As Hu Changqing, former deputy governor of east China's Jiangxi Province, awaited execution in 2000, he wailed and told his guards how much he missed his son.

 

But for Hu, sentenced to death for taking more than five million yuan in bribes from 1995 to 1999, the regrets came too late.

 

This is one of the lessons recounted in a new textbook on honesty for Beijing schoolchildren.

 

"From those negative examples, we want to tell the students that being honest and clean is not a concern of adults. It should be a habit from childhood," said Xie Chunfeng, deputy editor-in-chief of the textbook.

 

Published by the moral education research center under the Beijing Academy of Educational Sciences, the textbook also includes the case of former vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress Cheng Kejie, executed for corruption in 2000.

 

"There is no special course on honesty and anti-corruption. We compile supplementary reading books for courses such as Chinese, politics and history. During those courses, students will be required to read the supplementary textbook," said Xie, who is also head of the center.

 

"The story tells children that corruption will also destroy the happiness of the family," said Meng Jia, another deputy editor-in-chief.

 

"Some students are the children of government officials. Teaching them about corruption will probably have an impact on their parents," said Meng.

 

The textbook led the students to analyze the family environment, social background, career and thoughts of corrupt officials, said Meng.

 

"We need to analyze corruption from human nature. If people have a sense of right and wrong, they will not be so easily corrupted by temptations of power and money," Meng said.

 

The supplementary textbooks on honesty have different versions for primary schools, and junior and senior middle school students.

 

"The textbooks for primary school students and junior middle school students mainly include positive examples, and the textbook for senior middle school students has some negative examples," Xie said.

 

The case of college entrance examination cheating in Nanzheng County, in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, in 2003 has also been included.

 

A total of 55 students were found cheating in the exam, with 35 students giving almost the same answers on their test papers. All 55 students were banned from enrolling in universities that year, and 37 county education department officials were punished, says the textbook.

 

Xie said the textbook, compiled by education experts and senior teachers after collecting advice from teachers, parents and students, would be used in primary and middle schools in Dongcheng and Xicheng districts in Beijing next semester, and in all primary and middle schools in Beijing next year.

 

The textbooks were free for students, and would be recycled and passed on to new students, said Xie, adding that frugality was a major part of anti-corruption education.

 

(Shanghai Daily August 10, 2007)