Shanghai University has become the subject of mockery after it moved a practical swimming examination “online”.
The dean’s office at Shanghai University announced on May 15 that undergraduates finishing their bachelor’s degrees due to take a 50-metre swimming test could participate online from home.
In China, students at some of the most prestigious universities must learn to swim before they graduate because swimming is considered a survival skill and improves physical fitness.
To finish the online swimming test students had to log in to the campus network and answer an online questionnaire.
The university’s initiative has attracted widespread criticism and triggered a wave of mockery in China. At the time of writing, 65,000 users on Weibo had interacted with the post.
One person asked: “Is it a reality version of surfing the internet?”
Another also asked: “Could it be swimming in the bathtub at home?”
“Hahaha, go let the swimming sport completely and detach from the water. What a brilliant idea!,” another said.