China targets primary schools in drive to instill love for Communist Party in children
- Xi Jinping recently ordered the party to strengthen its ideological leadership role in schools and do more to promote ‘socialist core values’
- School children already face a heavy dose of ideological education and new textbooks dedicated to Xi Jinping Thought will be introduced next year
President Xi Jinping recently told a meeting of a policy implementation group known as the Central Comprehensively Deepening Reforms Commission that the party should take on a greater leadership role in schools to ensure “political criteria and requirements” are met.
According to state news agency Xinhua, the order means that, while head teachers would retain overall responsibility, party organs will have a tight grip on “ideological and political work”.
The promotion of “socialist core values”, the “revolutionary tradition” and “red gene” will be integrated with the school curriculum.
Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at the School of African and Oriental Studies in London, said it “would make sense for [Xi] to push hard to get all the younger generations to embrace Xi Jinping Thought” after a meeting of the top leadership last month adopted a resolution on party history that put him on a par with Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping.