China [Population education in countries of the region
Sun, D.T.
Bulletin of the Unesco Regional Office for Education in Asia and the Pacific 23: 64-69
1982
PMID: 12265667 Document Number: 400404
During the 1970s the Chinese government emphasized the need to bring population growth under control, proposing population education be included in secondary school curricula. In 1978 curriculum provided that physiology and hygiene in the lower secondary schools should include knowledge of physiology and hygiene during puberty and that education on late marriage and family planning should be given in upper schools. A book entitled Population Education developed by the People's Educational Press, deals with population theory, population growth, ecological equilibrium, world population, Chinese population, population control in China, and the principles of contraception. A pilot project of population education was started in a small number of schools in some provinces before population education could be extended to all secondary schools. Up until December 1981 59 teachers' training courses for population education had been run and 4945 teachers trained. At a conference held in December 1981 participants came to the following conclusions: 1) knowledge of science can be extended and a proper understanding of demography will help students in their future, 2) with population theory students can understand national policy, and 3) a knowledge of physiology and hygiene during puberty will help young people to grow in a healthy way.