The Ministry of Education released detailed etiquette guidelines on Friday for all primary and secondary school students to master.

Teachers will have to teach primary school students basic rules on how to sit, stand, walk properly, speak quietly, smile, nod and bow, according to the guidelines on the ministry's website.

Middle school students will learn to improve those skills by mastering the etiquette of communicating with the opposite sex, talking face-to-face or over the phone politely and being courteous and tolerant of others.

Finally, high school students need grasp such lofty principles as doing the right thing and being a good person, with skills to master including maintaining a distance from others when queuing and taking elevators.

"The goal is to let students know that China is a country with a long history of civilization, rituals and cultures," according to the guidelines. They did not elaborate on when the lessons will be implemented.

"The campaign is very necessary for our society now," said Xin Tao, vice director of the National Assessment of Education Quality and a professor of Beijing Normal University. "It's true that many Chinese people aren't well-mannered."

However, he said he thought such habits cannot be simply taught, as they require long-term exposure and are easily influenced by society.