HONG KONG – Government officials in China believe boys are getting a little tougher and want to harden them.
In the latest attempt to tackle academics and news agencies a “masculinity crisis”, the Ministry of Education has suggested that the “spirit of yang”, or masculine qualities, be emphasized by employing more sports instructors and physical education classes in primary and secondary to redesign schools. .
The plan, a response to a call from a top official to “prevent the feminization of male youth”, was announced last week. It did not contain a timeline and a few other details, but it did prompt an outcry online and is still sparking heated debate on social media. One hashtag has been viewed 1.5 billion times on Weibo, a popular microblogging platform.
Some social media users have expressed support for the proposal, writing: “It is difficult to imagine that such exuberant boys could defend their country if an invasion from outside threatened.” But others have seen evidence of sexual discrimination and the perpetuation of gender stereotypes.
Even state news media apparently questioned the ministry’s proposal. CCTV, the state broadcaster, wrote on its Weibo account on Saturday: “Education is not just about the development of ‘men’ and ‘women’. It is more important to be willing to accept responsibility. ”
The broadcaster also offers a loose interpretation of yang and writes: ‘Men show’ the spirit of yang ‘in wear, spirit and physique, which is a kind of beauty, but’ the spirit of yang ‘does not just mean’ masculine behavior ‘ not. ”
As the country has been trying to strengthen its army lately and was born with nurtured children, mostly boys, under its policy for one child, a stricter idea of masculinity has emerged. Television sensors blurred the pierced ears of male pop stars. Well-groomed actors are publicly ridiculed as ‘little fresh meat’, and parents enrolled boys in boat camps in the hope that they would become ‘real men’.
The Ministry of Education’s plan is in response to a proposal made by Si Zefu, a top delegate to the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference Standing Committee, in May. A proposal to prevent the feminisation of male youth, “Mr Si’s proposal said that ‘many, many more’ men should be appointed as physical educators to exert a ‘male influence’ in schools.
In a statement, Si said the presence of female teachers in kindergartens and primary schools and the popularity of ‘beautiful boys’ in pop culture had made boys ‘weak, inferior and timid’. He also laments that boys no longer want to become war heroes, and warns that such a trend could endanger the Chinese people.
Last year, Xinhua, a state-run news agency, reported on the gender imbalance and teachers in physical education and the problems of attracting men in the low-paying profession, which is currently dominated by women. In the past, state news media have also blamed video games, masturbation and a lack of exercise to make many young men unfit for the military.
Mark Ma, an 18-year-old high school student in Shenzhen, said he welcomed an overhaul of physical education, but did not think it would have a major impact on the formation of masculinity.
“Physical education at junior level definitely needs to be improved, because many people do not care about it. “They only care about academics,” he said. “I remember a lot of classmates sitting on the sidelines during PE lessons and doing their homework.”
He added that he does not believe that ‘physical education teachers are highly valued in schools; these new policies and better benefits can attract more people to this field. ”
As for the “spirit of yang” in boys, he said: “I think the main focus here is on increasing physical strength, and what it means by ‘masculinity’ is unclear.” He added: ‘I think it’s more important to get out of your education and daily habits. I personally do not think that the use of this label will have much impact on physical education habits. ”
While the Ministry of Education’s new plan does not explicitly propose different treatments for boys and girls, educators such as Liu Wenli, a professor at the Normal University of Beijing and an expert in health and sex education, see some dangers . Ms Liu said that even the reference to ‘feminization of male youths’ could lead to more bullying of students because of their gender expression, identity or sexual orientation.
“Educators cannot ask for the prevention of bullying in schools, while having to nurture the ground for bullying in schools,” she wrote on Weibo.
While some Chinese high schools separate students on the basis of physical abilities, and others enable them to choose their sports classes, most physical education classes are mixed at a lower level. But fitness classes are increasingly seen by officials as a solution to the alleged problem of weak boys.
Chunxiao Li, a university researcher studying inclusive physical education, said on Thursday by telephone that it is important to create an inclusive environment. “The excessive emphasis on masculinity, femininity or physical disabilities actually harms society’s diversity and inclusivity,” he said. “It can create a label or a stereotype.”
Dr. Li said physical education teachers should ultimately focus on developing a well-rounded student.
Elsie Chen reported.