Rock climbing and nunchucks — once considered high-risk activities by schools — have now become special school courses. On December 4, news from the Beijing Chaoyang District Education Commission revealed that Chaoyang Experimental Primary School, aiming to nurture "real men" with a masculine spirit from an early age, has specially added seven "manliness" courses for boys, including soccer and rock climbing. (Xinhua News Agency, December 5)
It must be admitted that little boys these days are increasingly lacking in manliness, and the phenomenon is even more pronounced in cities, economically developed areas, or wealthy families. At the same time, we should also note that many girls are more "timid" than boys, crying over minor grievances, having poor resilience to setbacks; they are overly dependent, weak in self-awareness, and panic at the slightest problem; they also have poor physical health, dislike labor and exercise, and get out of breath after just a little activity...
Boys should have a boyish demeanor and a masculine spirit from childhood, and girls should also develop good willpower and character. Whether boys or girls, being too "timid" is not only detrimental to their growth but can also lead to many social issues. Therefore, we should offer both boys and girls "manliness classes." Of course, giving girls "manliness classes" is not about turning them into "tomboys." The "manliness classes" for girls and boys should differ and have different emphases — the boys' classes can include more sports, while the girls' classes can focus more on fostering independence.
The core of masculinity and willpower is courage, perseverance, independence, and responsibility. The key to shaping these qualities in children lies in educational methods. A report over twenty years ago about Chinese children losing to Japanese children in a summer camp competition still gives us much food for thought. Why did the Japanese children show greater endurance and willpower back then? According to reports, in countries like Japan and South Korea, schools often organize hardship education for elementary students — for example, making children train shirtless in the snow or organizing wilderness survival training — using challenges and tests to forge strong willpower and masculinity in children. What our kindergartens and primary schools lack is this model of hardship-based education, and we urgently need to make up for this shortcoming.
Family education is also very important in cultivating children's willpower. Especially for many only children from "well-off" families, family education tends to be one of domestication — giving children whatever they want, indulging them in everything, handling everything for them, and solely demanding obedience and conformity while not allowing them to take any risks. Under such an educational model, children’s courage and natural instincts are inevitably restrained, and their sense of autonomy, responsibility, and endurance are weakened. I once read a report about an American mother who took her young son on a roller coaster. Before getting on, the boy was scared of the ride, but despite his crying, the mother insisted on taking him on it. This American mother was deliberately building her son’s courage. We should learn from this American mother too — encouraging children to take on appropriate risks and handle things independently. In this way, both boys and girls will benefit from character-building experiences. (Li Yingfeng, Luan County, Hebei)