling services and other help for students, instead of trying to absolve themselves of responsibility even before anything has happened."

Suicide rates among college students in China has remained stable in recent years, at about one or two per 100,000 people, a rate well below the national average, Time said.