Kneeling graduates spark official reprimand

By Jane Chen | June 9, 2010, Wednesday |

Online Edition

HIGH school students who knelt down at their graduation ceremony to thank their teachers have earned their school a reprimand by Wanzhou District government in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality.

More than 900 graduates at Chunyang School voluntarily knelt before their teachers when hosts asked them to show respect, according to Chongqing Morning Post. The traditional practice of kneeling before superiors in ancient China can also be viewed as humiliating.

Wanzhou District government ordered an investigation into the school and said such actions should be discouraged, today's report said.

The government said schools should teach students to first thank the Party, the country and the people for the education they receive.

The school has admitted it was improper but said students knelt voluntarily, according to official Zhang Hongquan.

Student Chen Junwei told the newspaper that he felt it was a more formal way to express his gratitude to the teachers for their hard work by kneeling down and paying respect.

"I was deeply touched. It is a good result of the instruction to our students to thank other people," Chinese teacher Zhang Jin told the newspaper.

But some parents disagreed.

"It is a good tradition to respect teachers, but not necessarily by kneeling down," a parent surnamed Ran said.

Nation

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Kneeling graduates spark official reprimand

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