Does taking a shower at the school public baths cost too much? Is the water tap in your dormitory not working? Or is the basketball court too dark to use at night without lighting?

If you want all your complaints about school life to be resolved quickly, just pass them to your principals as they are not as hard to reach as you might think, said Gong Ke, principal of Nankai University in Tianjin.

"Inspired by the popular TV series, Dad, Where Are We Going?, many students can't help but ask, 'Principals, where have you been?' to make fun of the aloof relationship between them and school officials. This has reminded us to narrow the emotional barrier with students by reaching them in many ways," Gong, a deputy to the National People's Congress, said during a group interview on Tuesday.

Because of school officials' high position and overloaded working schedules, students have few chances to communicate with their principals in person and thus believe only serious issues matter to the schoolmasters, Gong said.

Despite their "mountains of paperwork and sea of meetings", Gong urged principals to reach out to students as often as possible to build a respectful and equal relationship.

"Of course we hope to be set free from our daily work to meet and talk with students. It's important to deliver the modern value of equality by interacting with students and the channels should be updated to cater to the interests of the post-1990 generations," he said.

Gong said Nankai University has opened a campus-affair petition section on its official website for student suggestions, while also interacting with students on micro blogs and WeChat accounts, as well as the traditional method of the principal's mailbox.

Relevant teachers and officials meet with students at a monthly event, where they answer questions that most concern students face to face.

Gong said he can receive up to 100 student questions per month or more through all the channels, responding to 90 percent and resolving 60 percent of the issues.

sunxiaochen@chinadaily.com.cn