College parade adds to controversy of military training

By Yu Jincui Source:Global Times Published: 2014-9-23 0:13:01

Pictures showing Shi Xiuhe, president of Anhui Xinhua University, reviewing freshmen who underwent military training went viral online recently. Shi, wearing a suit and standing upright in a convertible Audi without license plates, was driven around to inspect a parade of students lined up around a sports field. Shi reportedly greeted the students, saying "Greetings, students!" "Students, you are working hard!" as the students responded "Greetings leader!" "We win glory for Xinhua!" 

These pictures readily reminded people of scenes of military parades when the chairman of the CPC Central Military Commission reviews and salutes the Chinese army once in a decade, sparking public questions and a vortex of controversy over whether it's necessary for a university head to do likewise. 

Many Net users slammed Shi for his imitation of the country's top leader reviewing national troops. They claimed Shi used the parade  to exert authority. The PLA Daily on Sunday criticized his review of a student military parade, saying on its official Sina Weibo account that the behavior is improper and that military training should be aimed at enhancing the students' awareness of defense, rather than attracting attention to the school.

This incident added impetus to the debate over whether high school and university freshmen should undertake this military training. The program is supposed to help students improve their physical strength, enhance their concept of national defense and promote patriotism; however, it has come under more fire.

A brutal brawl between students and their training officers broke out on August 24 in a high school in Central China's Hunan Province, leaving 42 people, mostly students, injured. It's reported that the group fight was triggered by a skirmish between several military instructors and a school teacher who thought his students were treated too harshly. Several days later, a girl in Northeast China's Liaoning Province committed suicide as she couldn't bear the criticism she received during military training. 

Some educators say that military training has fallen under the spell of formalism, from the selection of instructors to its implementation. In view of this string of scandals, we have to question the quality and relevance of military training for students in its current form.

The common experience of the training is equivalent to standing straight-backed in the heat of the sun, learning quite a few patriotic songs and folding a quilt into the shape of a rectangular block. It certainly does not fulfill the expected purpose.

Whether the military training program should be abolished is to be discussed.

But given the current controversy, it's time for the authorities to dwell on how to reform the practice.



Posted in: Observer

blog comments powered by Disqus