According to the state-run Global Times, China’s education ministry has requested a probe into children’s textbooks due to a controversy featuring ‘ugly and pornographic’ drawings. The uproar began when Chinese internet users claimed that the images had sexual overtones and had not been adequately evaluated.
https://twitter.com/jianghumountain/status/1530578050898747392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1530578050898747392%7Ctwgr%5E%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wionews.com%2Fworld%2Fcrooked-mouth-squinting-eyes-chinese-netizens-slam-childrens-textbooks-over-ugly-illustration-483572
Netizens’ attention was drawn to math textbooks that purportedly depicted youngsters in ‘weird stances’ such as ‘crooked lips, tongue hanging out, and squinting eyes,’ according to a Chinese tabloid. The illustrators were immediately slammed by the internet community. The ministry stated that the people’s education press must ‘rectify and reform,’ as publishers apologized and requested the recall of all textbooks.
losing it at these illustrations from a Chinese elementary school textbook https://t.co/XSYwIWPXqk pic.twitter.com/4q1VFLRQsV
— Helen Davidson (@heldavidson) May 30, 2022
However, the issue persisted as Chinese netizens complained that photos allegedly showed boys not wearing pants and ‘explicitly depicted male reproductive organ’ as they questioned the illustrator’s motive as the hashtag ‘math textbook from People’s Education Press’ began trending on China’s Twitter-like social networking site Sina Weibo.
In recent years, the illustrations in Chinese elementary school textbooks are very ugly and have no artistic sense. The Chinese suspect it was caused by enemy spies. The government has begun to pay attention to the matter. pic.twitter.com/nDG8yMQFND
— ?? (@Aaron9999_) May 29, 2022
As per Chinese online users, the images were ‘irresponsible’ and corrupted the ‘aesthetic sense of young kids.’ The contentious textbooks were authorized in 2012 and 2013. As shown in the Global Times, a Chinese food company was chastised last year for using a model with slanted eyes, which reportedly ‘smeared’ the image of Chinese women.
Post Your Comments