Bogus illustration school cons students

By Dong Hui  |   2008-12-12  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

CHANGNING District police have started an investigation into an illustration school that allegedly conned over 396,000 yuan (US$57,791) out of more than 20 students by claiming to offer a high-quality cartoon design class and future job opportunities.

The training center, Shanghai Cartoon King Animation Game School, located in an old building at 76 Anhua Road, was reported by five students to the Changning District Education Bureau on Wednesday.

A student named Yang Chen said he enrolled at the school last October after paying tuition fees of 18,800 yuan.

"In the first year, teachers were changed about 10 times," Yang said. "Some taught for three months. Some only stayed for three weeks."

The school said students would be able to make a complete commercial cartoon independently after one year of studying, but Yang said they only learnt superficial animation techniques, and all the teachers were new graduates.

The school also promised each student a year-long internship after the training, with payment of between 500 yuan and 3,000 yuan a month. But when a Shanghai Daily reporter paid a visit to the school, an employee named Xu Chao said students had to conduct their internship in the classroom - a messy 20-meter-square room with two rows of computers, covered with cables and posters.

Xu Chao gave Shanghai Daily the contact telephone number of Luo Shen, the boss of the training center, saying that he would be able to answer further questions about the training.

When Shanghai Daily tried to contact Luo, his cell phone was turned off.

Changning District Education Bureau said it had never approved the school or given it a license to enroll or train students.

The education bureau has passed the case to the police and the district's industrial and commercial authority.