"The modest, retiring, virtuous, young lady, for our prince a good mate she is" - such is the image of femininity portrayed in Shijing, or The Book of Poetry.

Now 2,000 years later, this ancient vision of what it takes to be a woman has found expression in the curricula of some middle schools, universities and colleges.

With the opening of the new semester, Shanghai No 3 Girls Middle High School started offering classes on feminine manners. The coursework is designed to improve the personalities of female students and train them in such traditional arts as flower arrangement and needlework.

"As a girls' school, we have been teaching our students how to be ladies for years, but this is the first time we have actually included such programs in our course schedule," Lu Wu, president of Shanghai No 3 Girls Middle High School, told China Daily Tuesday.

The courses cover such areas as female psychology, career guidance and household skills training programs, Lu said.

"Each student can choose her favorite courses and programs, which will help cultivate our girl students' inner qualities, which is necessary when they step into the society," he said.

In addition, the school has also prepared some extracurricular arts activities such as letting students attend classical music performances and art exhibitions.

Lu said the training courses are very popular among students and have been the subject of much praise from parents.

"There is no reason to deny the benefits of good art and nice behavior, since they lead inevitably to good taste. For me, it is nice to feel well-educated as well as self-aware," Ma Linjie, a local white-collar worker who attended No 3 Girls Middle High School, said.

She said the training courses have helped her have a fulfilling social life.

"As professional women, we are expected to fulfill the requirements of common sense in modern society. As women, if lack common sense, we will face criticism," Ma told China Daily.

Such courses are becoming increasingly popular in the city.

Local authorities here intend to expand access to lady-themed education in the city by offering courses on cooking and etiquette, Metro Express reported.

(China Daily March 19, 2008)