Rebirth 2004: A lone figure in the literary world

Chapter 268 The children have stood up, but the adults are still kneeling
Since he only watched the show halfway through, Zhang Weiguo didn't know what the two questions the host had asked were, but he guessed that they were about "quality-oriented education and exam-oriented education." He couldn't help but said anxiously, "Didn't he say he wouldn't dwell on this? With this response, he fell into a trap!"

Zhang Chao's mother patted her husband and said, "Listen to what your son says first."

The couple calmed down and listened carefully to what their son said.

"Professor Sun Yunxiao likes to talk about 'quality education', especially he likes to promote Japan's education of children as a model of 'quality education'. I think the title of 'the first person to promote Japanese-style education' is more suitable for him."

"Here he comes..." Xiao Yajuan, who was sitting opposite Zhang Chao, was excited. The familiar Zhang Chao was coming, but she still had to maintain a fair attitude on the surface, so she asked calmly, "It seems that you don't agree to equate 'quality education' with 'Japanese-style education'."

Zhang Chao nodded and said, "Of course they can't be equated, although Professor Sun has always wanted to equate the two. We can see from his famous work "The Competition in Summer Camp" that the high-level qualities of children he advocates can be summed up in two words - 'hardship'.

Japanese children can carry a 20kg bag and walk 50km a day, and some even say they want to walk 100km. They walk even when they are sick or tired and vomit - they are like Astro Boys who can fly with a jet gun.

The reporters and staff at the scene all laughed at his words, but Zhang Chao was very serious and continued to ask the camera: "Why do we find these numbers ridiculous and funny today?"

Xiao Yajuan was stunned for a moment, then said: "Is it because it doesn't conform to common sense?"

Zhang Chao asked further: "Then why, in 1993, when this article was widely reported and reprinted, few people thought it was unreasonable?"

Xiao Yajuan wondered who was interviewing whom, but she still replied, "I haven't really studied this. Why do you think this is the case?"

Zhang Chao said: "There are two reasons. First, we were in the early stage of reform and opening up at that time, and the education level of the whole nation had not yet reached today's level, especially in terms of physical exercise. People generally lacked a specific concept of 'carrying 20 kilograms and walking 50 kilometers'. They just thought it was far and difficult, but they didn't understand how far and how difficult it was.

So Professor Sun Yunxiao took advantage of this information gap and deliberately used sensational figures to manipulate public opinion. Fortunately for him, he succeeded in starving himself; unfortunately for the Chinese people, especially those born in the 80s, he succeeded. "

Xiao Yajuan nodded thoughtfully and said, "It's true. After I went to college, I participated in a hiking trip organized by the school. I carried a backpack weighing more than ten kilograms and my physical strength was exhausted after walking more than 20 kilometers.

If a group of 11- and 12-year-old kids can carry twice as much as I do and walk twice as far as I do, they are truly little superheroes.”

Zhang Chao said: "Over the past decade, people have become more educated, and more people have had similar experiences, so they naturally doubt these figures. - Secondly, the Chinese people were in a period of confusion at that time, and they had serious self-doubt and self-denial. So although there were some skeptics, they were silenced by the public opinion at the time.

It was not until a year later, in 1994, that an article in China Youth Daily openly questioned his article “The Contest in the Summer Camp.” But what was his attitude? He avoided the question of how the key contents such as “20 kilograms,” “50 kilometers,” and “Simmons bed” were fabricated out of thin air, and only quibbled on minor details.

"An incomplete admission of fault is a complete denial of fault", not to mention the evasive admission of fault? This reveals Professor Sun's true heart - he always believes that he can fabricate facts for a certain purpose. He is a master of lying, telling nine truths and one lie, and only lying at the most critical points.

After the readers see the 90% that is true, they will subconsciously think that the 10% that is false is also true.”

Xiao Yajuan asked doubtfully, "Is it possible that he hopes to inspire the Chinese people's competitive spirit through this method, so that parents can be more 'bloody' in educating their children, and children can be more 'hardworking' and more resilient?"

Zhang Chao thought for a moment and said, "That's a good question. If we think positively about this matter, it does have a bit of a 'wolf coming' vibe. Some people also say that in the prophecy of 'wolf coming', the only unlucky one is the child who lied, while the villagers just made a few trips in vain and became more vigilant."

Xiao Yajuan asked: "Is that really the case?"

Zhang Chao laughed and said, "Of course not. The ridiculous thing about this logic is that we must guard against 'wolves', but the solution proposed by Professor Sun is to turn ourselves into 'wolves'!
Isn't the most important thing to prevent wolves to play to one's own strengths as a 'human'? Shouldn't we study how to make children better 'humans'? How can we start learning from 'wolves'? "

Xiao Yajuan didn't expect Zhang Chao's rebuttal to be so tricky, which was completely beyond the pre-rehearsal. For a moment, she didn't know how to respond, so she could only follow the topic and said, "Student Zhang Chao, can you tell me in detail?"

Zhang Chao said: "Assuming that Professor Sun's article is all true, these Japanese children can carry 20 kilograms, walk 50 kilometers or even 100 kilometers a day, lie on the ground and cry with stomachache, have a high fever, but still get up and continue to move forward, and say 'It is a shame to be a deserter' -

There is only one kind of education in history that can teach children this kind of "quality", and that is the militaristic education implemented by Japan during World War II. Children were given paramilitary training and ignored their own lives and health.

For example, in the 30s, Japanese schools would require students to strip naked in the winter and rub their bodies with rough towels to generate heat, a process that was also accompanied by intense pain.

It is not an exaggeration to call the children brought up under this kind of education mechanism "wolves". But what do these "wolves" do when they grow up? I believe that all Chinese people with common sense know the answer.

Those who disregard their own lives will certainly not cherish the lives of others. I would like to ask everyone, do you want to turn your children into such a "wolf"? "

Xiao Yajuan didn't expect Zhang Chao to make such a harsh accusation, and her voice became a little lower when she asked: "You mean, Professor Sun's so-called 'quality education' is actually..."

Zhang Chao nodded and said, "Yes, his so-called 'quality education' is actually a simplified version of the old Japanese militarist education, which makes children suppress their nature, even the most basic instinct to seek benefits and avoid harm."

Xiao Yajuan said: "Then, the way Japan raises children, isn't it, isn't it..."

Zhang Chao laughed and said, "You mean, isn't it going to 'start a war and invade other countries' again?"

Xiao Yajuan nodded and asked, "Isn't it?"

Zhang Chao laughed and said, "Here comes the funniest, most bizarre and most absurd part of this article 'Contest in Summer Camp' - Japan has never implemented the kind of 'quality education' that Professor Sun has in mind after the war.

Japanese children did show some excellent qualities in the "China-Japan Summer Camp", but that was mainly due to the differences in education between the two countries. For example, Japan attaches more importance to physical education than we do, has home economics classes in school curriculum, implemented garbage sorting earlier, and has more abundant outdoor practical activities.

These are all things that can be achieved through normal social development and school curriculum reform. How can we use some exaggerated figures and descriptions to deliberately belittle Chinese children on a personality level?
We were good kids at the summer camp, and many of the things they did poorly were not because they didn’t want to do them, but because they really didn’t know how to do them. But after seeing others do it, they would learn and help out, and it was not as bad as what was written in the article.”

Xiao Yajuan was also hearing this for the first time. She was stunned and asked, "Does Japan really not practice that kind of 'hardship' education?"

Zhang Chao spread his hands and said, "I'm not crazy. I have to live my life too. Are you training your child to be Ultraman? Are you really planning to fight monsters in the future?" This sentence made Xiao Yajuan on the opposite side laugh again.

Seeing the camera cut over, Xiao Yajuan quickly stopped laughing and continued, "This, this is really unexpected."

Zhang Chao said: "I have been to Japan several times. Once I went there to receive a literary award, once I went there to discuss cooperation, and once I went to attend the premiere of "Your Name". Japan is a normal developed country. Their children also love to play games, watch anime, and chase stars...

In many aspects, they are not much different from the children in Chinese cities today. Of course, its society and education also have their own problems, otherwise Japan would not have so many literary and artistic works reflecting educational problems.

For example, I really like to read a Japanese manga called GTO (GTO). In this manga, Japanese education is like a monster covered with pus, and it needs a gangster to save it.

The reason why Professor Sun is obsessed with Japanese education and even uses his imagination to distort it into his ideal form is actually due to his deep inferiority complex.

Is there anything we can learn from Japanese education? Of course there is. They have become a developed country, and they must have done a lot of things right in education, which is why they have been able to maintain rapid growth for decades after the war.

However, reference must be based on the premise of "real content", "objective evaluation" and "equal treatment", otherwise what you refer to may be a cancer. For example, Professor Sun obviously treasured the remnants of militarism in Japanese education. "

Xiao Yajuan said: "Wouldn't that have a very bad influence?"

Zhang Chao said: "The worst affected are probably those of us born in the 80s, who are called the 'little emperors' and the 'lost generation'. We have to bear the stigma of the whole society since we were young, as if when we grow up, China will collapse.

Now it is 2007. Half of the people born in the 80s have started to leave school and enter the society. Some have even worked for several years. Do you think the people born in the 80s are particularly bad?

It's just groundless worry! The United States also has the "Beat Generation". This word is both a literary term and a sociological term. Their generation is earlier than ours, appearing in the 60s and 70s. It's the "hippie movement". Those who understand it will understand it.

At that time, the older Americans who had experienced World War II also thought that this generation was not good enough. But after a few decades, didn’t these “hippies” become the pillars of society? Aren’t many of the American social elites that we like to admire today, such as Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, also members of the “Lost Generation”?
Therefore, we do not need to exaggerate the impact of "Summer Camp". Children's education has never been a decisive force in determining the direction and height of a generation, because society has a strong power to correct deviations.

But when a liar comes out to promote himself and even tries to distort the direction, it makes people feel that he has ulterior motives.”

Xiao Yajuan continued to ask: "So do you think that whether it is 'betrayer of quality education' or 'speculator of quality education', it is a kind of smear or slander?"

Zhang Chao said: "Let me talk about my views on 'quality education'. Professor Sun Yunxiao has accepted countless interviews and written many books over the past decade, and they are all about one thing - what kind of person a child 'should' become, or what kind of person a child 'wants' to become.

He has always had a preset framework: children must be able to 'endure hardships', children must be able to 'innovate', children must understand 'gratefulness', and children must learn to 'love'... Although this kind of education that makes demands seems very good, what is the difference between it and 'examination-oriented education'?

That’s why he treasures the Japanese militarist education.”

Xiao Yajuan asked, "So what do you think quality education should be like?"

Zhang Chao spoke to the camera word by word: "I think, if we really want to talk about 'quality education', it means to let children 'be' what kind of person they can become. For example, I was admitted to Yan University and Yan Normal University as an exception because they thought I 'could' become a writer, or a better writer.

Did Zhang Chao disappoint everyone today?
So I am neither a 'traitor to quality-oriented education' nor a 'speculator of quality-oriented education'. I am just a practice of 'quality-oriented education'. Whether this practice is a success or a failure is not for you, Professor Sun, to judge."

Zhang Chao did not explain the meaning of these words in detail, as he did not want to get too deeply involved in the controversy over education. If he talked too deeply about these words, he might attract some demons and monsters.

But this was enough to make the reporters at the scene and the audience in front of the TV think for a while. Zhang Chao did not explain, so everyone had to figure it out on their own - but there are some words that the more you think about them, the richer the associations become.

Xiao Yajuan asked tactfully, "Do you have anything else to say to Professor Sun Yunxiao?"

Zhang Chao pondered for a while and said, "It can't be said that it was only said to Professor Sun Yunxiao, but it should be said that it was said to many intellectuals like him - from 'Japanese elementary school students in summer camp', to 'drinkable toilet water', to 'sewer parts wrapped in butter paper', and 'dishes that need to be washed seven times'...

I can understand that when you first saw developed countries in the 8s and 90s, your national self-confidence and even your personal self-esteem were destroyed. These stories that are almost like "rumors" not only vent your inferiority complex, but also your panic.

So you also need to understand that our generation no longer has the filter of your era, and the moon in foreign countries is not as round. You say we are the "lost generation", but in fact, it is you, the "older generation", who are really lost.

Anyway, we have already stood up. As for whether you want to continue kneeling, we have no right to control it, and we don’t want to control it. Just don’t keep trying to drag us to kneel down with you. "

After these words were spoken, there was a long silence in the studio and in front of the TV.

Zhang Weiguo sighed and said, "This child, this child..." He didn't know how to evaluate his son. He was shocked, relieved, and a little confused.

Also watching TV was, of course, Sun Yunxiao who was far away in Yanjing. He was paying close attention to Zhang Chao's response.

In his opinion, as long as Zhang Chao responded, he would win, so he could accept being called a "traitor" - it was a battle of ideas, whoever cursed first was inferior. Then he could curse back, wouldn't it have a news effect?

He is now considering whether to curse back or pretend to be "magnanimous" and show that he will not bother with this young man like Zhang Chao.

At most, I won't be able to scold Zhang Chao, but my goal will be achieved. In the past few years, how many people can scold Zhang Chao? One more person won't make a difference. It's not shameful!

To accomplish some things, it is not about whether you win the verbal battle, but whether the matter has received attention and exposure.

As long as everyone focuses their attention on themselves, they will always be able to select those who are willing to believe in themselves and pay for them!

This is the valuable experience he has gained from working in the education and media circles for more than a decade. It is not the quantity of fans and supporters that matters, but the quality of them. It would be even better if they can be crystallized!
But Zhang Chao's next words made him feel like he was falling into an icy cave!
(End of this chapter)