A group of high school students claim they are being forced to sit alone in class after achieving poor academic results, South China Metropolitan Daily reports on Monday.

In most schools across China, students sit in pairs at the same desk during lessons.

But 19 children at Jiaji High School in Qionghai city, Hainan province claim they are being ostracized from their class due to underachievement.

One student, Xiaoke, told the newspaper he feels hurt when forced to sit alone. He says other students now look at him differently and his self-esteem has been greatly hurt.

The head teacher of the school denied to move was solely due to underachievement, arguing it was due to space and responsibility to the students.

But other students at the school confirmed those with poor scores do to sit alone. But they said they never discriminate against the students and some people were overstating the situation.

There has been mixed reaction from parents. Some find it unacceptable, unfair and believe it could harm a child's self-esteem, while others thought it might encourage students to perform better.

Yao Qing, general secretary of Hainan Psychological Counselor Society said he believed the teacher is well intentioned, but the behavior can really hurt the students' self-esteem. He suggests students should understand the teachers' intentions and the teachers should pay more attention to their students' psychology.

The news comes a month after a primary school in northwest China ceased a controversial practice that categorized some students as misbehaved or poor academic performers by making them wear green scarves.