Catching fish at school

Illustration: Chen Xia/GT

For many Chinese parents, it is horrible to hear their kids say they "caught a fish" today at school - meaning "slacked off" in modern Chinese online slang. But that's not the case for the parents of students at a primary school in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province. Earlier this week, the school organized a fish-catching competition in a rice paddy for first- and second-graders. While enjoying friendly competition against their schoolmates, the little participants also gained more knowledge about nature and agriculture. Parents praised the competition, with some even taking a day off to accompany their kids. This activity is just one of the several ideas put forward by teachers to make students gain joy from their studies. Parts of the campus have been transformed into farms where kids can grow watermelons, harvest rice, and hatch chicken eggs. Unlike the traditional, grades-focused teaching approach, many teachers in Chinese schools have created innovative new ways to educate students in a more fun way.