Video of little girl reciting Koran prompts Chinese province to order nursery schools to enforce ban on religious activity

A province in northwest China has ordered kindergartens to enforce a ban on religious activity on campus after a video was posted online of a little girl reciting part of the Koran at a nursery school.

The education authority in Gansu criticised the kindergarten in Linxia where the girl read the Islamic religious text, adding that it “strongly condemned the damaging act to the physical and mental health of the younger generation”.

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China’s communist government is atheist, but people are allowed to follow authorised religions under official controls.

The Gansu education authority cited the country’s constitution and education laws, which state that “religious activities shall not get in the way of education”.

“All levels of education authorities must firmly resist any religious activities entering campuses,” one person wrote.

Apart from religious institutions with government approval, schools cannot conduct religious activities or preach religion, the statement said.