A recent symposium on the current state of Shanghai middle school students' writing has disclosed that the songs by popular singer Jay Chow are frequently quoted. In fact, they are second only to the works by famous Chinese poet Tao Yuanming of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, some 1600 years ago. The comparison of a popular singer and a famous poet has caused concern within the education circle.

The Beijing Youth Daily carries an article by a teacher from Jiangsu Province, who brushes away those concerns by stressing that a student will only grow in a comprehensive way by absorbing different cultural elements.

The author notes that in the face of the booming entertainment industry nowadays, the power of a popular star can be so pervasive that one simply cannot ignore it. The good news is, most of Jay Chow's songs are quite encouraging and that the often poetic lyrics appeal very much to the students.

The author also cites the works of famous Kong Fu novel writer Jin Yong. 20 years ago they were the center of disputes on all school campuses. But looking back, who would regard reading Jin Yong's works as a mistake instead of a valuable experience?

The article further points out that for a long time, Chinese students have been taught to stick to orthodox doctrines as if anything outside the mainstream were an enemy. However, this exact way of teaching is the real enemy we're facing in the reform of our nation's education system.