title: "Pop-ed" in middle schools.
abstract: Population education was first introduced in 1980 in 10 pilot middle schools in 10 provinces before being gradually expanded elsewhere in the country.  In 1992, the State Education Commission made population education an obligatory course in the curriculum for senior middle schools.  The content of the curriculum covers a wide range of knowledge including the population situation in China along with various issues faced by the country in particular and other countries in general.  It also covers population policy and health issues, among others.  Some of these subjects are taught as distinct courses or by combining the educational material with other subjects.  For instance, knowledge about population, natural resources, the environment and urbanization may be integrated into courses on geography.  Knowledge about measures to prevent and treat hereditary diseases may be incorporated in biology courses. Population education has proved to be effective.  Survey results show that the proportions of early marriage and early childbearing as well as the fertility rate among graduates of the pilot schools are significantly lower than those among graduates from other schools.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000367:Age Factors; D001208:Asia; D002681:China; D003710:Demography; D003906:Developing Countries; D004493:Education; D005202:Asia, Eastern; D011153:Population; D011154:Population Characteristics; D012574:Schools; D012736:Sex Education
keywords: Adolescents; Age Factors; Asia; China; Demographic Factors; Developing Countries; Eastern Asia; Education; Population; Population Characteristics; Population Education; Schools; Youth