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Exclusive
10th NPC & CPPCC, 2007> Exclusive
UPDATED: March 19, 2007 web exclusive
The Challenge of Developing Creative Children
The creative ability of Chinese children has been hindered by the stress placed on a test-oriented educational system
By LI YUZHU
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Therefore, learning is a heavy burden. The students' weekends are filled with various classes. The pressure and stress from the school and parents are constant. "I always feel anxious in class and even want to vomit when doing homework," said Xiao Wang, a senior middle school student from Shantou. "My classmate sitting next to me is always listening to MP3 secretly, saying that she is afraid of the endless test and homework," she added.

Many people wonder what kind of education system is needed in China. Should it be a factory which mass produces robotic test-takers or a research lab that produces innovators, inventors, and creative professionals?

Lou Changming, head of top-ranked Beijing No. 4 Middle School, suggested that middle schools should not be ranked according to the proportion of students admitted to the university. By removing this pressure, the middle schools will be able to play a positive role in developing creative children.

CPPCC member Sun Jiye said learning should not be at the expense of children's health and imagination. He suggested setting up a comprehensive education system to better evaluate students and schools.

In an interview with Xinhua on March 9, Education Minister Zhou Ji said that the test-oriented education system has become a serious problem. Chinese children lack creativity and experience.

He vowed to promote education for well-rounded development by reforming both the senior high school and university entrance examination. He said that the system of personnel placement also needed reform. The aim is to set up a system that will discover creative personnel, relieve the burden on students, and stimulate students to develop happy normal lives.

Minister Zhou also called for students to consider taking the road of attending a sound secondary vocational school so that they could receive technical training and be able to get a good job while continuing their studies in the future. This would also relieve the pressure of large numbers of students sitting for the university entrance exams.

Recently, measures have been taken to encorage students to take part in physical activities. Some cities like Chendu, in Sichuan Province, have raised the physical education score from 30 to 50. Beijing Municipal Commission of Education is planning to do the same in 2009.

The public expects the reforms of the Chinese educational system to help develop children with imagination, creativity, curiosity, and playfulness which are not only essential to the child but to the society as a whole.

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