Academic Meeting Kicks off in Beijing to Promote Family Education

An academic annual meeting kicked off in Beijing on November 27 to review the progress made in family education since the reform and opening-up policy was introduced 40 years ago.

The event, centered on theoretical innovation and the practical development of China's family education system since reform and opening-up, was hosted by China Family Education Institute and co-organized by China National Children's Center.

Participants at the event discussed the important role and basic function of family education in cultivating and observing core socialist values, fostering virtues through education and cultivating talents for the new era.

Unique Role 

Lu Shizhen, a professor from China Youth University of Political Studies, delivered a special academic report at the event.

Lu said teenagers and children are the new generation responsible for national rejuvenation. Meanwhile, family education plays an important role in encouraging them to achieve their value.

Lu pointed out four aspects that are important for family construction in the new era.

First, children should be instructed to love their families as well as their nation. Families are the harbors of family members and also the foundation of a nation. Integration of love for family and nation should be stressed and private and public morality should be combined in family education.

Second, parents should raise children in a loving environment. Family members should love each other and teach children to express their love to other people.

Third, family members should link themselves closely with the development of the country and the nation and carry forward good Chinese traditional ethics.

Fourth, officials should improve the domestic service system and foster legal construction on the family. 

Lu said the core of family education is guidance on children's ideals, faith, patriotism, moral cultivation, knowledge, insight, striving spirit and comprehensive qualities. All of these focus on the inheritance of good family traditions.

Family traditions influence the behavior of family members, relate to children's development and family harmony, and are an important manifestation of the soft power of the country and society.

Lu said positive family traditions should be passed down on to children, and to do so is to promote a fundamental and life-long form of education.

Zhao Zhongxin, a professor at Beijing Normal University, said school education, family education and social education are the three pillars of national education whilst family education plays a basic role among them.

Lu said it is the parents' responsibility to implement family education and help their children grow up healthily.

First, parents should regularly accompany their children and help them solve problems together.

Second, parents should set reasonable goals for children in accordance with their ability.

Third, parents should set good examples for their children through word and deed, and influence them with traditional Chinese culture and core socialist values.

Fourth, parents should often express their love to every member of the family.

Fifth, parents should respect their children, contribute their efforts to constructing a harmonious atmosphere and cultivate children with good virtues.

Problems 

Zhao put forward several problems that exist in relation to family education in the new era.

First, although the national second-child policy has already been introduced, single-child families still account for a large proportion of those in the country and therefore the public should pay close attention to relevant education.

Second, living in an information age, children can learn about diverse knowledge and are able to form their own outlook. Parents should continuously improve themselves and adjust their relationship with children.

Third, as primary and secondary school students have plenty of leisure time, parents should make appropriate arrangements for children and encourage them to gain more extra-curricular knowledge and develop more specialties so as to promote their all-round development.

Fourth, family instability impedes children's development. If a divorce is inevitable, parents should handle their relationships properly and strive to minimize the impact of a family breakdown on their children.

(Source: China Women's News/Translated and edited by Women of China)