A group of vocational school students aged between 18 and 19 were supposed to go on a five-day tour of villages in Ningbo, Zhejiang province, but many of them didn't know how to do the laundry or cook, or even take a bus. Today's youths lack life skills because of the exam-oriented education system and overindulgent parents, says an article on youth.cn. Excerpts:

One of the 22 students who went on the field trip took six dresses with her because she didn't have a clue about how to do the laundry. And less than half of them knew something about cooking. The youths' shocking lack of life skills may not seem to be a serious problem now because their parents are more than willing to help them. But it could become one once they start working or get married.

Doing simple household chores are skills that children should learn while in primary and middle schools - and taking a bus doesn't even require any skill. But schools nowadays believe that achieving high scores in exams is more important than learning the simple skills of survival.

Also, parents and, in many cases, grandparents are always ready to lend more than a helping hand to children, impairing their ability to solve problems independently.

The activities (rather inactivities) of the 22 Ningbo students should set the alarm bells ringing, and prompt primary and secondary schools to include survival skills in their curricula. Besides, the education department should conduct regular inspection tours to check students' ability to live independently.

Most importantly, parents should refrain from helping their children all the time so that future generations are spared the embarrassment of looking helpless the moment they leave the comfort of their families.

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