Comment on "China's hard-work education miracle" (China Daily website, Dec 23)

Shanghai should be praised for the excellent performance of its students at the Program for International Student Assessment, but it should also take into account what is it training its students for.

The fact is that most students today are not creative enough. Many of them don't even have the ability to solve their problems.

Most of the students' aim is to pass competitive exams and get admitted to good universities and then get a good, well-paying jobs. They memorize their subjects and are dependent on rote learning. They use few opportunities to practice teamwork, cooperation and other qualities that are needed in modern society.

But not all Chinese students lack these skills. Saying that no Chinese student is creative is not true. I have worked with many Chinese who are very creative.

On the whole, however, the lack of work-related skills and creative thinking raises serious questions about the future of Chinese students.

It will be good for the development of Chinese technological and business ventures if students are encouraged to think more creatively from an early age.

James, on China Daily website

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(China Daily 12/29/2010 page9)