Don't blame education system for one 'failure'

People skeptical of the value of higher education have got another excuse to lash out at those arguing in favor of higher studies. And that excuse is the sensational but tragic story of 38-year-old Xiao Lan (alias) who got her PhD from a US university but was repatriated to China recently after she lost her job and became homeless.

Her story came to light through a recent media report and has created a huge public controversy. The story has been widely circulated among netizens since being uploaded on the Internet a few days ago. Many websites and online forums have chosen to post the news with such sensational headlines or terms such as "US-educated" and "PhD holder" to highlight her admirable academic background in sharp contrast to her "failure to get a job" or hold one and "being repatriated home".

Some media outlets have gone even farther, using such headlines as "A repatriated Chinese doctorate holder: I cannot do anything but study" to suggest that "people with a high academic degree are a group with high academic performance but low capabilities". Unsurprisingly, these postings and re-postings have attracted comments from many netizens.