Should We Set up Different Standards for Boys and Girls in Schools?

Should We Set up Different Standards for Boys and Girls in Schools?

LI SHIGONG

In China today many boys behave girlishly and many girls behave like boys. To change this situation, a middle school in Zhengzhou, central China’s Henan Province,has set up 28 standards in order to cultivate“manly” boys and “ladylike” girls. This year the school selected 44 representatives of these standards and called on all other students to take these students as examples.

According to those standards, a “manly” boy should have good manners and be healthy both physically and psychologically. He needs to be courageous, strong-minded and upright. He also should respect girls and communicate with girls appropriately. A “ladylike” girl should have selfrespect and behave like a lady. She should have good academic performance and maintain proper relationships with boys.

The move has triggered heated debate in and out of the school. Parents who support the school’s new standards say that there has always been a tradition in China for males and females to act differently, while at the same time males should shoulder more responsibilities. But nowadays, much emphasis of schools is placed on teaching knowledge to students, while their personality cultivation has been ignored. The move has established a code of conduct for students to follow, which facilitates the cultivation of their personalities.

Parents who oppose the school’s move contend that different students should have diverse personalities and a uniform code of conduct neglects individual differences and may restrict students’ personality development. If we set up uniform standards to restrict all the students’ behavior, they will have the same character when they grow up.

Supporters

Gao Yu (www.voc.com.cn): It is natural that men and women are different. However, more and more boys tend to act like little girls. They have long hair, speak like women and behave coyly. On the other hand, many girls regard short hair as fashionable and are bolder and more unconstrained than they are expected to be. Gender neutralization is actually a re fl ection of the loss of gender awareness. A male’s feminine behavior might well imply the lack of confidence and reluctance to take on certain responsibilities. If more and more boys are unwilling to take social responsibilities, what will China be like in the near future?

Whether the standards for “manly”boys and “ladylike” girls of the school in Zhengzhou de fi ne precisely the characteristics of both genders, or whether such standards can be applied as a school rule may still need further consideration. But, the school’s move is indeed an effort to awake young students’gender awareness, especially for those who simply pursue individualism.

Gender awareness is crucial to children’s personality development. Strengthening gender awareness is not solely the responsibility of schools. Parents and the whole society need to pay attention to the education of gender awareness in young people. On one hand, society should establish distinctive gender roles for males and females; on the other hand, parents should intentionally raise their boys and girls in different ways.

Wang Chuantao (www.ifeng.com):Although it is a problem when women begin acting like men, it’s a much bigger problem for society when men begin acting like women. If a certain proportion of males in a society become more like women, they will be unable to shoulder social and familial responsibilities. It’s not good news for China, which is undergoing the process of civil society construction. I give my full support to this school’s move.

There are two groups of statistics that indicate the seriousness of Chinese boys’feminization. First, Chinese boys’ physical condition is worsening year by year.Compared with Japanese boys aged from 7 to 17, Chinese boys in the same age group are 2.54 cm shorter on average. Second,boys are more fragile psychologically than girls. Of the 19,196 patients received by Beijing Children’s Hospital over the last seven years, boys accounted for 69 percent.Besides, the incidence of psychological diseases for boys in the 6-11 age group is twice that for girls. Chinese educationist Sun Yunxiao wrote a book namedSaving Boysin 2010, hoping to restore Chinese boys’male hormone.

In my opinion, setting different codes of conduct for boys and girls will help to facilitate the division of labor among men and women and contribute to social progress.

Opponents

Wu Shaoan (www.qianlong.com): The social roles of males and females are decided by the structure of society. In an agricultural society, men are expected to be physically strong because they are major laborers and are responsible for the safety of their families.Meanwhile, women are supposed to be obedient and gentle because they are responsible for housework and needlework.

In modern society, thanks to the protection of laws and regulations, men don’t need to be so physically strong to protect their families. Work for men is no longer limited to farm work. More women now prefer men who are well-educated and considerate. At the same time, women are occupying important positions in all walks of life.Female leaders need to be capable and resolute and thus some women are beginning to act in a manly way.

The change of gender standards comes from the change in the social structure, and it represents the progress of society because things develop toward a direction that meets modern social demands. The method of the middle school in Zhengzhou is doomed to fail, because the school is attempting to reestablish the old standards for personality. It will cut students’ connection with the everchanging society. Those standards are forced on the students and deprive them of their freedom of choice.

Diguo Liangmin (nf.nfdaily.cn):Although today’s young people show a tendency of gender neutralization, most of the children still conform to their gender roles.There seems to be excessive concern over Chinese children’s gender neutralization.After all, it is still the boys who enjoy playing football and basketball. Meanwhile, it is the girls who enjoy dressing up beautifully and putting on make up. Adolescents are fashion followers, and sometimes they might go further in their dress or behavior in order to show their individualism. It’s nothing but a kind of impulse of youth, and it should to make up for the lack of gender education.The concept of “manly” boys and “ladylike”girls put forward by the middle school is not clear enough. Besides, there are various types of people who are seen as “manly” and“ladylike.” We can’t expect all boys and girls behave in accordance with the same standards.

In my opinion, being “manly” or “ladylike” is a personal characteristic. “Manly”boys and “ladylike” girls are not necessarily the best boys or best girls. Why can’t a girl be manly and become a policewoman? Why can’t a boy go shopping together with a girl or be a waiter? If some standards must be set up for students, these norms should not treat boys and girls differently. All boys and girls should be encouraged to have good manners never be exaggerated.

Jin Xuesi (www.tianjinwe.com): I am worried that the standards set by the middle school in Zhengzhou might hurt those boy students who are not seen as “manly” enough and girl students who are not seen as “ladylike.” According to the standards, students who have good academic performance or who are good looking are more likely to be selected as models. The selection may be transformed into another talent-show. When the 44 role model students are labeled as examples for the rest, how many others will feel inferior and humiliated?

Dong Hongda (www.nen.com.cn): It is not realistic to set up certain standards in order and lofty ideals. Every student should be respected and given more freedom, so that they can fully tap the potential of their capability and fully show their individualism.If codes of conduct are set up for boys and girls differently, students’ personality development will unfortunately be restricted.

Correction:Beijing Reviewapologizes for errors made in issue No.11, 2012. On page 13, in the graphic“Employment,” the color of the column with “4.1%”should be red and the color of the column with “9”should be green. On page 16, the last paragraph should be the last paragraph under the sub-headline“Improving livelihood” on page 17.