【新唐人2013年06月10日讯】在大陆，每年高考的作文题目总会在社会上引来一场讨论，而且往往贬多褒少。专家指出，高考命题如果再远离和粉饰现实，最终将毁掉中国语文教育。就在最近，一篇关于选择“正确”作文还是“真实”作文的话题引起了很多网民的兴趣，一场讨论就此展开。
今年中国的高考刚过，中国语文出版社社长、教育部原新闻发言人王旭明，立即在网上发表了对全国高考作文命题的无奈和不满，并且总结为以下四点：一，题材远离现实生活，二，立意拘泥空间狭窄，三，思想浅薄之至，四，抑制学生思考、想像和语文多方面能力展示与发挥。他的观点引起了很多教育学专家的共鸣。
中国文化批评家叶匡政：“我觉得目前这种远离现实的题目，如果成为趋势的话，可能会限制学生的思想发挥。因为现在（高考）命题，一个主要类型就是比较空洞，大多数与学生真实的精神生活，或者与社会现实，关联并不是非常大。”
一篇名为“高考作文，你是发自内心的吗？”文章指出，中国目前这种生硬、僵化的教育，压抑独立思考与个性，毫无弹性。作文也在一定程度上标准化了。孩子在“标准化”作文的要求下，更重视命题中心思想的“正确性”而不是个人思想的“真实性”。
北京民办教育机构教学研究员张先生：“因为中国教育一直都是这样，我一个老师站在前面教你什么东西，都是认为我教的是对的，孩子完全被塑造成他不敢去说自己的想法，因为他说出来的话，也会得到一个很不好的回馈。就肯定会给孩子创造能力有一个壁垒，他长时间这样培养，就会很难成就一个能多元化发展的人才。”
叶匡政：“因为通过写什么作文可以看出，教育者对学生宣导什么样的世界观，或者是方法论，如果作文的题目空泛或者平庸的话，我们就很难想像，一个学生在短时间内能写出真实的情感。”
中国当代诗人、文化批评专家叶匡政认为，作文看起来只是一种语言表达能力的体现，但代表了一个人的精神世界，教育者提倡的文风，也会影响学生的人格和对人生的思考。因此，正确的作文命题，应该更加重视精神世界，也要贴近生活和社会。
叶匡政：“我觉得一个时代好的作文应该是，既是关注当下现实的，又能体现对一些普世常识的尊重。所以我觉得至少应该多一些社会话题的作文命题，就是能够提高学生对社会责任感，或者提高参与社会事物的能力。也应该与社会结构呼应起来，比如说培养一个年轻人未来对社会的理性思考啊，或者是他的批判或者质疑意识啊，其实都需要从学生时代的作文开始。”
有些教育家将中国高考作文命题的现状，归咎于中国的教育制度，但叶匡政指出，问题根源于中国的社会体制。
叶匡政：“目前作文命题的僵化和封闭，应该与中国教育一贯这种封闭，其实是有关联的。一个开放的社会可能期望的是民众的智慧，但是一个专制或者封闭的社会，往往会希望通过教育来使民众变得更愚蠢。我觉得目前的这种命题方向，只会使年轻人的写作话语变得空洞或者是平凡，或者是使年轻人对社会的想像力缺失，或者对社会缺乏使命感。”
北京民办教育机构张姓研究员指出，如果为了在考试中得到高分而抛弃“真实”的感情，选择“正确”的中心思想，那么写作文的本身也失去了它的意义，因为作文本身就是创造的过程和真实思想的流露。
采访编辑/张天宇 后制/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.
