China orders more military training for high school students to strengthen “national defense”

The Communist Party of China today ordered military training for high school students to be increased to a minimum of 56 class hours from August 1, 2021, with the goal of “strengthening the building of the national defense reserve force.”

The National Defense Mobilization Department of the Central Military Commission of the People’s Republic of China, and the Ministry of Education released the “Syllabus for Military Training for High School Students,” today, April 13.

The syllabus will be implemented from the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, on August 1, according to the promulgation.

The preface of the syllabus emphasizes that in order to fully implement the party’s educational policy, the syllabus is designed to implement the “fundamental requirements to achieve the goal of strengthening the army, and construction of the national defense force.”

While stipulating a minimum of 56 hours of training, the syllabus actually allows for up to double the amount, requiring at least 12 hours of “basic military knowledge” but allowing 12 “optional” hours, and a required minimum 44 hours of “basic military skills” with an allowed 44 “optional” hours.

The purpose of military training is to raise students’ political consciousness through rigorous military training , inspire patriotic enthusiasm, carry forward the spirit of revolutionary heroism , cultivate hard-working, diligent perseverance and collectivism, enhance the concept of national defense and organizational discipline, and develop discipline of study and life style, and master basic military knowledge and skills, according to Baidu.

According to statistics website Statista.com, there were 24 million students enrolled in high schools in the People’s Republic of China in 2019. That’s more than the 23.57 million total population of Taiwan, which China claims is within its “national defense” zone.

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