Letters

The baffling rush to learn English

"The sooner the better," goes an old adage. Parents across China have taken it literally to herd their children, who can hardly even walk, into private institutes to learn English in the hope that a refined knowledge of English and its skilled use would guarantee them a bright future.

Chinese people's obsession with education has compelled them to get their children admitted to preschools and institutes as early as possible despite the lack of evidence proving this to be an effective method. With many English-teaching institutes aiming to "catch' em young", it's highly likely that parents will soon get their children admitted to such institutes even before they are born.