Boys at Beijing Chaoyang Experimental Primary School practice nunchucks. Photo by reporter Cixin
At 9 a.m. on December 11, amid biting cold winds, students were seen playing soccer, basketball, tug-of-war, rock climbing, and even practicing nunchucks on the playground of Beijing Chaoyang Experimental Primary School. These sports activities are part of the school’s "steel-strengthening" programs for boys — Principal Chen Lihua explained that based on her observations in recent years, the lack of masculinity among boys has become a widespread social issue.
"The voices of boys have gotten softer with each new class. They cry at the slightest difficulty, and their words and actions often lack the vitality they should have." This is a shared sentiment between Chen Lihua and many other teachers. "Boys should give off an energetic, masculine vibe, speaking and acting with vigor. But nowadays, many boys are as delicate as girls." Chen Lihua stated, "The reasons behind this abnormal phenomenon are multifaceted, but one prominent issue is the one-child policy. With only one child, there's a lack of gender-defined environment during their growth at home. Additionally, many families overly dote on and shelter their children. Especially now that living conditions have improved, parents naturally want their children to live happier lives. The problem is, most parents believe that providing sufficient material security and shielding their kids from hardship equates to happiness."
Besides family factors, another key reason is that school physical education has been forced by the realities of the environment to trend toward being more 'gentle.' The disappearance of long-distance running events from most school sports meets is a typical example. Wang Zongping, director of the Physical Education Department at Nanjing University of Science and Technology, said, "Over the past 20 years, in order to reduce safety risks, the intensity of PE classes in schools across China has continually diminished. It has become common for PE classes to become increasingly 'gentle,' and many schools don’t even offer any competitive sports at all."
In 2007, Nanjing University of Science and Technology mandated a 2,000-meter run as a basic required activity in PE classes and conducted a school-wide test. During the first test, one-third of the students experienced discomfort such as vomiting and fainting. Many students posted online criticizing the school, which faced tremendous pressure as a result. In reality, Beijing Chaoyang Experimental Primary School also encountered difficulties when it began introducing "steel-strengthening" courses for boys this September. Chen Lihua told reporters, "There were many concerns and a lot of pressure, especially over the risk of student injury."
"Once an accident happens involving a student’s safety, the school often finds itself in a very helpless position," Chen Lihua said. "Nowadays, almost every family has only one child. When a child gets hurt, the family is naturally heartbroken — the school understands that. But resolving disputes between families and schools over such issues requires education authorities to improve relevant policies, and may even need the nation to address it through legislation." Currently, whenever a student has an accident at school, parents tend to hold the school responsible, and public opinion often sides with the parents. As a result, schools can only offer low-intensity, non-competitive sports. After research, Wang Zongping found that "sports activities that pose no physical risk, or even any mental stimulation, have become the mainstream in PE teaching."
In the process of growing up, psychological qualities like stress-resistance and resilience to setbacks, as well as the spirit of daring to challenge and strive forward, are cultivated through facing high pressure, failure, and difficulty. "It’s undeniable that the heavy academic workload can also help develop students’ mental fortitude, and critical education can promote psychological maturity. But these methods make it hard to find the right balance," Wang Zongping said. "Sports, however, allow students to experience failure within a manageable competitive and confrontational environment. They help temper students' willpower, teach them to deal with setbacks, and foster a spirit of striving. Sports are the best way to expose students to small challenges and frustrations, allowing them to overcome them and benefit from the process — something other educational methods struggle to achieve."
The recently concluded Third Plenum of the 18th CPC Central Committee put forward a requirement for school PE classes: "Strengthen PE lessons and extracurricular exercise to promote the physical and mental health and strong physiques of adolescents." "The word 'strengthen' points to the reform direction for PE classes," Wang Zongping said. "It’s not enough for students to have just one hour of physical activity per day; the intensity and quality also matter."
This consensus led Chen Lihua to ultimately decide to implement "steel-strengthening" courses tailored for boys in the school. More confrontational sports such as rugby and wrestling are also being planned. "For the sake of the children and the development of society as a whole, children, families, and schools need to properly face a certain level of risk. If we don’t take on these risks today, the future of our children, families, and even the nation could suffer greater losses."
Chen Lihua is comforted by the fact that many parents have expressed support after understanding the significance of the boys' "steel-strengthening" courses. "Actually, we’re not putting children in danger, but rather teaching them how to face challenges and hardships. For instance, when learning rollerblading, the first thing is to teach them how to fall and protect themselves. We hope to convey this message to parents and society: the cultivation of boys' masculinity and resilience to setbacks deserves sufficient attention."
In recent years, the popularization of the term "pretty boy" has led some boys to take pride in being "pretty," but once "prettiness" becomes mainstream, the overall masculinity of society weakens as well. "When hiring male teachers, many young men have good academic credentials, height, and appearance, but something feels missing — what’s lacking is the masculinity of a real man. That’s why we hope that by redesigning the school’s PE curriculum, boys can face the social responsibilities they will shoulder with stronger bodies and more vibrant spirits."