Surprising! Chinese School Has Teenagers Carry Baby Dolls to Foster Gratitude and Improve Behavior
A Chinese special education school in Suzhou has sparked debate by requiring troubled teenagers to carry baby dolls for a week to teach gratitude and parental responsibility, with mixed reactions about whether the unusual method genuinely h
Does it actually work? A special education school in China is using baby dolls as a teaching tool for problem students, aiming to cultivate gratitude and help them understand the burden parents face.
A special education school in eastern China has faced heavy criticism after implementing an unusual teaching approach with troubled teenagers, requiring them to carry baby dolls throughout the school day as a lesson in gratitude and understanding of parental responsibility.
The school in question is Yuanzhong Special Education School, located in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. It admits teenagers with aggressive behavior, lack of academic motivation, online gaming addiction, emotional instability, or early romantic relationship problems.
After videos of the program were shared on social media, they showed students carrying dolls on their backs during classes and holding them during lunch breaks, creating a viral trend and sparking widespread online debate.
One teacher posted that all students must "care for their own child" for one week, taking responsibility for feeding, sleeping arrangements, and nighttime needs to understand the true role of parenthood.
In another video, students were shown walking unsteadily while carrying 2.5-kilogram dolls to simulate the experience of teaching a toddler to walk. Some students reported that walking just one kilometer left them exhausted and gave them greater appreciation for parents' struggles.
School Principal Tu explained that the approach is part of teaching gratitude, allowing students to experience childcare responsibilities and understand the hardships of motherhood and families. He confirmed that some parents support the method.
However, online responses are mixed. Some view it as "a way to train patience and responsibility," while others see it as "strange and potentially damaging to children's long-term attitudes, even discouraging some from wanting children of their own."
China's special education and youth behavior correction centers remain controversial regarding control methods and care standards. Many charge steep fees of 8,000-20,000 yuan (approximately 39,000-96,000 baht) monthly and operate under closed, quasi-military management systems, raising questions about China's approach to addressing at-risk youth behavior problems.
