China plans law to punish parents for Children's 'bad behaviour & delinquency'

In a key development, China's Parliament has announced considering legislation to account parents and punish them if their young children showcase 'very bad behaviour', commit crimes, or indulge in delinquency.

The upcoming statutory provisions will require guardians and parents to undergo programmes if their ward commits an offence. Arranging schedules for the children to rest, play and exercise have also been incorporated in the proposed regulations before the National People's Congress (NPC). 

China will punish parents if their children commit crimes 

Notably, the Xi Jinping-led administration has further scrapped homework and prohibited tuitions for children after school. In the draft of the family education promotion law, guardians are further required to undergo family education programmes and guidance courses if the child's behaviour reflects criminal behaviour.

The spokesperson of the Legislative Affairs Commission under the aegis of NPC, Zang Tiewei, said, "There are many reasons for adolescents to misbehave, and the lack of or inappropriate family education is the major cause."

'Family education promotion' bill in China's National People's Congress

The NPC Standing Committee is expected to review the family education promotion law draft by October 24. This is the latest addition to Beijing's assertion for a more paternal hand this year. Previously, Beijing had imposed an absolute ban on online games to tame the youngsters and the Education Ministry has limited the gaming hours allowed to minors. The minors are now allowed to play online games for an hour each on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. 

Further, the administration, concerned about academic pressure on pupils, has allowed school children to avail themselves after-school tutoring for major subjects, restricted to weekends and holidays. 

According to a survey conducted in China in 2016, nearly 75% of Chinese students availed themselves after-school tutoring. Also, the Chinese Society of Education stated that the average annual cost of tutoring for a student in China is more than $2,440, which is way more than the monthly income of most servicemen. Few families also spend as much as $46,000 for the purpose. 

While it may seem that the Chinese Communist Party's vision is to maintain and control the system and generations at the grass-root level, it may be recalled that CCP supremo Xi Jinping, besides scrapping tutoring entities, has introduced a subject on his ideology, across primary schools, called the 'Xi Jinping Thought'.