Power plays memory tricks

The lack of citizenship education in China has created the ridiculous practice of letting students memorize government leaders' names mechanically, says an article in Oriental Morning Post. Following is an excerpt:

Recently, primary school students in Urumqi, capital of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, were required to bear in mind the names of government officials and school leaders. Not only the heads of state and government like president and premier and heads of the city like mayor and Party chief, but also school leaders like headmaster and academic dean should be remembered.

The practice has been widely criticized by the public, for it has sowed the seeds of worship of power rather than the yearning for citizenship in the minds of those students.