From Beijing Review:
May 11 proved to be a turning point for Shi Zhanming, a country singer. In a televised singing contest on that night, during a general knowledge quiz, Shi mistook the national flags of Britain and Australia for those of China and Japan. From then on, he was the subject of taunts and criticism.
To Zhang Tianwei, a commentator with Beijing Youth Daily, Shi’s failure to recognize the Chinese flag is a reminder of the deficiencies in China’s present education system, not an excuse to blame the country singer.
“Even if Shi Zhanming does not have any knowledge of national flags, he does not deserve so many severe rebukes,” Zhang said. The knowledge of the national flag, national emblem and national anthem should be included in basic citizenship education, so Shi’s unexpected response is a reflection of China’s faulty education model, Zhang added. [Full Text]
See also China.org’s “China Approves New Plan for Illiteracy Elimination Work” and Study-In-China.org’s “China Approves New Plan for Illiteracy Elimination Work”
