A new sex education textbook, recently released to a select group of Chinese elementary schools, is the subject of discussions online due to its frank approach in discussing topics like homosexuality and sex, according to an article by Mashable.
Chinese society is known to be conservative when it comes to such topics, and the new sex-ed textbook is challenging people to talk about sex and homosexuality openly.
In an official statement, Beijing Normal University, the creator of the textbook, explained that it took nine years to test the book in an elementary school.
“The book was rigorously designed, tested, and revised. In China, sex has been a taboo issue; parents still do not want to discuss these things with their children, while children are increasingly exposed to inaccurate sexual portrayals in the media; we hope children can form their own values based on accurate, scientific information,” the statement read.
As of date, the sex-ed textbook is being rolled out to 18 elementary schools in Beijing.
Supporters laud textbook as a monumental achievement in sex education for its portrayal of sex and homosexuality in a positive light.
In an op-ed, the Global Times praised the textbook and slammed critics for distorting the book’s contents.
“A book that was meant to let young children learn more about gender and sex, and protect themselves from sex predators has been distorted and turned into pornographic depictions by the media and corporate Weibo accounts.
“The syllabus is incredibly progressive, and is better than similar texts from other developed countries,” the op-ed piece read.
Meanwhile, some parents and netizens believe that sex education should be handled delicately, while others believe children are too young to be introduced to such concepts and graphic illustrations.
“I feel that it will only prompt children to explore what they don’t understand at a young age, like pornographic websites,” Sina Weibo account user SouthXiaoMing wrote.
“You can teach children how to protect themselves, but you shouldn’t use nudity and graphic images to stimulate their curiosity, especially when they are still undergoing puberty.”
Supporters of the textbook hope that it will help will the wide gap when it comes to sex education in China.