A recent scandal in China's education system has surfaced involving a university professor who was found to have committed admission fraud nearly two decades ago. The individual, known by the surname Tong, used falsified documents to register for the university entrance examination in 2008, posing as a student from a different province to gain admission to Northwest A&F University.

During the examination period, Tong employed fake household registration documents and high school transcripts to qualify for the exam in a region with lower admission standards. This practice, commonly referred to as "migration for university entrance," allowed him to secure a spot at the prestigious university. After completing his bachelor's degree, Tong continued his education, earning both a master's and a doctoral degree from the same institution.

In 2019, Tong was hired as a lecturer at a university in Jiangsu Province, eventually attaining the position of associate professor. The fraud was brought to light by a whistleblower who had been pursuing the case since 2021, prompting the university to investigate Tong's credentials.

In December 2024, the Shaanxi Provincial Department of Education officially ordered Northwest A&F University to revoke Tong's bachelor's degree, which was subsequently updated in the national degree verification system. However, both his master's and doctoral degrees remain valid, raising significant concerns among the public regarding the integrity of the educational system.

The decision to revoke only the bachelor's degree has sparked widespread debate. Critics argue that it undermines the value of Tong's higher degrees, questioning how a person without a legitimate bachelor's degree could hold advanced qualifications. Observers have compared this situation to demolishing the first floor of a building while leaving the upper floors intact, highlighting the inconsistencies in handling academic fraud.

Despite the revocation, Tong continues to teach as an associate professor, leading many to question the fairness and efficacy of the current educational regulations regarding academic dishonesty. The incident has exposed gaps in the hiring processes of universities, where institutions often verify only the degrees presented by candidates without tracing their entire academic history.

Many netizens have expressed concerns about the implications of such fraud, suggesting that the penalties do not adequately reflect the severity of the initial deceit. This case has prompted calls for clearer guidelines from educational authorities to address similar situations in the future.