BEIJING, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) -- When China's top judge walked into a Beijing classroom for a back-to-school legal lesson earlier this week, he did not begin with legal provisions or courtroom procedures.
Instead, Supreme People's Court (SPC) President Zhang Jun asked teenagers to think about something closer to their daily lives: how to seek respect, recognition, friendship and a sense of belonging without crossing legal and social boundaries.
Drawing on real-life cases involving minors, Zhang discussed behavioral tendencies that can emerge during adolescence, including an excessive concern with "saving face," a desire to attract attention, and blind loyalty to friends.
Zhang said such needs were not inherently problematic, but should be understood, expressed and pursued within the framework of law and rules. He urged students to distinguish right from wrong, think independently, make calm judgments and dare to say no, rather than blindly following friends. He also said violence could not solve problems but would only escalate conflicts, urging students to de-escalate disputes and resolve them through reason.
The lesson was Zhang's ninth at Beijing No. 2 Middle School, where he serves as a "rule-of-law vice principal." Over the years, his lessons have evolved from basic legal awareness and minors' rights to self-protection, different forms of protection for minors, family-school cooperation, online safety, juvenile crime prevention and, most recently, behavioral guidance for teenagers.
Zhang's role at the school is part of a broader effort to bring legal professionals into classrooms. Under a system formalized nationwide in 2022, primary and secondary schools are required to appoint at least one "rule-of-law vice principal," typically a legal professional from a court, procuratorate, public security organ or judicial administrative department. By the end of 2024, nearly 40,000 judges nationwide were serving in the role, according to the SPC.
Judges, prosecutors and other legal professionals serving as "rule-of-law vice principals" have specialized legal knowledge and extensive experience handling cases involving minors, allowing them to make legal education more practical and targeted, said Yuan Ningning, deputy director of the research base for juvenile affairs governance and law at China University of Political Science and Law. They can also provide professional advice on school governance and help prevent and resolve risks, conflicts and disputes, Yuan added.
The same focus on behavioral guidance is reflected in efforts to strengthen legal education for minors nationwide. Guidelines issued in May by the SPC, the Ministry of Education, the Communist Youth League of China and the All-China Women's Federation called for more targeted education and behavioral guidance, including strengthening awareness of the law and behavioral boundaries, promoting healthy friendships, correcting excessive concern with "saving face," addressing negative emotions, improving conflict-resolution skills and preventing excessive internet use.
The emphasis on prevention comes against the backdrop of a decline in juvenile crime indicators. Official data show that procuratorial organs accepted 91,573 juvenile suspects for review and prosecution in 2025, down 9.8 percent year on year.
Meanwhile, courts nationwide concluded about 38,000 juvenile criminal cases involving 53,000 minors in 2025, with growth in both figures slowing markedly from the previous year. In the first half of 2026, courts concluded 16,300 juvenile criminal cases, down 6.22 percent year on year, according to the SPC.
China has also expanded specialized judicial mechanisms for minors. By the end of 2024, courts nationwide had more than 2,700 juvenile courts. More than 9,100 judges were handling juvenile cases.
The approach extends beyond the courtroom. China is working to strengthen coordination among families, schools, society, the internet, government and the judiciary in protecting minors, with greater emphasis on identifying and addressing risks at an early stage, rather than relying solely on judicial intervention after problems arise.
The Family Education Promotion Law calls for closer coordination among families, schools and society in educating minors, while recent judicial initiatives have also strengthened family education guidance and coordination among the different forms of protection for minors.
In his lesson, Zhang urged students to control their emotions and maintain boundaries. Teachers, he said, should guide students in recognizing behavioral boundaries and identify and correct problematic tendencies at an early stage.
The people's courts will work with all sectors of society to address problems at an early stage and support the healthy development of minors, he added. Enditem
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