Key facts
- Nanjing University said its smart classroom system no longer collects the proportion of students looking up during class.
- The university denied that attendance data was linked to students' regular grades or that the midterm inspection was ordered by higher authorities.
- Nanjing University said the system does not collect facial or other biometric data or conduct facial recognition without authorization.
- The university said images circulating online were personal screenshots taken during online teaching supervision at its Suzhou campus in May 2026.
Nanjing University, in China's eastern Jiangsu province, said on November 4 that its smart classroom system no longer collects data on the proportion of students looking up during class, after screenshots of the system drew criticism online. The statement came from the university's undergraduate education office and IT department.
The dispute began after students received notice that the university would use the system, upgraded over the summer, to record attendance in certain courses over a one-week period. A screenshot then circulated online showing surveillance footage alongside statistics on late arrivals, attendance rates and the proportion of students looking up during class, a measure known as the head-up rate.
The university denied that attendance data was linked to students' regular grades and that the midterm teaching inspection had been ordered by higher authorities, saying both claims "are not true." It said the project was meant to improve classroom audio and video facilities, enable livestreamed lectures and cross-campus interaction, and support course replay, and that it followed government procurement procedures.
On privacy, the university said: "Without authorization, our smart classroom system does not collect biometric information such as facial data or conduct facial recognition in teaching applications." It said images circulating online were personal screenshots taken during online teaching supervision at its Suzhou campus in May 2026, not live footage from the current system.
Cover News reported that the university awarded a contract worth more than 31.52 million yuan to upgrade 113 classrooms at its Xianlin campus, with tender documents listing facial detection, facial recognition and AI-based headcounts. China Daily reported the figure as $4.7 million; Cover News gave $4.4 million.
Gao Hang, vice-dean of the School of Education at Renmin University of China, told the Paper that judging students' engagement by head-up rates was "one-sided" and lacked academic support.