From Chinese Press

Spare the children

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-05-28 07:58

The exam-oriented education system has reached a frenzied state, because even some kindergarten students are being forced to learn Olympiad-level math in order to get admitted to elementary schools, says an article on Rednet.cn. Excerpts:

Some children seeking admission to an elementary school in Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, were asked Olympiad-level math questions by their interviewers recently. Shockingly, the incident was not limited to one particular school.

It is generally agreed that an interviewer can judge the quality of a child through just a few simple questions. An interviewer, therefore, should pay more attention to children's behavior and verbal skills for selection. How can someone expect a child to answer abstract questions, let alone solve Olympiad-level math problems? This will only shatter kids' self-esteem and confidence, and force them to believe in the effectiveness of the exam-oriented education system, which can kill creativity.

It was already shocking to see many high schools and universities across the country introduce a variety of Olympiad-level questions. And it is shame to see small children being subjected to Olympiad-level math tests.

(China Daily 05/28/2010 page9)