Reform education systems

The government should reform the examination-oriented education system to promote creativity among students and help them acquire the knowledge and skills to succeed in the wider world, says an article on guancha.gmw.cn. Excerpts:

A middle school in Ningbo of East China's Zhejiang province, has introduced in its classes a textbook that is followed by primary and middle schools in the United States. The textbook focuses on many problems of daily life, such as maintaining physical fitness, making friends, self-control, marriage, sex and drugs, and encourages students to deliberate on and independently solve the problems they encounter in their daily lives.

Most of the problems mentioned in the textbook are nothing but the "growing pains" that young people go through their lives. It is because of these factors that the textbook has become popular among Chinese students.

Most of the education department officials and teachers have become used to the exam-oriented education system, which ruins students' creativity and ability to solve practical problems. No wonder, many middle school graduates lack the basic knowledge of life and are not aware of the potential risks in life.

Chinese educators need to learn a lesson from US textbooks and reform the form and content of the books they recommend for Chinese students.