In the past, I used to focus on science education every year. However, last year, after conducting some research with several committee members, I realized that today's children are overwhelmed and exhausted, some even suffering from mental health issues. With students losing their health, does it still make sense for me to discuss science education?
What led National Committee Member and Chinese Academy of Sciences Academician Zhou Zhonghe to this kind of thinking, diverting attention to an issue seemingly unrelated to his primary responsibilities?
During the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference sessions, he told a reporter from "Chinese Science News" that last year, he observed some social phenomena. Even after the pandemic, many schools continued their previous management styles, failing to provide students with sufficient break and outdoor activity time. This hindered students' social development and physical fitness. Additionally, the long-term exam-oriented education model burdens students with heavy academic pressure. Consequently, students are experiencing depression, anxiety, internet addiction, and other issues.
Based on these observations, he consulted with Jiang Yi, Vice Director of the Institute of Psychology at the Chinese Academy of Sciences and also a National Committee Member of the CPPCC, discussing children's and adolescents' psychological and cognitive health issues. The reality they uncovered was even more severe than expected.
According to epidemiological surveys by the National Health Commission, the prevalence of mental disorders among Chinese students aged 6 to 16 is 17.5%. In recent years, mental health issues among Chinese youth have shown a trend of onset at younger ages and becoming more widespread.
Eventually, Zhou Zhonghe and several other National Committee Members jointly submitted a proposal to enhance the quality of mental and cognitive health services for children and adolescents. During this year's sessions, issues such as children's and adolescents' mental health, depression, and psychological counseling have received significant attention. For instance, some delegates proposed increasing intervention efforts for campus psychological crises, suggesting including "psychological counseling" in medical insurance coverage, and recommending that each primary and secondary school employ at least one full-time mental health education teacher.
However, compared to treating existing illnesses, providing a conducive educational environment for children's physical and mental health is more crucial. Some education experts have astutely pointed out that students' potential is being exhausted prematurely, leaving them exhausted at the starting line. Apart from experiencing mental illnesses, they lose interest in learning from the bottom of their hearts, making it challenging for them to grow into creative youth.
Creativity is key to technological competition, and fostering creativity is one of the core objectives of current scientific education. However, science education cannot be separated from the overall educational environment and ecology of the foundational education stage. When students lose their freedom and relaxed growth space, science education faces a group of exhausted individuals who lack the energy to experience the joy and beauty of science, to explore the unknown, to identify and solve problems. This is precisely what Zhou Zhonghe is concerned about.
