E-Paper
China to warn girls about sugar daddies
Alarmed at the trend of Chinese college girls on the arms of older and married men, schools in south China are rolling out a crash course on how not to be a mistress.
Alarmed at the trend of Chinese college girls on the arms of older and married men, schools in south China are rolling out a crash course on how not to be a mistress.
The pilot project will be started in middle and elementary level schools in southern Guangdong, one of China's wealthiest export centres.
"Girls in Guangdong province will get a crash course on how to resist the sweet talk of sugar daddies when schools start teaching them about self-respect,'' said the China Daily. "The pilot project is aimed at telling girls how to avoid falling into the clutches of older, richer men and stand on their own two feet."
The project may be expanded across the province, said Guangdong's vice-governor Lei Yulan. "The education will focus on self-esteem,'' she said. The project will be included in the region's decadal draft development plan for women and children.
Former principal Miao Meixian was quoted saying that women are becoming mistresses because of deficiencies in the Chinese education system.
"Self-esteem and self-reliance is a precious traditional wealth. Although female education used to be appropriate for adults, it is better to start it at school," sociology professor Xia Xueluan at the Peking University told the paper.
The lessons have sparked controversy, with a section of officials questioning whether the project will do more harm by giving six-year-olds girls new ideas about marrying rich men.
"Wanting to rely on rich men is a complicated social phenomenon caused by various factors and it is improper to attribute it to personal immorality," said anthropologist Li Xia.
