A company in China has come under fire in the last few days when details were revealed of an ‘internship’ that saw students from the nearby Xi’an Institute of Technology working at a plant assembling one of the next-gen consoles, the PS4.

Foxconn’s Yantai plant is reportedly being staffed with a number of students from the Institute’s IT Engineering course, working for long hours. Students have also been told that if they refuse to participate in the scheme, they will lose six course credits which is enough to ensure they cannot graduate. Students have also complained of being put to work doing jobs that bear no relation at all to what they are studying, including the grunt work of shipping and distribution. There are paid workers there too, but unlike the students they are there by their own choice.

Foxconn told the Oriental Daily that it had no interest in stopping the students from leaving the scheme if they wished to, but the Xi’an Institute had no comment when asked if they had received an agent’s fee for the internship and didn’t directly answer the question about whether the program was forced. They did insist though that it was all legal and was “mainly about making students learn about society and experience life.”

This isn’t the first time Foxconn and the Xi’an Institute have been found to be involved in schemes that involved compulsory and slightly iffy student internships. Last year it was the iPhone 5 being built by student labour, with the Institute reportedly receiving 100 RMB/about $16 per student provided.