The next day, Chengdu Metropolitan News published an article about the speech accident of Sun Xiao at Chengdu No. 10 Middle School, titled "Are Our Children Really Not Good Enough? Re-discussing the Authenticity of the Summer Camp Competition."
The reporter objectively and faithfully recorded Sun Xiao's speech, Jiang Hongshao's questioning, and Cheng Ran's subsequent rebuttal. Of course, where the two people's names were mentioned, they were replaced with "two male and female students from No. 10 Middle School".
As soon as the report came out, newspapers distributed throughout the province that day caused an uproar, whether in government offices, cubicles in enterprises and institutions, or in some families. In Sichuan Province, like all parts of China at the time, people still firmly believed in the conclusion drawn from the summer camp competition that their children were "lost generation". The dispute that broke out in No. 10 Middle School was like a bomb dropped in Mirror Lake.
The 1994 China Youth Daily report that clarified Sun Xiao's fabrication and exaggeration of facts was also dug up and used to support the argument of the boy from No. 10 Middle School.
As the Chengdu Reading Newspaper's story spread, some domestic newspapers distributed in the region, including the Shanghai Daily and the Suicheng Daily, also opened up pages and reprinted the article. Just as the scope of discussion was gradually expanding, the China Education Daily published an article by Sun Xiao to clarify the matter, protesting his injustice.
In the article, Sun Xiao explained and responded to some of the fallacies and harsh points in the article he reported at that time, such as the confusion over common sense in marching and the somewhat harsh reporting on girls at that time. In short, Sun Xiao avoided the important issues throughout the article and cited a report in the People's Daily at that time that believed that children from both countries had their own strengths, but Japanese children had better environmental awareness and moral cultivation as his evidence.
But in fact, it is not that the quality of Chinese students is poor, but that places with good economic levels will inevitably do better in this regard than backward areas. Unfortunately, in China at that time, backwardness was the biggest original sin.
In fact, this is no longer just a matter of Cheng Ran and Jiang Hongshao's anger and confrontation with Sun Xiao.
It has gradually evolved into a domestic news front and even a clash of educational ideas and concepts.
Because those who fueled Sun Xiao's article included the People's Daily, China National Radio, China Central Television, China Education Daily, Yangcheng Evening News, and even Readers magazine, which was firmly the country's largest publication, as well as the education systems in various places that were affected by it.
However, some newspapers also criticized Sun Xiao's remarks based on facts. A deputy editor-in-chief of a newspaper wrote a long article to support him, saying that the two students from No. 10 Middle School had extensive knowledge and their arguments were well-founded, and that calling Sun Xiao a "liar" was not an exaggeration.
For a time, there were constant comments from all sides. An old professor from a famous university published a poem to satirize Sun Xiao, saying, "The words of praise and praise are heartless, how could Empress Wu belittle the peony."
Some people think that since it is fabricated, such articles should not be popular and have no meaning! Others think that even if some of the content is untrue, it may cause reflection and introspection, and seek changes in educational methods, which also has a positive effect.
The Ministry of Education, which had just changed its name from the "National Education Commission", conducted an internal investigation. The investigation report was submitted to the main leaders of the State Council and the National People's Congress and the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference. In the end, the investigation concluded that the wording of the article on summer camps should be revised, but the discussion on education is still necessary.
The news media and ideological clashes triggered by the ten middle school students questioning Sun Xiao gradually calmed down from the most violent storm period.
But the discussion and debate are still far from over, and it is foreseeable that they will continue with far-reaching impact in the more distant future.
Although some people's mindsets have changed and they are no longer harsh on their children, some damage has already been done and some ideas are deeply rooted. The term "Lost Generation" was ultimately not able to get over this incident, and there are still people who will use this kind of thing to humiliate the next generation and compare them with others, and they do it in a fabricated and distorted way to elevate the other side and belittle the children.
Just like the article that had already been clarified in China Youth Daily, its influence was ultimately not as great as the original summer camp competition article.
But time will tell.
These people who eat unscrupulous food and toxic milk powder, who were born in an underdeveloped country but have to compete with children from developed countries all over the world, who have to delay retirement once they get a job, who cannot afford to buy a house or get married even after working for decades, who live in rental houses in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen for their dreams, and who have to accept the accusations of a group of morally corrupt people who disturb others by dancing in the square, who commit fraud and make people lose their fortunes, who pollute the environment by discharging illegal substances, and who produce ineffective vaccines and kill people.
They will always keep their dreams in their hearts and not complain about anything. Even if the road ahead is difficult and life is not easy, they will still grit their teeth and take on their responsibilities.
They will eventually become the backbone force in science and technology, sports, academia, business and various fields amid natural disasters and man-made tragedies, and work hard to make life better.
If we keep moving forward, there will be new glory for generation after generation.
…
After returning to No. 10 Middle School, the school leaders found Cheng Ran and Jiang Hongshao and had a deep conversation. During the conversation, the school revealed that Sun Xiao said that he could have pursued the legal responsibility of Cheng Ran and his guardian, but he generously limited the matter to the scope of educational discussion and showed considerable tolerance.
Cheng Ran just listened to this statement, regardless of its authenticity. Whether Sun Xiao thought that students who challenged his authority or even insulted him in court were just children and did not care about it, maybe he had such thoughts, but more likely, if he filed a lawsuit and sued Cheng Ran and his family in court, the impact of this matter would be further expanded, which would not be conducive to the solution of making a big thing small or a small thing nothing.
In fact, if the China Youth Daily had not clarified the incident in 1994, some newspaper media people who uphold the truth of journalism would have started to attack it, and this debate would not have started. Cheng Ran and Jiang Hongshao, as students of No. 10 Middle School, were not qualified to fight this war with Sun Xiao. It is very likely that Sun Xiao was forced to keep the news within the No. 10 Middle School because of his status and reputation.
On the day when Cheng Ran and Jiang Hongshao talked separately, the school leaders present in the principal's office discussed the matter first, but the discussion did not seem so serious. Some leaders even mentioned Cheng Ran's remarks at the time with a smile, "'If you don't respect the facts, what valuable conclusions can you draw? If you don't dare to look children in the eye, what hope is there for education'... It was really well said..."
So in the principal's office, a group of principals and vice principals looked at Cheng Ran curiously. Some of them were not present that day and only heard about it afterwards, so at this time, their expressions towards Cheng Ran were more like looking at a giant panda.
Principal Wang Xian, who was called "Grandpa Wang" by the students, frowned and said, "After all, you did curse at me... How about writing a self-criticism? I won't let you read it."
Cheng Ran didn't say much, just shook his head, not listening.
The leaders of No. 10 Middle School all looked at each other in bewilderment. Considering the speech that this student made in the lecture hall, to be honest, not to mention those who heard it at the time, many people who came down to listen to the retelling of it all felt their scalps tingling. This is not an ordinary student, this is a tiger in his heart... This student is not simple anyway, he needs to be carefully observed.
Principal Wang Xian scratched his head and said, "Then you go back first. The school will announce your punishment later."
When Jiang Hongshao entered, the school leaders in the office were obviously much more active and caring towards Cheng Ran than before. Jiang Hongshao listened obediently to their praises in various aspects. Finally, this girl who had been well-behaved in front of the leaders suddenly said, "Principal Wang Xian... Are you going to deal with the criticism of Cheng Ran?"
Wang Xian was stunned, "Who told you this?" If Jiang Hongshao had not been in another office when Cheng Ran left, he would have suspected that Cheng Ran had tipped off the person.
Jiang Hongshao shook her head. "If you want to report, put Cheng Ran on probation, or expel him, please deal with me as well."
After Wang Xian repeatedly stated that Cheng Ran had not reached that point and the school had no such idea, Jiang Hongshao nodded, turned around and left the office.
After the girl left, the old principal of No. 10 Middle School looked angry and complained to the people around him who had already started laughing, "What kind of words are you talking about? These two classes of students are getting harder and harder to lead. They are teaming up to bully an old man like me!"
I've been thinking about this chapter transition for a while, so I won't do it so late tomorrow. I'll try.