A bugle call rings out at Zhonglian Judicial College at 1:30 pm, two weeks after the head of the privately funded school was arrested. Anxious students and worried parents insist on staying in the school, located in Fangshan district, after the institute was announced illegal by the Fangshan commission of education on 10 May.

The perception of academic autonomy and freedom in China has been distorted with many cases of misconduct reported. It is claimed that misuse of academic powers for illegitimate benefits such as money, honour, and even sex have occurred, yet only a small fraction has ever been officially verified or acted upon.

In one hour, and for about 38 dollars, you can get a false university degree in China, but the enforcement of punishment is making it ever more difficult to use such fraud to find a job or get into a foreign university. The measures introduced by China have curbed fraud and many fake degrees are now detected through authentication procedures; however, some genuine diplomas have been awarded to bogus students.

Eight parents and teachers who used hi-tech equipment to help children cheat in Chinese college entrance exams have been sent to prison. They were given sentences of six months to three years after being found guilty of using mobile phones, tiny earpieces or mini scanners in order to obtain state secrets.

The Ministry of Education (MOE) has ordered the auditing of university heads from 2007. Analysts say the move is aimed at curbing corruption in universities after several embezzlement cases were uncovered in state universities recently. In 2006, former president of Tianjin University was removed from his position of deputy to the National People's Congress for his role in the school's loss of 12.8 million U.S. dollars.