Shi Libin

Associate Editor in Chief of magazine

The discussion about untrue stories in textbooks mirrors concerns over honesty problems in current society. As core values of our society, honesty and integrity are not empty talking points; everyone is expected to be honest in our daily lives. Textbooks are the most important part of a child’s education, and should be based on facts and real history so that the qualities of honesty and integrity can be upheld.

Children are innocent, like blank sheets of paper. For example, if a child’s parents are indulged in gambling, the likelihood of that child developing that bad habit would be relatively high. What influences will false texts bring to our kids if they are exposed to them for a long time? The damage will definitely be far-reaching. When children grow up and discover that the heroic deeds or intellect of a public figure they learned about were fabricated, they will question the values learnt from them. The authority of our education system will also be compromised. Like counterfeit products, texts that are not fact-based or contain incorrect historical details should be eliminated.