All primary and secondary schools in Southwest China's Yunnan Provinces started 'death education' since the beginning of this school year. Some schools ask their teenage students to write an imaginary will.

Schools hope that through such education, students will get a better understanding of death and more importantly, love and treasure their life.

For students,most of them have found it interesting and meaningful, saying they have learnt more about the value of life.

Most parents, however, feel uneasy about death education, as death has long been a tabooed topic in Chinese culture. Many of them say it is too early for the teenagers to be talking about death and they express worries that it would instil fear and anxiety in their children.

Workers' Daily published an article pointing out that death education is necessary as it satisfies youngsters curiosity about death. Otherwise, misperceptions about death may lead to more teenage suicides.

The article says that frank discussions about death can help children face reality and handle trauma. It also suggests parents get involved in the process, and says they should not be oversensitive to the issue or underestimate children's capacity to deal with the subject.