Xu Guangmu (Yangtze Evening): The reform of present exam-oriented education is a must-do thing, but we seem to have taken a wrong turn in promoting quality-oriented education by making it examination oriented.

Graduation exams measure senior middle school graduates' academic achievements after three years of study. Repairing toilet fittings is, however, a basic living skill of which most people should be capable. To mix up the two will change quality-oriented education to exam-oriented.

Lack of education will do the same harm to students as the absence of family training. That's why schools should stop spending time on what should be family responsibilities and do what they have been set up for—imparting academic knowledge to students.

Really useful curriculum

Yang Tao (www.ycwb.com): Anyone who hopes to lead a comfortable life has to acquire some basic living skills or they will find it is a hard struggle.

Compared to students in Western countries, their Chinese counterparts do no worse at an academic level, but gaps appear when they have to deal with real problems in daily life. As a result, Chinese students generally fall behind in creativity and are unable to sustain their development.

Creativity and the capacity to cope with real problems in daily life are very important in improving the whole nation's quality and boosting national innovation. It is widely recognized in the developed world.

It's not a question of a general technology course is necessary or not, but whether if it's coming too late.

Zhang Chengcai (China Economic Times): Some people are worried that exam subjects such as toilet repairs will add to students' burdens.

We have to admit that Chinese children lack basic living skills. Growing up in one-child families, even simple things such as cooking and dressing are difficult for them, let alone toilet repairs.

Chinese children are not born to be so incapable at managing such things, but they become so because their parents have spoiled them. If a general technology course can help them grasp basic living skills such as repairing toilet fittings and changing light bulbs, it's actually a good opportunity for them to build up the ability to deal with house work.

As it is widely believed in China that high exam scores will allow a child to attend a good university and therefore secure a good job and a handsome salary, most students focus on only academic knowledge. They make use of knowledge as a stepping-stone toward wealth and reputation. To launch a general technology course covering basic living skills is of vital importance to improve students' living capabilities. Then, how to make such learning effective? It's to connect the course to a graduation exam, because only in this way will students and their parents take it seriously.

Zhou Minghuan (Oriental Morning Post): China used to offer general technology courses in primary and middle schools in the 1950s and 1960s. Some middle schools even provided regular opportunities for students to participate in work on a farm or in workshops. As a result, students of that generation are generally good at agricultural and industrial work, which greatly helped their lives and careers. In the past 20 years, however, these useful courses have been disappearing from schools' schedules.

Exam-oriented education has incurred a great deal of criticism, but as of yet there are few practical methods to improve quality-oriented education. In this context, it's better to implement and improve general technology courses than to ignore this topic.

Huang Haitao (guancha.gmw.cn): China's primary and middle school education focuses more on exam scores. Because they are spending too much time on textbooks, Chinese students' capacity to deal with real problems in real life are very poor. Some of them are not even able to grasp basic living skills. There are many examples of college students bundling up dirty clothes and taking them home for washing.

Imbalanced education not only leads to young students' having poor living skills, but also distorts their characters and personalities.

Finally, the importance of strengthening training in living skills has been realized. It's good news. Anyway, it is an improvement of educational concepts and shows a better understanding of the nature of education. It's hoped that more students will be released from endless writing and calculating and enjoy an easier and happier life on campus.