BEIJING • China's Parliament will consider legislation to punish parents if their young children exhibit "very bad behaviour" or commit crimes.

In a draft of the family education promotion law, guardians will be reprimanded and ordered to go through family education guidance programmes if prosecutors find very bad or criminal behaviour in kids under their care.

"There are many reasons for adolescents to misbehave, and the lack of or inappropriate family education is the major cause," said Mr Zang Tiewei, spokesman for the Legislative Affairs Commission under the National People's Congress (NPC), yesterday.

The draft family education promotion law, which will be reviewed at the NPC Standing Committee session this week, urges parents to arrange time for their children to rest, play and exercise.

Beijing has shown a more assertive paternal hand this year - from tackling the addiction of youth to online games, deemed a form of "spiritual opium", to clamping down on "blind" worship of Internet celebrities.

In recent months, the education ministry has limited online gaming hours for minors, allowing them to play for one hour on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays only.

It has also cut back on homework and banned after-school tutoring for major subjects during the weekend and holidays, concerned about the heavy academic burden on overwhelmed children.

At the same time, China is urging young Chinese men to be less "feminine" and more "manly".

In its "Proposal to Prevent the Feminisation of Male Adolescents" issued in December, the education ministry urged schools to promote on-campus sports such as football.

REUTERS