A minibus that should seat only nine people was crammed with 64, all but two of them children. On its way to a kindergarten, the minibus collided with a coal truck and, as a result, 21 people were killed and the others injured. This tragic accident that happened last month in Zhengning county, Gansu, sparked a nationwide debate on the safety of school buses in China.
It is hard to imagine how more than 60 children could be squeezed into such a small van. But those of us who were shocked by this 'feat' should also remember that, in many remote villages, having a bus to squeeze into is considered fortunate. Only the better-off families can afford school transport for their children. The contrast between the profligacy of corrupt government and the dire poverty of rural education could not be greater.
A look at school buses in developed countries shows that people in the West love their children more than we do. According to reports on the internet and in the press, transport for school children in the West is strictly regulated: the buses are sturdily built and traffic rules are enforced. The system protects children to a degree unimaginable to Chinese people.
Children are the most important part of our society, yet we live in a system that does not support their protection. On the mainland, the most important people are government officials. We remember the deadly fire at a concert hall in Karamay, Xinjiang , in 1994, where children were told to 'sit still to let cadres escape first'. This despicable order was roundly denounced when it came to light, but, even now, officials enjoy far better protection than ordinary children in every way.
At the same time, an elderly person who collapses on the street in today's mainland China can expect no help from passers-by. This indifference has become so widespread that authorities have issued guidelines on giving aid and orders that proclaim 'helping others is not a crime'. But these have not worked; ordinary folk just want to stay out of trouble.
Mencius says we should care for the old and young as if they were our own family. This famous saying is found in our textbooks, and the sentiment it expresses makes us feel proud of our ancestors. It is also trotted out at all kinds of occasions, and a common variation is the saying that 'Respect for the old and love for the young are traditional Chinese values'. It leads to the impression that Chinese people care more for their elderly and children than do people in other cultures.
This is something government propaganda wants us to believe. Officials want to convey the message that China has a unique culture, and Chinese people have values that have stood the test of time and are not easily changed. Thus, following this logic, the old and young in China are said to be protected in a way that those in other societies, especially Western ones, are not; China prizes familial ties, while, in the West, social relations are cold, familial bonds are weak and individual interests dominate.
