Fear of revenge

Yu Fangqiang, executive director of Nanjing-based Tianxiagong, a non-government organization focusing on policy advocacy regarding social issues, said he wanted to help students take legal action against their schools.

Foxconn plant in Shenzhen

But some refused for fear of schools taking revenge by not allowing them to graduate, he said.

According to a China National Radio report, teachers from local schools admitted suspending routine classes over the next one or two months. They said the internships were a compulsory course for students to "experience working conditions and promote individual ability," the report said.

The Huai'an Education Bureau said they were aware such programs ran during the summer break but did not know that schools had continued them into the new semester.

An official, who refused to be named, said it was a common practice to send students to renowned companies and factories, something that served the enterprises and expanded students' horizons, he said.

"It's hard for students to find jobs which are precisely related to their majors. Therefore, they are encouraged to go to factories to learn more about society," he said.

However, Wu Dong, a lawyer, said the practice violated higher education laws and labor laws and the schools, education and labor rights authorities and Foxconn could be sued.