Teach kids values of life

Teachers and parents should inculcate the right values among young people, because the true meaning of life is in the struggle to achieve one's dreams and having the pleasure of ultimately realizing them, instead of seeking pleasure in material wealth, says an article on guancha.youth.cn. Excerpts:

A female college student in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, has said that she hopes to meet her "Mr Right" soon. She met a rich businessman through an online forum who claimed to be in his 30s but turned out to be more than 50 years old and jobless. The female student succeeded in escaping from the man on their first date and called the police.

If she had met a rich young man, instead, she might not have called the police. It is this belief that has prompted some people to believe that young women can trade their body for money and good looks. Today, relationships, in most cases, are not for love but for wealth, and a marriage in quite a few cases is a compromise for money and comfort.

What is worrisome is that some young women do not think such a trade is immoral, and far from being ashamed of getting into such a relationship they feel proud of their "achievements". Worse, some parents seem to support their daughters in their pursuit of wealth and comfort, saying that as college students they are already adults and have the freedom and right to live the life they want to.

In many cases, the education female students get from their parents and schools is the basis of the problem. The education teachers impart to students focuses on examinations, and many parents emphasize the importance of material comforts in life. This has created a moral vacuum among many students, making them vulnerable to ill influence.

Perhaps the lack of strong role models is to blame for the low sense of social responsibility among today's youths. Civic and moral education is quite weak in China. The government's publicity campaigns to spread moral and ethical education cannot offset the lack of civic education in schools and homes.

Parents and teachers, therefore, should take measures to ensure that children develop the right values in and outlook on life.