Mandatory ‘love education’ course for college students gains support in China

A proposal to include “love and marriage” values in the curriculum for all universities and colleges is gaining traction in China.

The National People Congress (NPC) deputy had earlier recommended that family education be made a compulsory course in tertiary education to encourage “vast and enthusiastic cultural activities on campus” and guide students in establishing “the correct view of love, marriage and family.” The proposal has received support from the Chinese Ministry of Education.

In March, NPC deputy Huang Xihua put forward a motion to professionalize the field of family education and teach college students the skills needed to maintain family relationships.

The proposal, which includes teaching students “an important basis for national development, national progress, and social harmony,” became a trending topic on Weibo.

There are those who believe it would help normalize conversations about love and sex.

“Love is not a taboo topic,” sex education specialist Liu Wenli told South China Morning Post. “When children have curiosity and needs, discuss this topic with them naturally with a positive and open attitude.”

According to a provincial newspaper, a survey recently showed that nine in 10 university students expressed support for a class about romantic love.

A majority of the respondents expressed that they wanted to learn about how to resolve differences with their partner and handle a relationship’s end.

Among the common problems they mentioned include confessing their love, getting along with their partner and maintaining long-distance relationships.

Critics, however, questioned if university lecturers are credible enough to teach young people about relationships.

“First of all, we should strengthen the psychological education of college teachers,” said a Weibo user. “Teachers’ morality comes first … It won’t be too late to educate the students after educating the teachers.”

Featured Image via Sasin Tipchai

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