Primary schools in Beijing will open Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) classes during the following semester in order to spread knowledge regarding basic TCM among students, according to the Beijing Traditional Chinese Medicine Administration Bureau.

In an aim to popularize TCM culture on campus, this new program is to be carried out as part of the TCM Culture Construction Year and is spearheaded by several municipal government departments including the Beijing TCM Administration Bureau, Beijing Municipal Commission of Education, Beijing Municipal Bureau of Culture and Beijing Municipal Bureau of Health.

An official has stated that the TCM classes will not feature on the students' official curriculum and will solely focus on the popularization of the topic, the class will also not be listed as a test subject.

Teachers for the courses will be selected from applicants who possess previous experience teaching biology, Chinese, history, or traditional culture. After they make it through the selection rounds, they will attend a training course provided by TCM departments.

New TCM education textbooks will be introduced to Beijing pupils next semester. The textbooks for primary school students feature various short stories and cartoons about traditional Chinese medicine and teach the children about body care, psychological well-being and traditional culture through school courses, interest classes and onsite-practice in herbal gardens.

"The TCM program is not merely an introduction to a certain knowledge, but a cultural inspiration as well," said a source from Beijing's TCM Administration Bureau. "Both classroom teaching and herbal planting are aimed at improving students' physical and mental health."

Meanwhile, the bureau has set out to pilot TCM education in several Beijing middle schools. A unified TCM textbook for middle school students will be compiled as soon as next year.

In one of the pilot schools, the Beijing No. 5 Middle School Junior Branch, students apply their newly gained TCM knowledge in various optional courses such as cooking and martial arts. In those classes, they learn how to brew healthy herbal teas or do some shadow boxing to reduce stress, said some students.

(China.org.cn by Li Xiao June 25, 2012)

记者从北京市中医药管理局获悉，为了在学生中普及基础中医药知识，下学期起，北京市各小学将统一开设中医课程。

“中医文化进校园”是北京市开展中医药文化建设年工作的内容之一，由市中医局、市教委、市文化局、市卫生局等多部门联合举办，旨在在校园内传播中医药传统文化。

相关负责人表示，这项课程旨在普及中医文化，课程不进课表，不列为考试项目。

该课程教师将从生物、语文、历史、国学文化老师中选拔，报名遴选结束后，合格者将接受中医部门培训。

下学期起，北京市统一的中医校本课程（小学版）将正式启用。小学版读本通过一个个小故事和漫画，向小学生们传递生活保健、心理调节、国学等传统文化的元素。该读本将通过中医药校本课程班、中医药兴趣班、中药种植园地等多种形式进行普及。

北京市中医药管理局相关负责人称，中医文化进校园不仅是要讲中医知识，也是一种文化的熏陶。不论是开设中医选修课，还是让孩子们亲手种百草，都是想让孩子身体、心理的成长发育更健康。

北京市中医局介绍，目前，中医文化在中学内也已经有一定程度的试点探索。中学版读本的编制工作正在进行中，最快有望明年面世。

在试点学校之一的北京五中分校，烹饪、武术等校内特色课程让学生们将掌握的中医传统文化由理论应用到实践。他们在这些选修课上学会了如何煮养生药茶，或如何通过打太极拳缓解压力。