Gender-specific textbook targets primary school boys

The first textbook designed specifically for male pupils in primary schools in China has received positive feedback from parents, students and education professionals.

Earlier this month, the Shanghai Educational Publishing House unveiled the book, entitled Xiaoxiao Nanzihan or Little Man in English, aiming to help male students in the fourth and fifth grades understand sexual physiology, sexual psychology and enhance their self-protection.

The textbook, focusing on the mental health of male pupils, comes as nationwide discussions about what is called the "boys' crisis" are rife. A phenomenon that has long been observed, the boys' crisis refers to the tendency of male students to lack masculinity, and be outperformed and overshadowed by girls at primary and secondary schools.