A teacher explains pregnancy to kids in China and a viral online debate about sex education ensues
- A parent in China reportedly made a complaint against a teacher who taught primary schoolchildren how pregnancy works
- Sex education remains taboo in Chinese schools despite efforts from educators and publishers
“Where do babies come from?” can be one of the most vexing but important questions that a child can ask. One teacher in China reportedly volunteered to give an answer to her primary school class, but not everyone appreciated the candour.
One parent ranted online about the sex education lesson, and it kicked off a viral debate on social media. The complaint was captured by the Chinese television channel Hubei Jinshi.
“My daughter came home and told me that her class teacher taught them about the process of pregnancy,” the parent wrote. “She even taught them the difference between boys and girls. My daughter is only nine years old. Is that an appropriate age to hear about these things?”
The teacher reportedly explained that another teacher was pregnant, and some children were asking questions. She wanted to take the opportunity to educate the class about the topic. She was surprised when a parent lashed out.
While the South China Morning Post could not independently verify the report, the news kicked off a vibrant discussion online. The related Weibo hashtag got more than a billion views between Tuesday and Thursday. A post by Toutiao, a ByteDance-owned news platform, was liked by more than 1.5 million people.
Many of the comments supported the teacher.
