A PREFERENTIAL policy benefiting children of senior executives of the city's finance sector has recently encountered a backlash from residents, who criticize it as "unfair and discriminatory," said a report in Saturday's Southern Metropolis Daily.

According to the policy, children of finance sector executives and senior officials with government financial institutions are eligible to receive 10 extra marks in entrance examinations for Shenzhen's senior high schools, the Daily reported.

The policy, which is believed to have been in place for years, became a subject of controversy among students and parents two months ahead of this year's senior high school entrance examinations, said the Daily report.

The Daily quoted a director of the municipal enrollment office who gave only his last name Fan as saying that the policy had been adopted by the municipal education bureau several years ago. He said it was introduced in accordance with a municipal government policy to "support the finance sector."

But many students and parents question the legitimacy of the policy, saying that it was utterly "unfair and discriminatory" to the majority of the city's students, whose parents are not financiers or bankers.

"The education bureau or the municipal government has no right to adopt such a policy. It is ridiculous to let some students benefit from their parents' profession," said Yang, adding that 10 points were substantial enough to deprive other students of a fair chance of getting into their preferred senior high schools. "They have worked so hard for it."

A man surnamed Yang, whose son will sit the senior high school entrance examinations in late June, said he felt bitter after seeing good students upset by the unfair policy.

"Years of hard work don't make up for a simple fact that you don't have a 'good' father who can get you into any school you fancy," said another unidentified man.

Some parents call it a "privilege for the powerful and the rich." They argue that financial professionals usually make more money than people in many other professions.

Gongminzheng, a famous online commentator, was quoted by the Daily as saying: "The children (of financial professionals) can afford to study in a good school by paying extra, or even go overseas, so why does the government have such a preferential policy?"

(Wei Jie)