紫禁城 ! Chinese Education Minister Warns Against ‘Infiltration’ of Western Ideas

Te-Ping Chen reports: Chinese teachers should be on their guard against the infiltration of Western ideas, the country’s education minister says. Also, while they’re at it, they should stop complaining and venting their grievances in front of students as well.

“Mr. Yuan declared that the government ‘absolutely could not allow teachers to whine while teaching, air their resentments or spread negative spirits to their students.’ The report didn’t elaborate on the nature of grumbling that the government was opposed to.”

The minister, Yuan Guiren, made the comments at a conference Thursday at which representatives from some of China’s best universities were assembled. According to Mr. Yuan, as cited by state news agency Xinhua, universities should avoid use of teaching materials that “disseminate Western values.”

As well, Xinhua said, Mr. Yuan declared that the government “absolutely could not allow teachers to whine while teaching, air their resentments or spread negative spirits to their students.” The report didn’t elaborate on the nature of grumbling that the government was opposed to.

“Since assuming office, Chinese President Xi Jinping has actively pushed the study of traditional Chinese culture. Such a push has also come in tandem with a backlash against certain Western traditions, notably Christmas.”

Mr. Yuan’s comments come amid a growing scrutiny of ideology on China’s campuses. Earlier this month, the State Council General Office released an opinion on the need to “further strengthen and improve propaganda and ideology work.” It declared that higher education is a key “battlefield” in the struggle for ideology. Likewise, an article published earlier this month by a party-run publication accused certain university professors, including a law professor at the country’s prestigious Peking University, of “smearing China.”

Since assuming office, Chinese President Xi Jinping has actively pushed the study of traditional Chinese culture. Such a push has also come in tandem with a backlash against certain Western traditions, notably Christmas. Last year, for example, the education bureau in the eastern city of Wenzhou issued a circular banning all Christmas activities in local schools….(read more)

China Real Time Report – WSJ

Related articles

• China clamps down on ‘Western values’ in class (worldbulletin.net)
• China says no room for ‘western values’ in university education (theguardian.com)
• China warns universities on values (bbc.co.uk)
• Chinese universities ordered to ban textbooks that promote Western values (alrasub.com)
• China Bans Western Textbooks and Ideas In Universities (chinatopix.com)
• China Orders Universities to Ban Textbooks ‘Promoting Western Values’ (ibtimes.co.in)
• China Bans ‘Western Values’ From Textbooks (dailycaller.com)
• China’s Maoists Are Revived as Thought Police (punditfromanotherplanet.com)
• The Inconvenient Truth About the U.S.-China Emissions Deal: It’s Meaningless (punditfromanotherplanet.com)
• China’s Xi Jinping purging select corrupt officials to put own men in place (punditfromanotherplanet.com)