The ministry said in a statement that the fees did not meet the “basic requirements of moral education”. In addition, it is stated that “the general style of the illustrations does not match the aesthetic taste of the audience.”

The illustrations went viral on Chinese social media in May. The angry Chinese wrote, among other things, that they were racist because of the children’s small eyes. They also found it inappropriate for some boys to have visible visible bulges. It was considered that some children wore clothes with pro-American stars and stripes.

The publishing house, a state-owned company, apologized after the uproar, then also announced that it would modify the books for the new school year. The Ministry states that the text-maker did not understand the purpose of the educational texts. According to the Chinese state newspaper Global Times, the design studio in question is no longer allowed to make illustrations for textbooks.

“correct values”

The newspaper wrote that the ministry is investigating illustrations in all teaching and reading books in primary and secondary education. Verified that they “represent correct values, conform to Chinese culture and conform to the aesthetic taste of the audience”. In China, rules for educational materials have been tightened in recent years to encourage patriotism among children. For example, schools are not allowed to use textbooks from foreign publishers.