Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, May 30th (Reporter Juidong Zhu) - We have seen the news about "leaders tormenting children" many times. But when I saw the news that on Children's Day, a day that should be filled with joy for children, kids had to wait under the scorching sun until the leaders finally arrived late, I couldn't help but shout out loud: Please stop torturing children in the name of celebrations!
Teachers moving back and forth still needed umbrellas for shade (file photo). The competition had just started, and some leaders sitting under large sunshades had already quietly left (file photo). The young conductor fainted and fell headfirst to the ground (file photo).
According to reports from Shenzhen News Network, on May 28th, to celebrate the arrival of Children's Day, the Wuhan Young Pioneers held a special team competition at the Youth Palace. On that day, the highest temperature in Wuhan reached 35.3°C. The competition scheduled to start at 8:30 was delayed until 8:46 due to the tardiness of the leaders. After waiting, each leader spoke under the shade of their own umbrella. At 9:05 AM, the military band members, dressed in long-sleeved uniforms and wearing gloves and hats, were finally allowed to begin the performance after being exposed to the blazing sun. A little boy holding the conductor's baton collapsed shortly after taking a few steps.
Once again, there is a piece of news about children being tortured in the name of celebration, this time under the guise of celebrating Children's Day. This news quickly became a focal point of attention for netizens, who criticized the so-called event organizers and "leaders" for their inappropriate behavior.
The incident in Wuhan is by no means an isolated case. On May 20th, during the 17th National Assistance Day for Persons with Disabilities, a promotional event was held at Dongfanghong Square in Lanzhou. At 9:00 AM, more than 20 disabled children from a deaf rehabilitation school arrived at the scene as required to prepare for their performance. However, due to the tardiness of the "leaders," they were exposed to the blazing sun for over two hours. After the performance, many of the children showed signs of heatstroke. Additionally, at the beginning of May, during a middle and primary school sports meet in Ningxia, the students were made to wait in 15°C cold weather for over an hour, exposing their arms and legs, leaving them shivering with cold.
A simple online search reveals that there are indeed numerous similar incidents of children being tormented in the name of celebrations.
The organizers of these events that torture children under the guise of celebrations certainly deserve criticism. Wuhan is known as one of the "Three Furnaces" of China, especially in summer. The organizers of such competitions must surely be aware of how hot it can get near Children's Day in Wuhan; otherwise, they wouldn't need umbrellas themselves. In such high-temperature weather, performing in military band uniforms would undoubtedly be extremely uncomfortable. The organizers of such events are likely leaders in educational departments or even school leaders themselves. They should all know better than to put children through such conditions.