Beware, China Is Drafting A Law To Punish Parents If Their Children Are Naughty Or Commit Crimes

Illustration of Chinese children. (Wikimedia Commons/WabbitWanderer)

JAKARTA - China's parliament will consider a law to punish parents if their children show very bad behavior or commit crimes.

In the draft law for the promotion of family education, guardians will be reprimanded and ordered to undergo a family education development program, if prosecutors find very bad or criminal behavior in children under their care.

"There are many reasons for youth to misbehave, and lack or improper family education is the main cause," said Zang Tiewei, spokesman for the Legislative Affairs Commission under the National People's Congress (NPC), citing Reuters Oct. 18.

The bill to promote family education, which will be discussed at a session of the NPC Standing Committee this week, also urges parents to arrange time for their children to rest, play and exercise.

Beijing has exercised a firmer 'father's hand' this year, from tackling children's addictions to online games, which are seen as a form of 'spiritual opium', to suppressing the 'blind' worship of internet celebrities.

In recent months, the education ministry has restricted gaming hours for minors, allowing them to play online games for one hour on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only.

It has also reduced homework and banned after-school private tutoring of key subjects during weekends and holidays, concerned about the heavy academic burden on overwhelmed children.

At the same time, China is urging young Chinese men to be less 'feminine' and more 'manly'.

In its 'Proposal to Prevent the Feminization of Adolescent Boys' issued in December, the education ministry urged schools to promote on-campus sports such as football.