The Chinese government is forcing the country’s principles on to children right from their early childhood and is using WeChat to reinforce it.
Ever since being appointed the Premier of China, Xi Jinping has made it a point to ensure that “patriotism” and the “red gene” are instilled in students to “pass down the revolutionary cause from generation to generation.”
The Chinese President has, over time, found several ways to instill a sense of patriotism and unwavering belief in The Chinese Communist Party.
What we have now is a primary school in the northeastern province of Heilongjiang, attending its first-ever patriotic education class for the new academic year.
“Let’s hold high the flag of Young Pioneers, follow the Party, and prepare ourselves to fight for the Communist cause at all times,” read a slogan written on the school blackboard, Bitter Winter stated. “Obey the Party’s commands, serve the people, be bold and ready to fight,” reads another slogan.
On the day the patriotic classes began, parents received orders from the school asking them to ensure that their children watched the “First Class of the Semester” program at 8pm.
The program shows China in a positive light and sings the CCP’s praise by discussing the party’s “achievements” when it comes to beating the COVID-19 pandemic. It has been jointly produced by the Ministry of Education and China Central Television.
The CCP ensured that children definitely saw the video by making their parents capture photos of their kids watching the show at 8pm on the day.
These pictures had to be posted on the school’s WeChat group to prove that they had actually taken the “education” and to spread the message so others could see it. Furthermore, parents were also asked to make their children take notes on what they learnt from the program.
“Most of them expressed gratitude to the country and pledged to serve it and said that China would only be strong if its youth are strong,” said a parent.
A primary school in the eastern province of Shandong took a slightly different and tough approach. The students starting the new academic year were asked to memorize 12 core socialist values. While such material is not easy to understand for children, parents helped their offspring learn about the values and memorize them.
Not only did parents believe that their children are being indoctrinated, but also expressed that their children were crying out of frustration while they memorized the said socialist values.
“Cultivation of red successor should start at a young age. It’s difficult to transform youngsters at 17 and 18. They all have their own thoughts then. Children are so naïve, with no thought of their own; that is why they should be taught to love the Party and defend the country. If they are educated this way, they will be able to serve the country when they grow up,” a city government representative said.
