Refer China: China NPC Deputy Urges Professional Sex Ed Teachers at 'Two Sessions'

An NPC deputy proposes integrating comprehensive sex education into China's national curriculum from kindergarten, citing a shortage of professional teachers. The call follows data showing 82.74% of child sexual assault cases involve acquaintances, urging training programs and university minors to ensure quality instruction.

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China

Sex Education

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A deputy to the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) has called for comprehensive sex education to be made a formal part of China's national curriculum, with mandatory classes starting as early as kindergarten. The proposal was put forward on Wednesday on the sidelines of this year's "two sessions," as learned by the Global Times.

Chen Wei, a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress and assistant to the head of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University Photo: screenshot

Chen Wei, the NPC deputy and assistant to the head of the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, told the Global Times that sex education in China still lags far behind international norms. She emphasized the urgency of strengthening such education amid frequent reports of campus sexual assault and unintended teenage pregnancies.

According to statistics from the Girls' Protection public welfare team, an analysis of 205 publicly reported child sexual assault cases in 2024 reveals the severity and complexity of crimes against minors, southcn.com reported. The data shows that more than 690 children became victims, with girls accounting for over 90 percent of the total. Notably, 82.74 percent of the crimes were committed by acquaintances, and schools and online spaces have become high-incidence scenarios for such offenses.

"Last year I proposed that we are lacking locally developed sex education textbooks in China. As you can see, new textbooks have now been introduced, but we still have a shortage of professional teachers," Chen said. This year, her focus is on calling for the establishment of a dedicated program to train sex education teachers, stressing that "without professional teachers, the lessons never really begin."

At the basic education level, there are no full-time positions specifically for sexuality education teachers. Instead, classes are usually taught by teachers from other subjects — such as biology or moral education — on a temporary basis. Many of these teachers lack professional training, making it difficult to ensure the continuity and quality of sex education instruction, Chen explained.

Most of these part-time teachers have not received systematic academic training in sex education, leading to an uneven grasp of the subject. Additionally, sex education remains marginalized in the school curriculum. Due to the shortage of professional teachers, lessons rarely go beyond basic physiological knowledge, failing to meet the real developmental needs of children and adolescents, Chen noted.

Chen cited a UNESCO report titled International Technical Guidance on Sexuality Education: An Evidence-Informed Approach, which provides sound technical advice on the characteristics of effective comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) programs. The report requires teachers to transform from "knowledge lecturers to enablers," she added.

In detail, the NPC deputy put forward a series of specific recommendations. She suggested incorporating comprehensive sex education into the national basic education curriculum system, issuing guidelines for sex education curricula in primary and secondary schools, clarifying its positioning as part of quality-oriented education, and establishing a progressive framework for class hours and teaching content from kindergarten through high school. The curriculum, she emphasized, should cover comprehensive topics including relationships, gender equality, and rights protection.

At the university level, Chen called on institutions with adequate resources to offer minors or micro-programs in sex education to build a reserve of professional teachers. She also proposed establishing comprehensive sex education as a required or core elective course in relevant majors such as preschool education, primary education, and psychology.

Furthermore, the deputy mentioned the need to establish training systems and national certification pathways — including theoretical study, practical teaching, and supervisory evaluation — to effectively train sex education teachers and ensure their professional competence.

It is worth noting that China has already taken initial steps to promote sex education. In 2021, the State Council issued the Outline for the Development of Chinese Children (2021-2030), which stipulates that sex education will be incorporated into the basic education system and the quality monitoring system to enhance educational effectiveness. The outline also guides parents or other guardians to provide sex education based on the child's age and developmental stage, strengthen education on preventing sexual abuse, and improve children's awareness and capacity for self-protection.