Students calculate usefulness of math in real life

Will the advanced mathematics taught in Chinese high schools help students work out real-life problems? Probably, but very little, according to Li Zhihan, a student at Guangdong Experimental High School.

Li was participating in the China-France Mathematics Exchange program on Monday with 24 other Chinese high school students who were full of emotion about the math education gap between China and France.

"The subjects that were tested in the event differed a lot from what we are familiar with in China. It's more about the practical use and assessment of logical thinking ability rather than how deeply you studied the science," Li said of the French-compiled test.