Comment on "The real hymn of the tiger mother" (China Daily, June 3)

The real concern with Amy Chua's hypothesis and, more generally with the idea that diligence and achievement can only be attained in later life by enforcing a hyper-disciplinary regimen on children, is that it is not the most effective way to allow intellectual talent to develop and flower.

The problem is that the education system in many countries today is obsessed with tests, which gives students who study by rote a way to become "high achievers".

The consequence, which is becoming increasingly evident to elite institutions, is that these students, once they get there, are not necessarily the brightest minds.

Those who have great intellectual ability but don't study 15 hours a day and waste their time on non-study diversions such as human interaction and sports no longer get into institutions where their abilities would be an asset to a nation and beyond.

Marcella, on China Daily website

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(China Daily 06/09/2011 page9)