Chinese students lack imagination, creativity

Traditional education concepts have been constraining children's imagination, and the reform of China's education must start with the emancipation of their curiosity, said Liu Daoyu, former president of Wuhan University, on Tuesday.

Liu said this during a meeting held at Wuhan Maple Leaf International School on Aug. 3, and local media reported it on Aug. 4.

Liu believes Chinese children's lack of imagination has made the scientific circle feel worried. A survey by an international education evaluation group in 2009 shows that of 29 countries, Chinese children's calculation ability ranks first in the world, while their imagination ranks last, and their creativity ranks fifth from the bottom.

Only 4.7 percent of Chinese primary and secondary school students think they have curiosity and imagination and 14.9 percent of them hope to have imagination and creativity.

Of the 20 major inventions which have affected humanity in the 20th century, none of them was the fruit of Chinese work. But, more than 2,000 Chinese students in the United States acquire doctor's degrees, ranking the first among the non-American students, over twice as much as the second-placed Indian students do.

U.S. experts say although Chinese students have outstanding performance, but they lack creativity.

By Liang Jun, People's Daily Online