Parents see green scarves as humiliation to p...

A pupil at a primary school of Weiyang district, Xi'an, who was told he had to wear a green scarf, takes it off as his family picks him up after lessons on Monday. [Provided to China Daily]

XI'AN - Li Yantao, 7, a pupil in the first experimental primary school of Weiyang district, Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi province, was perplexed when he was told he had to wear a green scarf.

On Oct 14, Li was among 40 pupils in the first grade who were told they had to wear green scarves at school rather than the red scarves of the Chinese Young Pioneers.

"Some classmates in my grade and all the pupils in higher grades wear red scarves, but I have to wear a green one," another grade-one pupil surnamed Ren said.

"I don't think the green scarf is as good as the red one, but I would be in trouble with my teacher if I did not wear it."