June 1 - Children's Day in China - is an important day for the Chinese 21st Century Education Research Institute, which focuses on education and children's upbringing and development. This year, the institute conducted an online seminar focusing on a revised law on the protection of minors, which came into force on 1 June this year. Among other things, the law protects the movements of minors in a world where the Internet plays an increasing role. Online addiction and online crime are a growing problem in China, where 20 percent of China's nearly 1 billion Internet users are in primary school or even younger.

Among the speakers were Xiong Bingqi, head of the 21st Century Education Research Institute, Su Wenying, UNICEF Representative in China, and Professor Yang Dongping, who is also the institute's chairman and member of the National Education Advisory Committee. The latter gave a presentation entitled "Treat our children kindly, their name is the future”.

Equal conditions for children in the country side and in the city

Yang Dongping works to create equality in education and narrow the huge gap that exists for rural children and urban children. On his Wechat channel, he stresses the importance of creating a child-friendly society that puts children at the center, whether it regards new constructions, basic human rights or the right to a good life with participation in cultural and social activities.

Child-friendly society depends on good schools

Child-friendly communities depend on child-friendly cities, which, according to Yang Dongping, require schools and education that not only focus on tests, exams and homework, but prioritize holistic education, the ‘school of life’, which creates whole people and ensures children get adequate rest and sleep. Establishing child-friendly communities and schools is a process created in harmony with communities, families, children and schools. Teaching should include various forms of social formation, including visits to e.g. art galleries, museums and concerts, so that learning becomes a process that takes place continuously and in all contexts.

At Nordfyns Højskole in 2019

Yang Dongping is respected and known for his thoughts on new ways of thinking schools and education in China. Almost every week, he broadcasts videos in which he puts current educational topics and school policy topics on the agenda. We were thus very grateful that Yang Dongping participated as one of the six Chinese participants in our online seminar in "Chinese Denmark Education Forum" in the autumn of 2020. Yang Dongping has also participated in a two-week course at Nordfyns Højskole in the autumn of 2019, where he was particularly interested in the traditions of Danish independent school, efterskole* and folk high school.

*efterskole is a unique Danish independent residential school for students between 14 and 18 years old.