In a throwback to more revolutionary times, authorities in Shanghai have embarked on a campaign to teach the virtues of communist ideology, patriotism and morality, state press reported yesterday.
Shanghai's Education Commission plans a three-year 20-million-yuan (US$2.4 million) program aimed at creating a "new generation" of students more deeply imbued with nationalist and communist values, the Liberation Daily said.
Elementary school students will be taught the national anthem as well as the symbolic meanings behind the national flag, it said, while a firm knowledge of the country's boundaries and racial make-up will be required.
Middle school students will be taught about China's "great revival," which means how China fought off Western colonial powers as well as Japan's bloody occupation before and during World War II.
College students must have a good command of national history and a sense of civic responsibility that will engender "service to the people."
Universities will also be asked to establish Web sites espousing communist ideology and that of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, the report said.
While China has undergone significant changes in the last 25 years, the school code for students remains the same with "love the motherland, love the people, love socialism and love the China Communist Party," deemed the most important.
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