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News > World

China Presents Progressive Sex-Ed Curriculum

  • A sex ed class in China.

    A sex ed class in China. | Photo: Reuters

Published 8 March 2017
Opinion

The new curriculum is being heralded by many in the country as widely necessary and a refreshing change.

China has launched a new sex education curriculum — and it’s wholly progressive, covering the issues of sexual abuse, sexually transmitted diseases and diverse sexual orientations.

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Introduced in a handful of schools, the program's lessons for second graders tell young women and girls they can be whatever they aspire to be, whether it is a police officer or astronaut. In turn, young men and boys are told they can make exceptional nurses and kindergarten teachers.

Children will also be taught how babies are conceived, through the help of pictures.

A large section of the curriculum focuses on sexual assault, as well. Students will be taught that inappropriate touching can come not just from strangers, but also from relatives and people they know, while sexual predators can be of any gender.

In Grade 5, both straight and gay students are taught about sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, and instructed about condom use as the best form of protection.

In the lesson on marriage, students are taught that some people choose to be single and others choose to be married, and that both are valid choices.

While it has angered some parents, it’s also led to a wave of applause from many.

"Giving our children more knowledge about sex will help them better protect themselves in the future," a parent on the social networking app, Weibo, argued.

A post written by a doctor in praise of the textbooks has also gone viral online.

"Abortion ads are now everywhere, and if the adults are now saying these textbooks have gone too far, it can only be said that their own sexuality education has been a big failure," wrote the doctor. "Sexuality education protects children from sexual abuse, and it can only be effective if we go straight to the point and do not hide anything. Those who say the textbooks have gone too far mistake ignorance for purity."

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Chinese state media has also weighed in. The Global Times writes, "The children of China now have a sexuality education curriculum that we can be proud of, and yet everyone is giving it a thumbsdown."

Queer and trans groups in China are also applauding the new curriculum. An article written by a lesbian organization titled, "China, finally you recognize homosexuality" has been widely shared online.

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