Is badminton a key to combating premarital sex? In any case, this is what educational material published the week of August 19 by the Hong Kong Education Bureau (EDB) states. Among the measures outlined in this 70-page document which was given to all children aged 12 to 14, we find a passage inviting a boy and a girl studying in the same class to “go out and play badminton together in a gym” if they are turned on by each other, reports The Telegraph.
Protective measures
These recommendations are found in the module entitled “Adolescents and intimate relationships” of the guide, specifies the BBC. It is intended for students in the third year of secondary education. It aims to invite adolescents to “control their sexual desires” with the aim of promoting “correct” societal values. The document thus describes sexual relations before marriage as “deviant”. “We want to protect adolescents,” explained Secretary of State for Education Christine Choi.
Other advice given included “leaving the area immediately” and enjoying “the view of flowers and trees in a park” when a young couple sees another couple taking part in intimate activities. Students are also encouraged to avoid wearing “sexy clothing” if it causes “visual stimulation”. Beyond that, young people also received a “commitment form” in which they must promise to develop “self-discipline, self-control and resistance to pornography”.
Disconnection and archaism
So many elements which were mocked, in particular the passage on badminton. “Everyone makes an appointment to play badminton. Does everyone really like badminton? “, for example, quipped Olympic player Tse Ying Suet on Threads. Other players, more bothered by this association, also clarified that this sport paradoxically gave rise to numerous encounters.
In statements mixing criticism and mockery, several local legislators denounced suggestions “disconnected” from reality. “Do we want to regress and allow such outdated thinking to resurface,” said lawmaker Gary Zhang. “How can they reserve a court at such short notice to play badminton? », Added with humor legislator Doreen Kong. An offbeat document, but which suggests that students are deprived of real sex education in the country, to the regret of certain parents heard by our colleagues.
