About 90 percent of the children seeking admission to an international school in Wuhan, Hubei province, could not tell "the birthdays of their parents and grandparents". The news has shocked many netizens, who have criticized today's children for their ignorance. But perhaps many of the adults, too, would not be able to give the exact birth dates of their parents and grandparents, says an article in China Youth Daily. Excerpts:

Children are expected to remember the birthdays of their parents, but it has no direct relationship with filial piety.

Besides, whether children can remember their parents' birthdays or not depends on the way they are brought up and their family and social surroundings. A child learns the meaning of responsibility and thanksgiving gradually as he/she grows up. A young child, therefore, may not remember its parents' birthdays. Surveys show that the number of college students who know their parents' birthdays is much higher than that of schoolchildren.

Children become more caring and responsible through both parental and moral education. For years, education authorities have been advocating comprehensive development of students.

But the pressure of getting their children admitted to "good" schools and colleges has prompted many parents to lay emphasis on bookish education and ignore moral education. This has left quite a large number of students ignorant about the meaning of life and responsibility. These students need society's help to find the answers to their questions.

Therefore, instead of taking the failure of the students in Wuhan to tell the birthdays of their parents and grandparents as a disturbing phenomenon, we should help them become more caring and responsible, and more aware of the world around them.

(China Daily 01/24/2014 page9)