【禁聞】高考作文應「正確」或「真實」﹖

2013年06月10日中國禁聞新聞
【新唐人2013年06月10日訊】在大陸,每年高考的作文題目總會在社會上引來一場討論,而且往往貶多褒少。專家指出,高考命題如果再遠離和粉飾現實,最終將毀掉中國語文教育。就在最近,一篇關於選擇「正確」作文還是「真實」作文的話題引起了很多網民的興趣,一場討論就此展開。

今年中國的高考剛過,中國語文出版社社長、教育部原新聞發言人王旭明,立即在網上發表了對全國高考作文命題的無奈和不滿,並且總結為以下四點:一,題材遠離現實生活,二,立意拘泥空間狹窄,三,思想淺薄之至,四,抑制學生思考、想像和語文多方面能力展示與發揮。他的觀點引起了很多教育學專家的共鳴。

中國文化批評家葉匡政:「我覺得目前這種遠離現實的題目,如果成為趨勢的話,可能會限制學生的思想發揮。因為現在(高考)命題,一個主要類型就是比較空洞,大多數與學生真實的精神生活,或者與社會現實,關聯並不是非常大。」

一篇名為「高考作文,你是發自內心的嗎?」文章指出,中國目前這種生硬、殭化的教育,壓抑獨立思考與個性,毫無彈性。作文也在一定程度上標準化了。孩子在「標準化」作文的要求下,更重視命題中心思想的「正確性」而不是個人思想的「真實性」。

北京民辦教育機構教學研究員張先生:「因為中國教育一直都是這樣,我一個老師站在前面教你甚麼東西,都是認為我教的是對的,孩子完全被塑造成他不敢去說自己的想法,因為他說出來的話,也會得到一個很不好的回饋。就肯定會給孩子創造能力有一個壁壘,他長時間這樣培養,就會很難成就一個能多元化發展的人才。」

葉匡政:「因為通過寫甚麼作文可以看出,教育者對學生宣導甚麼樣的世界觀,或者是方法論,如果作文的題目空泛或者平庸的話,我們就很難想像,一個學生在短時間內能寫出真實的情感。」

中國當代詩人、文化批評專家葉匡政認為,作文看起來只是一種語言表達能力的體現,但代表了一個人的精神世界,教育者提倡的文風,也會影響學生的人格和對人生的思考。因此,正確的作文命題,應該更加重視精神世界,也要貼近生活和社會。

葉匡政:「我覺得一個時代好的作文應該是,既是關注當下現實的,又能體現對一些普世常識的尊重。所以我覺得至少應該多一些社會話題的作文命題,就是能夠提高學生對社會責任感,或者提高參與社會事物的能力。也應該與社會結構呼應起來,比如說培養一個年輕人未來對社會的理性思考啊,或者是他的批判或者質疑意識啊,其實都需要從學生時代的作文開始。」

有些教育家將中國高考作文命題的現狀,歸咎於中國的教育制度,但葉匡政指出,問題根源於中國的社會體制。

葉匡政:「目前作文命題的殭化和封閉,應該與中國教育一貫這種封閉,其實是有關聯的。一個開放的社會可能期望的是民眾的智慧,但是一個專制或者封閉的社會,往往會希望通過教育來使民眾變得更愚蠢。我覺得目前的這種命題方向,只會使年輕人的寫作話語變得空洞或者是平凡,或者是使年輕人對社會的想像力缺失,或者對社會缺乏使命感。」

北京民辦教育機構張姓研究員指出,如果為了在考試中得到高分而拋棄「真實」的感情,選擇「正確」的中心思想,那麼寫作文的本身也失去了它的意義,因為作文本身就是創造的過程和真實思想的流露。

採訪編輯/張天宇 後製/葛雷


Should China's college exams seek “political correctness” or “truthfulness”?

Each year, Mainland China's National College Entrance
Exam (NCEE) becomes a hot topic for it's essay topics,
usually receiving more criticism than compliment
from the public.
Experts say that if the essay topics continue to
deviate from or try to cover up reality,
China’s education system will be ruined.

Recently, many Chinese netizens joined the debate,
questioning whether people should seek “political correctness”
or “truthfulness” in education.

After the 2013 NCEE ended, former spokesman of
China’s Ministry of Education, Wang Xuming,
immediately attacked the essay prompts on the Internet.

He said that, firstly, the themes deviate too much from reality;

second, the topics are too restrictive;
third, the implied messages are too shallow in ideology;
and fourth, the overall test is a suppression of
independent thought,
imagination and displays of versatile abilities
in Chinese writing.
Wang’s opinion has been echoed by
many education experts.

Ye Kuangzheng, Chinese cultural critic: “I feel that
if the topics that deviate from real life become dominant,
then our students’ free thinking will be further discouraged.

Currently, a major problem of the essay topics
is that they are too hollow.
Most of them have little to do with the students’
mental world or any real social issues.”

An article titled “Did you write the exam essay
with your heart?” says that
China’s current education system is too rigid, and
tends to suppress independent thought and personality.
The essay writing for the exam also becomes
“standardized” process to some extent.
Following the requirement of “standardized” writing,

the children pay more attention to the “political correctness”
of the essay, rather than expressing their true thoughts.

Mr. Zhang, research fellow at a private school in Beijing:
”The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) education system
is always like this.
[The mindset of the students is that] if a teacher tells you
something, it must be right and can't be challenged.
In the end, the children dare not express their real thoughts.
Even if they do, the feedback will mostly be very negative.
This definitely blocks the creativity of our children.

If educated like this for a long time, they can hardly
become developed human beings.”

Ye Kuangzheng: ”Through the essay topics,

we can learn what kind of world view or methodology
the educators attempt to teach the students.
If the topics are too hollow or mediocre, it's hard to imagine
that the students will be able to express in writing how they
really feel in a short amount of time.”

As a modern poet and cultural critic, Ye Kuangzheng believes

that essay writing is not only a measurement of
literary ability, but also displays a person’s mental realm.
The writing style recommended by educators can influence
students’ personality and their understanding of life.
Therefore, a good essay topic should focus more on
people's mental realm and be closer to real life and society.

Ye Kuangzheng: “I think a good title should both relate to
some current issues and require understanding of universal knowledge.
Therefore I think we had better have more essay topics
about social topics.
This helps students improve their social responsibility
and being active in solving social issues.
The topics should also serve to establish a healthy
structure of our society.
For example, the process of encouraging young
people’s rational thinking and critical consciousness can start from school essay writing.”

Although some educators attribute the defects of
the NCEE essay test to China’s education system,
Ye Kuangzheng says that the problem's rooted
is indeed the CCP’s social framework.

Ye Kuangzheng: “The rigid essay topics should be closely
related to the lack of openness in our education system.
For an open society, it would expect more wisdom
from civilians.
But in a dictatorship regime or a closed society,
the rulers usually want the people to be more stupid.
I feel that the current trend in assigning essay topics will
only lead to hollow and mediocre writings by our young people.
It may also make them lose longings and imaginations
toward the future, as well as their responsibility to society.”

Mr. Zhang, researcher at a private school in Beijing,
says that essay writing will become meaningless if
students choose “political correctness” over better grades
instead of expressing their true thoughts;
this is because, an essay itself is supposed to
speak a person’s true thoughts.

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