On January 11, a lavish group wedding was held in a kindergarten in central China's Henan Province. Surprisingly, the brides and bridegrooms participating in the ceremony were not teachers, but more than 100 preschoolers. Dressed-up boys and girls walked down a red carpet to the Wedding March and said their vows. Their parents were also present to witness the "wedding."

According to the kindergarten director, surnamed Li, this was not the first time the kindergarten organized such a ceremony, but this was the largest in terms of scale. Children who were "married" in previous "weddings" have tended to be more responsible and confident, and get along better with their peers, Li said.

Public opinion is divided. Some agree with Li, saying that participating in a "wedding" is a good way for children to gain a sense of responsibility toward family and to learn what marriage is all about. Supporters also add that such an event is also a good way to introduce sex education. However, those who object the practice doubt the supposed positive effects of mock weddings, maintaining that they only serve to ruin children's naivety and innocence. They say weddings are for adults only.

Pro

Tian Shuiyuan

Teacher

I think this kindergarten's mock group wedding should be seen in a positive light. 

As a matter of fact, children in kindergarten already know something about love and marriage from what they see on TV, and puppy love is not uncommon among kindergartners. However, young children's knowledge of love and infatuation is shallow and childish. If they are not carefully guided by their parents and teachers while they are small, children will grow to have a twisted understanding of marriage. This mass "wedding" is actually a role-playing game that lets children experience what it's like to get married, and helps foster the participants' understanding of love and marriage.

Worries about the consequences of such a game are unnecessary. Although I do not know any adults who participated in a mock wedding as children, we engaged in other forms of role-playing and games that benefited our growth. So as parents, we don't have to make a fuss about this, but should stand by and watch our children have a chance to explore and write their own fairytales as they grow.

Con

Liang Jie

China Education Daily

While role-playing helps develop a child's intelligence and ability to maintain sound interpersonal relations, I don't think this mock wedding has many positive effects. I see no evidence that it fosters a sense of responsibility toward family or provides a healthy concept of marriage. No scientific research has proved that a game like this one is a good way to introduce sex education.

Pre-school children are curious about marriage and adult life. Some may tell parents that they like someone and want to marry them, but they do not actually understand what love, marriage, responsibility and commitment truly mean. It is much better for parents to explain such things directly when bring children up. Holding a wedding will only further confuse children.

The mock group wedding is only a ceremony, with dressing up and decorations. It does not automatically teach children about love, marriage, and responsibility. Also, the rigid and adult-like format used by the school does not let children use their imaginations.

Pro

Xie Weifeng

Rednet.cn

I think it is an inspired choice to educate children by holding a mock wedding.

Taking part in a wedding teaches children to be loyal and responsible family members, and gives them a healthy concept of marriage. It also teaches children about gender roles. For example, it teaches them that boys will grow up to be fathers and that girls will become mothers.

Some worry that these weddings teach kids about sex too early, destroying their naivety and innocence. But in fact, sex education in China is lagging behind the rest of the world. For example, sex education has been a compulsory class in all UK elementary and secondary schools since 2011. Children over the age of five are taught about sex, and this has resulted in a dramatic decrease in teenage pregnancies. 

However, sex education in China has always been dealt with awkwardly. While children are instinctively curious about sex, their teachers and parents regard it as taboo. Unfortunately, a lack of sex education breeds problems, including a higher number of abortions among teenage girls.

From news reports we know that the kindergarten's children, parents and teachers all enjoyed the ceremony. It was not a meaningless show, but an educational event.