(Shanghai – September 3, 2025) Baoshan District officially launched an “Anti-Cult Propaganda Month” as schools in Shanghai reopened after the summer break. Although framed as part of the “first lesson of the new semester” focused on safety and cautionary education, the campaign has raised concerns among some scholars and parents regarding political indoctrination, ideological influence, and the boundaries of children’s education.
According to official reports, the Anti-Cult Association of Baoshan District, together with the District Education Bureau and various local towns and parks, rolled out coordinated propaganda events across numerous primary and secondary schools. The curriculum included content such as animated short films, collective singing of an “anti-cult clapping song,” knowledge quizzes, and video lectures, all aimed at “sowing the seeds of anti-cult awareness in every student’s heart.”
At the Luojing branch campus, a class for elementary students was led by staff members, during which students sang the clapping song in unison and watched cartoon videos. Officials claimed this strengthened anti-cult awareness “in a light and pleasant atmosphere,” but observers noted that the format was not essentially different from previous “political indoctrination-style education.”
“This kind of collective operation model tends to simplify the concept of ‘cults,’ leading children to view complex religious and social phenomena as a single hostile target,” said one education researcher who wished to stay anonymous.
Nearly 300 eighth-grade students at Yuepu Experimental School participated in an anti-cult themed lecture, where they learned to “identify and prevent cults” through role-play and group discussions. After class, students were guided to give statements of “resolutely resisting cults,” which official reports have praised this initiative as “highly effective.” Yet to some education professionals, this looked more like a political declaration exercise.
At the Baoshan branch campus, over 400 students undergoing military training were brought into a session of combining film and political education. The class drew from the recent hit film The Pig, the Snake and the Pigeon, prompting discussions on “justice and evil.” Officials took the opportunity to explain the harms of cults, attempting to “package” ideological education with pop culture.
“These teaching designs are indeed more ‘modernized,’ but at their core remain one-dimensional narrative transmission,” noted a communications professor from a Shanghai university. “We must ask: when the state labels certain religions or ideas as ‘cults,’ is there still room for tolerance of other perspectives? How capable are children of independently judging these messages?”
Ambiguous Definition, Clear Enemy
In the official context of the Chinese language, the term “Xie Jiao (cult)” encompasses a broad range, and its definition shifts with the political climate. Since the late 1990s crackdown on specific religious groups, “anti-cult” education has been incorporated as a key part of public security and ideological work. According to public documents of the public security department, a “cult” can be defined as “an illegal organization that, under the guise of religion, qigong, or other names, exploits human desires, fabricates superstitious fallacies, and harms society.”
Critics point out that under such vague criteria, any religious belief, spiritual practice, or folk tradition that does not align with mainstream ideology could be branded as a “cult.”
“Planting fear of ‘heresy’ and ‘hostile thought’ in children’s hearts too early may lead to intolerance toward diverse cultures and religions,” a psychologist commented.
The Blurred Line Between Education and Propaganda
State media described Baoshan District’s anti-cult month activities as “closely tied to key moments” with “innovative forms and outstanding effectiveness.” In reality, such activities echo the broader nationwide strengthening of ideological work.
“Of course, we support teaching children to recognize scams and guard against brainwashing, but the question is — does this so-called ‘anti-cult’ education aim to protect, or to control?” asked one anonymous middle school teacher.
The first lesson of a new semester is supposed to mark the starting point of knowledge. Yet when it becomes an extension of political education, the boundaries grow increasingly blurred. Under the guise of anti-cult education, a quiet debate over schooling, belief, and control is now unfolding on campuses.
Reported by Special Correspondent Gao Zhensai for ChinaAid