The Director's Blog

China’s New School Textbooks.

The Economist magazine recently described how China is rolling out new textbooks on the supreme leader’s Xi Jinping’s political philosophy. The new series of textbooks will become compulsory for all students in Chinese schools, colleges and universities. The clear aim is to present Xi Jinping’s political philosophy to all children across China.

The push to indoctrinate children with his political thinking brings Xi’s ideology to its youngest audience yet. As the academic year began on September 1st, teachers and lecturers began distributing these books, tailored for each age-group, down to children as young as six. Primary school teachers must “plant the seeds of loving the party, the country and socialism in young hearts”. While China has long given schoolchildren patriotism and political education, the new curriculum is “about promoting the cult of Xi as much as about instilling a greater sense of nationalism” (China researcher Adam Ni).

The overall aim of this reform, the textbook committee explains, is for the school and university curriculum to “comprehensively introduce” Mr Xi’s views on economics, politics, the rule of law, science and technology, culture, education, ethnic policies, religion, national defence, ecological civilisation, party-building and diplomacy, among other subjects. “Put more concisely, Mr Xi is to be seen as the undisputed authority on everything.”

Thus “the books are focused on defining citizenship as a relationship with the party and its leader.” The new textbooks will use “golden” maxims from Mr Xi, as well as vivid stories and emotional experiences to “plant the seeds of love for the party, love for the nation and love for socialism in their little hearts”. Youngsters should be guided to understand that Mr Xi is the leader of the whole party and country. They must also resolve to obey and follow the party from their earliest years.

One book tells children about “Grandpa Xi’s expectations of us”. Alongside images of Mr Xi with members of the Young Pioneers, a party organisation for children aged between six and 14, it informs pupils: “As paramount leader of the party and state, Grandpa Xi Jinping has always cared for us, and wishes for us to strive to grow into worthy builders and inheritors of socialism.”

Mr Xi is the establishment: the supreme incarnation of party authority. The party’s legitimacy, in turn, rests on its claims to unrivalled competence and success. It is not for ordinary citizens to second-guess or debate what Mr Xi personally believes. Like children heeding a teacher or an elder, it is their role to obey.

For some, there are concerns that the planned reforms risk undermining the education system that has helped to drive China's growth and active startup scene, and potentially weakening the country's edge in the global race to cultivate talent. Only official textbooks may be used. Equally, the teaching of the English language, so important for their future research and commerce, is under threat in some areas. Shanghai authorities announced that primary schools should administer final exams for only math and Chinese for students from third through fifth grade, removing English from the list.

China’s communist party over the last few decades has swung from side to side in its balancing of two elements – political correctness as against educational training for the real world. It is a question as to whether it’s important that the ‘cat’ is a pure socialist red cat or whether the cat can actually catch mice.

Significant Source: The Economist article “Xi Jinping Thought, For Children.”

Pray for Christian parents in China that they would have wisdom to steer their children through this politicisation of China’s educational system,

Pray for China that its battle between political correctness and the need for a much broader education would become more balanced.

Pray for Christian teachers forced to teach these new textbooks containing atheistic socialism.

 

 

Search the Archives

China Closes Down International Adoptions

China’s July 2024 Third Plenum

Running Back To China

China and Europe

‘Runology’

Chinese Missionaries to Europe?

Rags To Riches In China

China and The Private Automobile

5 China-Related Matters to Watch in 2024

God Speaks Tibetan!

A Chinese House Church Testimony

The DNA of the church in China

Why Was Qin Gang Removed?

China’s ‘Sinicization’ Of Religion

Three Pastors Who Lost Their Jobs

Is Lu ShaYe A Lone Wolf Or Leader Of The Pack?

Li Qiang, China’s New Premier

Chinese Spiritual Civilisation

Population and Pensions in China

Jiang Zemin

China’s Zero-Covid Policy

The Implications of the October CCP Meeting

One Chinese Certainty and One Chinese Uncertainty

China’s New School Textbooks

Three Recent Trends in the Chinese Church

More Not Less For China

Elon Musk Versus Gordon Chang

Changes Taking Place in Shanghai

China, Russia and Ukraine

What Is “Tang Ping”?

Covid And Christianity In China. A Strange Parallel.

China’s New Laws Governing Religion

Covid and the Chinese Winter Olympics

China’s New International Vision

“Common Prosperity” (共同富裕)

Afghanistan and China

Mainland Chinese Studying Overseas

The 3 Phases Of The Modern Church In China

The Chinese Church and Heresies

China’s Falling Birth Rate

China and Poverty

China’s Economic Paradox

The Value of a Life

New Religious Laws Proposed in China

A New Year and A New Day In China Ministry

China’s Relationship With India

Text Book Lies

Confucius Institutes (CIs)

Chinese Students in the West

“Rich State, Poor People.”

A Son Missing For 32 Years.

Churches Under Lockdown In China.

The Wrong Topic

What Is The Lord Saying To The Chinese Church?

Drones And Prayers

Journalism, East and West

Standing In The Gap In 2020

A Dark Shadow Over China’s Students And Teachers

China: Education and AI

What Kind Of Cat Does China Need? 

5 Needs of the Chinese Church Today.

China’s Population: A hidden crisis.

Trade Wars

The Chinese Union Bible

Important Anniversaries In China

China’s Social Credit System

Co-opt and Control or Remove

Arrests in China

China's new status in the world. 

A new weapon for China. 

China’s plan to 'sinicize' religions. 

Two Huge Events for the Church in China. 

Religious freedom in China? 

Two Chinese Christians Murdered in Pakistan 

One Belt one Road