Teaching Tradition

Oriental Outlook

November 20

Ever since the 1990s, there has been disagreement concerning whether or not primary and middle school students should be taught ancient literature. Some argue that they are too young to understand ancient works. Others, however, said that as ancient Chinese literature is eminently varied, educational departments can select works easy to understand for young students.

A comparison of Chinese textbooks from different periods since the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949 shows that the proportion of ancient poems and prose has fluctuated dramatically. In the 1950 and 1953 editions of the first of a series of Chinese textbooks that junior middle school students study, no ancient literature was included. In the 1963 version, however, ancient works accounted for 30 percent. The proportion dropped to less than 20 percent in 1993 before rising to 30 percent in 2000.

China has a rich tradition of poetry. The Tang Dynasty (618-907) alone spawned over 2,000 poets who collectively composed more than 50,000 poems. Ancient poems can serve the function of passing down traditional culture and cultivating students' minds. Classic poems have specific rhythms and used to be sung out loud. They therefore have a stronger ability to express emotions than their contemporary counterparts. In addition, traditional teachings have an essential role to play in broadening young people's intellectual horizons.

Only-Children-Turned Parents

China Newsweek

November 17

As the first generation of "only children" born under China's family-planning policy introduced in 1979 has entered their late 20s or 30s, many of them have become parents.

According to Bao Leiping, a researcher with the Institute of Youth and Juvenile Studies of the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, parents who are only children are distinctly different from those who are not in certain aspects. For example, they have a tendency to be more individualistic. One fifth of those surveyed stated they would choose not to have children if child rearing would clash with their career goals in Bao's 2005 study.

Compared with the preceding generation, parents who are only children tend to care more about their children's psychological well-being. One possible reason for this is that most of them have received higher education; another is that their feelings may have been ignored when they were children and they don't want the same for their offspring.

Only-child parents prefer to get their information from computers and iPads rather than from TV and newspapers. When encountering problems in raising children, they often turn to the Internet for help rather than to their parents.

As most members of the first generation of only children are preoccupied with work, their parents have taken up the responsibility of looking after their children. As a result, they have avoided the pressure and trouble of taking care of newborn babies. However, they will have to face the arduous double responsibility of simultaneously looking after their children and aging parents in about 10 years' time.

Fighting Domestic Violence

Changjiang Daily

November 26

The Central Government is soliciting opinions on the formulation of an anti-domestic violence law. According to a survey of Chinese women's social status in 2010 conducted by the All-China Women's Federation, 24.7 percent of married women have suffered physical or sexual violence in their lives. Child abuse is also a problem, with 33.5 percent of the girls and 52.9 percent of the boys surveyed saying they had been physically punished by their parents over the previous year.

Although domestic violence has been frequently brought to the attention of the public in recent years, it has not been effectively controlled. Physical punishment is even regarded by many as an effective tool to educate children.

This mindset has its origin in traditional Chinese familial and social ethics. Physically punishing children may be regarded as illegal in Western countries. In China, however, such behavior is commonplace.

Traditional Chinese thinking has posed an obstacle for establishing a stricter system to combat domestic violence. Public understanding of the issue is inadequate with not many considering it as a violation of rights. To address domestic violence, it needs to be noted that it is not simply a private or domestic matter but a social problem.