After marking papers at a recent national science-fiction writing contest for all students below university level, Gu Yang is convinced that there are more potential Thomas Edisons in China's primary schools than in the country's high schools.

"The older the students are, the less imaginative they seem to be, judging from their compositions,'' said Gu, who has been a member of the contest's review committee for the past four years.

Students participating in China's 15th "Golden Key'' Pre-university Students Scientific Contest were given the freedom to write on any aspect of "genetic technology'' that seized their interest.

Gene bombs and government control of organizations working on genetically modified human beings were the most popular topics in high school students' papers, according to the review committee.

"Most high school students seem to be politically focused and locked in similar mind-sets,'' Gu said, "while primary school students are more imaginative and write in a much freer style.''

"The essays of the primary school children are like heavenly steeds galloping across the skies,'' she said, recalling the themes of their papers, which ran through a wide range from such things as genetically modified foods and cloned human beings helping them in sports or the classroom, to roads that could be rolled out like zipping up a zipper, magic keys and other stunningly creative themes.

Some critics say that high school students' narrow range of knowledge may, to some extent, be fettering their imaginations.

"China's current examination system forces students to bury themselves in their required textbooks, giving them little time to read popular science books outside class,'' said Wang Xinsheng, editor-in-chief of the magazine People and Science.

In China, tens of thousands of high school students face fierce competition in the annual national college entrance examination, as half of them will be denied access to further studies in institutions of higher learning.

"In fact, Chinese high school students do not lack imagination and creativity, they just don't have time to imagine,'' Wang said. "Our country needs to establish scientific evaluation mechanisms to measure our children's performance in school.''

However, senior citizens and education experts defend their stand.

Sun Weizi, a 73-year-old sci-fi writer, disagrees with the view that "the older people are the less imaginative they become.''

"It's true that young people's minds are quick, but that does not mean they are more imaginative,'' Sun said.

"Wild fancies do not match imagination and creativity,'' he said.

To Professor Ma Wenwei of Southeast China University, "Older students are more pragmatic. Clearly, the older the students are, the richer their knowledge.

"Otherwise, it would be unnecessary for us to spend all those years getting educated. ''

(China Daily January 7, 2004)