First Confucius classroom opens in Chinese prison

Confucius schools and classrooms are generally run as non-profit public institutions to help foreigners understand China through language and culture classes at overseas universities.

China has opened its first Confucius classroom in a prison in east Shandong province to improve its cultural atmosphere.

The classroom opened on Saturday in Luzhong Prison as part of a charity programme funded by the China Confucius Foundation.

Luzhong Prison will pilot a series of changes, including classroom and library design, training prison instructors in Confucian teachings and family activities in order to improve the prison’s cultural atmosphere, Lin Guojun, deputy head of the provincial prison management bureau said.

Mr. Guojun said that the classroom will encourage the traditional teaching methods of handwriting, reading classics and moral education, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Named after the ancient Chinese philosopher, Confucius schools and classrooms are generally run as non-profit public institutions to help foreigners understand China through language and culture classes at overseas universities.

The first such institute was established in 2004.