介绍:
In China around this time every year, it's something of a tradition for many high school students to rip up their textbooks before taking the National College Examination, or gaokao - which is taking place later this week.
This year though, a teacher was beaten up by his students with sticks in China's northwest Shaanxi province when he tried to stop them from carrying out this tradition. The student who initiated the idea was also injured in the process.
However, the teacher in question was advised by the local authorities and his employer to not pursue this matter any further so that the students could sit the exam as normal.
(QD) Du Junying says on blog.sina.com.cn,
I totally sympathise with these students. They have spent 12 years in China's exam-oriented education system - something which westerners will never understand. Students here have to get up at 5 or 6 in the morning and rarely return home until after 10. They have no weekends, no holidays, no social life, and everything's geared towards the Gaokao. So, imagine 12 years of that! And now you can understand the relief and frustration just as they're about to sit down for the gaokao - and why they just want to destroy their text books once and for all!
(BL) Yourui, by contrast, sides with the teacher, as he points out on ifeng.com,
The teacher meant well! Not only was he trying to stop these kids from tearing up their textbooks, he also tried to stopped them from throwing things like thermo bottles around. It's so unfair that he got beaten up and was injured in the process.
(ZL) Current affairs commentator Hong Lin says on cnr.cn,
Beating others intentionally is clearly against the law. How can the local education authorities put Gaokao above the law? To quote the government —"China is a country ruled by law", nothing is above the law - not even the Gaokao. These students should have been punished. After all, Gaokao takes place every year so they can always resit in the future.
(BL) Wu Fei, a teacher, ponders this on bjnews.com,
What's the purpose of education itself? It shouldn't be just about the Gaokao - but rather, it's to nurture law-abiding citizens. Otherwise, education itself is pointless. From this aspect, China's exam-heavy system has totally failed. So what if a student gets high marks but is completely devoid of basic morals? Are we judging people by how well they do in one exam as opposed to their basic character? That sets a really bad example for future generations to follow.
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Notes:
--The attack happened in the High School of Changwu (长武) County, Shaanxi province.
--The local police have already put the six students under investigation.
--"Considering they're going to take their college entrance exams, after our investigation the punishment probably will be implemented after the exams," an un-named local police spokesman told the Xi'an-based Chinese Business View.
--The attack broke three mop sticks.
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(QD) Wang Chuantao says on shangbw.com,
In Chinese tradition, teachers should be respected - as has been the case for thousands of years. Now though, there seems to be basic lack of respect amongst the younger generation and in the process, everything's geared towards the gaokao. That is not right.
(ZL) Li Fan wonders on news.sina.com,
Why couldn't these students do something else to release their anger? Ripping up textbooks and exam papers shows utter disregard and contempt for knowledge itself. I know they've just finished their high school time and don't need these books any more. But why couldn't they donate the books to charities or something? Someone else should be given the chance to use these books.
(BL) Yujian says on fjsen.com,
It's China's education system that is ultimately responsible for this. Students beat their teachers because they loathe them - and the profession itself. Teachers are known for being unreasonably demanding. But as I had said, it's China's educational system that is to blame; the teacher is just a scapegoat. It's high time for the Gaokao system to be reformed - once and for all.
