Anyone who illustrates textbooks in China is taking a big risk. After drawings caused outrage online, the authorities set an example after months of investigation.
27 people, including the editor, have been fined in China for "tragically ugly" illustrations in a math book. After a shitstorm broke out on Chinese social media, the Chinese Ministry of Education launched an investigation.
In some pictures, bulges are indicated in the trousers of the boys depicted. One of the children's clothing is very reminiscent of the superhero costume from Captain America, and another picture shows the "Stars and Stripes" of the US flag on a boy's t-shirt. The Chinese flag, on the other hand, is shown upside down on some drawings. According to the Guardian, the Chinese authorities came to the conclusion that the images did not correspond to the "aesthetic sensibilities of the population" and could also easily give rise to "misinterpretations".
The authorities also consider the behavior shown by some children to be inappropriate. Children can be seen making faces. A boy grabs a girl's skirt. Other drawings show a girl in a rabbit costume and a child with a tattoo-like image on her leg. In addition, many of the children are shown with conspicuously small eyes and are thus modeled on a racist stereotype.
The textbooks were published ten years ago by People's Education Press and have been used in elementary schools nationwide ever since. In May, a teacher uploaded photos of the illustrations to the Chinese social media platform Weibo, sparking a discussion. Many users thought the images were "ugly" and "inappropriate," while others poked fun at the illustrations. Some suspected "Western influence" and a "denigration of China" behind the pictures, reported the news magazine "What's on Weibo".
The Chinese Ministry of Education then initiated investigations. The pictures are "too ugly, wrong and ambiguous", is the result. In addition, the "sunny image of China's children" is not reflected in the images, it said.
According to the Guardian, the education authority had said those responsible for publishing had neglected their "duties and responsibilities". Those affected were removed from their posts or received a reprimand. In China, this can severely damage the reputation within the Communist Party and thus have serious consequences. In addition, the editor-in-chief and the head of the mathematics department of the publishing house have been relieved of their function, the designers and illustrators are no longer commissioned with the design of teaching materials, it said.
News about the consequences were clicked and discussed millions of times on China's social networks. According to What's on Weibo, some users said the punishment didn't go far enough.
