In a news release, the court said the father, who had been sued to court by his ex-wife for failing to pay child support for six years, received the order on Thursday. In addition to paying an overdue 140,000 yuan ($21,980), the father was ordered to stay in close contact with the two sons, their mother, and their teachers. “He should communicate with them at least twice a week,” the court wrote — once with the children and once with their mother or teachers.
It is one of three family education orders issued in the country since the “Law on Family Education Promotion” came into effect on Jan. 1. The law, passed in October 2021, makes parents responsible for educating their children and authorizes courts to ensure that they do. The law gives courts the power to punish parents for failing to educate their children and order them to do so when parenting issues arise in other court proceedings.
