Pre-school shut down for using Christian textbooks
A kindergarten in Liuzhou, South China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region has been shut down by local authorities for using illegal Christian textbooks.
The Woodland Kindergarten was shut down on Friday and was fined 800,000 yuan ($128,880) for continuing to enroll students after its license had been revoked, Qin Yongpei, lawyer for the kindergarten, told the Global Times on Sunday.
The kindergarten was accused by the Yufeng district education bureau in Liuzhou in March of using illegal Christian books and forcing them to profess religious faith in March. The kindergarten was first asked to close in September 2014.
An announcement issued by the bureau on Friday said that the school had been poorly managed since the legal representative and principal were accused of using those illegal textbooks.
The kindergarten has been using the unregistered religious textbooks despite periodic government checks, while its website said the school was devoted to "promoting Christian education to help students know God," read the announcement.
According to Chinese Constitution, it is illegal to use religion in China's education system, including using religion textbooks, forcing or coercing students to convert to a religion or organizing religious activities.
A document Qin showed from the local religious affairs bureau said the kindergarten violated the use of Christian content 47 times.
Several policemen entered the kindergarten while 96 students were having breakfast, Qin said, adding that the students were looking forward to a graduation ceremony on July 22.
In March, the school said in a statement that it was committed to its students' development, and the bureau has no evidence to support its accusation. And it claimed the so-called "texts" are "morality textbooks."
The kindergarten appealed to the education bureau in Liuzhou to review the Yufeng district's decision, but this was rejected in April. The school has appealed to the high court of Guangxi, Qin said.
