China love course proposal for universities to encourage marriage, childbirth draws backlash
Proposal has drawn widespread criticism from netizens, who describe it as ‘desperate, ill-conceived remedy’
A recent proposal from mainland Chinese media recommending that universities offer courses on love education to help students balance their studies with romantic relationships – thereby improving marriage and childbirth rates – has sparked considerable debate online.
The proposal, outlined in an article titled “Universities Should Serve as the Main Platform for Love and Marriage Education”, was published on December 2 in China Population Daily and authored by Yang Hualei and Li Shuangshuang from the School of Public Administration at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in Hubei province.
Established in 1987, China Population Daily is a national newspaper overseen by the National Health Commission, primarily focusing on promoting national population policies and disseminating knowledge about prenatal and postnatal care and education.
The report begins by presenting recent survey findings that indicate young people – who are the primary contributors to future birth rates – are increasingly reluctant to engage in romantic relationships. Specifically, 56.9 per cent of respondents expressed no interest in dating, according to the survey.
The authors argue that a key reason students avoid romantic relationships is their lack of understanding on how to balance time between study and love. This highlights a significant gap in systematic and scientific relationship education, leaving students with unclear perceptions of emotional connections.
