In the midst of China’s economic downturn, the education sector, which is considered the foundation of the country, is also facing numerous problems. Former high school teacher Wang Mengmeng, who left due to the oppressive Communist education system, believes that ideological and political education is a tool for brainwashing and persecution. She considers herself a victim despite being a teacher. The rate of depression among high school students has exceeded 40%.
June is the season for China’s college entrance examination (Gaokao), with the exam grading currently underway. Traditionally, most provinces will open the Gaokao score inquiry system from June 23rd to 25th. High school education is part of basic education, which includes early childhood education, primary education, and secondary education (junior and senior high school).
Minister of Education of the Chinese Communist government, Huai Jinpeng, claimed in a press conference on September 26, 2024, that China’s basic education has reached the average level of high-income countries worldwide, and its educational capacity and quality are comparable to the world.
Is the quality of China’s basic education truly “comparable to the world”? Former Chinese high school teacher Wang Mengmeng, through her own experiences and insights, explains how the Communist education system stifles human nature, making both herself and her students victims.
Wang Mengmeng, originally from Suizhou City, Anhui Province, worked as a language teacher and class teacher at a public key high school for 3.5 years after graduating from university. She left China with a tourist visa on November 23, 2024, and is currently seeking asylum in the United States. In a recent interview with Epoch Times, she shared her struggles as a person with critical thinking and judgment under the Communist education system, leading to severe depression and somatization. Somatization refers to the manifestation of internal pain and conflict in physical symptoms when experiencing psychological distress or emotional stress.
According to Wang Mengmeng, people cultivated under the Communist education system are “devoid of independent thinking, objectified, assimilated, persecuted, unequal.” Such individuals cannot possibly contribute to the world’s technological and other developments like those educated under the equal educational principles of the United States and European countries. Wang Mengmeng believes this is fundamentally tied to beliefs.
Upon arriving in the United States last year, Wang Mengmeng observed the American education system. She realized that before teaching students to strive for excellence, they must first learn to be human.
Wang Mengmeng stated, “The Communist (educational) system oppresses people. It cannot truly provide students with freedom. It is a binary opposition ideology—telling you that the only path is through the college entrance exam, and only by studying well can one become successful.”
Although both teachers and students invest significant time and effort, the meaning of such education is questioned. Wang Mengmeng and her students are pondering over this issue.
Wang Mengmeng mentioned a student who questioned the meaninglessness of the current educational system. Despite working hard to get into college, the student questioned what would happen even if he succeeded. He pointed out the high unemployment rates and uncertainties in the future.
However, “Because I do not know what the meaning of life is, I am even unsure if the content I teach and the ideologies conveyed are real.”
Wang Mengmeng reveals that the Communist ideology courses are pervasive. Although it is a compulsory subject for first-year high school students, the changes in ideology, both in teachers and students, are constant.
High school seniors face the pressure of the college entrance exam, but Wang Mengmeng indicates that brainwashing is more intense. The latest edition of the textbooks extensively features articles by Marx, Lenin, and Mao Zedong, all of which are mandatory content. Even in writing essays, students must align with the political ideologies presented.
When students write essays, they are taught to follow a formulaic writing style. Just like the formula, you must instruct them on what to write first, then proceed to the next point. The final paragraph always emphasizes loyalty to the Communist Party and Xi Jinping’s ideologies for the new era.
“As a class teacher, we hold meetings weekly. Leaders brainwash us, and we, in turn, brainwash the students, instilling beliefs in the importance of the Communist Party, the country, and the Party. Therefore, I believe that ideological and political education is not just a subject but a means of infiltration, brainwashing, and persecution.”
The Communist Party journal “Qiushi” published a speech by party leader Xi Jinping on September 9 during the national education conference, emphasizing the comprehensive strengthening of “ideological and political education in schools” and the cultivation of “time-honored followers of the Party”. The Ministry of Education of the Chinese Communist government published an article on May 29 entitled “Guiding the Construction of an Educational Powerhouse Marches Forward,” highlighting Xi Jinping’s emphasis on the political nature of education.
Wang Mengmeng believes that under the Communist education system, both teachers and students are victims. She bluntly states, “Living under that (Communist) educational environment, I wanted to jump out of the building every day; I really felt like dying.”
She explains, “Even though I am aware of the cruel and despicable acts of the Communist Party, I am still forced to praise the CCP during essay writing classes and teach students to resent Japan and the United States. I spoke words against my conscience to brainwash students daily.”
“The reason I left the country is mainly due to the unbearable educational environment in China. I consider myself a victim, including my severe depression and physical symptoms, because I genuinely cannot accept speaking words against my conscience to brainwash students every day.”
“You know, we have classes every day, with six out of seven days a week spent teaching. Sometimes, a single language class has two sessions. It’s all-encompassing, no matter what topic you talk about, and essay questions hold a significant weight of 60 points on the exam paper. So when teaching essay writing, especially as a class teacher, you must tell them that without the Communist Party, there would be no new China.”
“Every time I speak to students, I feel like I’m deceiving myself, and it causes me great distress. But I have no choice; I have to do it because they need to pass exams, and leaders require us to do so.”
Wang Mengmeng struggled with depression herself, and she noticed students facing the same issues. Depressed students lack the willingness to attend classes, but parents insist as they believe education is the only way to succeed.
She believes, “This is also a way of the Communist Party persecuting the people, brainwashing citizens into thinking that without high exam scores, life is over. Consequently, students adamantly refuse to attend classes and immediately sleep when in the classroom.”
Wang Mengmeng also shared the story of a Chinese language teacher who was transferred to the school newspaper as an editor after discussing the June Fourth Incident and Tiananmen Square with students, resulting in a demotion.
The high prevalence of depression among students in China is a fact. Data from the 2022 National Depression Blue Book shows that there are over 95 million people suffering from depression in China, with 50% being students. Among individuals under 18, the proportion of depression patients is as high as 30%.
The 2023 report on mental health in China reveals that the rate of depression detection among high school students has exceeded 40%, with even middle school students reaching over 30%. Furthermore, the depression detection rate among primary school students has crossed 10%. According to data from Mental Health America, the percentage of American teenagers aged 12 to 17 with depression is 15%.