Dare to ask for where is our path?

Insight into the way of today's students in China.

By Luke Zhang

Editor's note: Homeland Insight is premiering in this Issue. The purpose is to report on and inquire into the current conditions, problems, and opportunities of Chinese students in Mainland China.

As the wheels turn, memories fade like smoke

One day late in 1980's, as I was sitting on the international train from Beijing to Berlin, Germany, and staring as the Great Wall receded outside of the window, hundreds of thoughts were rushing into my mind. The memory of my days from elementary school to college returned vividly with punctuation marks.

The sound of chalk on the wooden blackboard during my elementary school days, the music from the loud speaker for our daily exercise during my high school days, and the nightly " fighting for a seat" in the library in my college days, all seemed to disappear with the sound of the rolling wheels of the train. Although our generation suffered many political instabilities and economical difficulties, through the teaching of thousands of years in China, we can endure "ten years of hardship through the winters", our hearts are still tightly bound to the classrooms and campuses.

Now, as we enter into a new century, the students from China seem to have completely changed. They seem to be strangers to us. Although we have gone through a lot in our student days, we cannot help but become totally amazed with what we see in the new generation of students.

The attitudes and circumstances of students are so different from the old days. Yet, we still see those students with thick eye-glasses, carrying heavy book bags, studying diligently, and walking alone hesitantly. We also hear the unbelievable "campus wounds", causing alarm and bitter aching in our hearts. Now, let me take you for a walk through the Chinese campuses today.

Elementary school students encountering psychological problems

In May of this year, there was an ambulance racing to the Number One People's Children Hospital in Yin Chuan. Carrying out of the ambulance is a girl named Xiao Ma, who was a 13 year old, 5th grader. She was under tremendous pressure in her studies and was scolded by her parents when she complained. Then she went into her room and drank a large amount of insecticide.

According to the hospital spokesman, this was the fourth elementary school student who had been treated for suicide this month (1). Professor Wu Shihuang, Chairman of the Chinese National Committee on Public Dissemination of Psychological Sciences, did a survey and found that 10% of the ten year olds in the entire country had thought about committing suicide. He cried out for an increased effort to strengthen the effort in education of mental health in elementary and high schools. (2)

Dr. Xiao Liang of the Center of Mental Health of Shanghai Yangpu District's reported that his hospital had admitted 20 cases of suicide from elementary and high schools during the period of 2000 to 2002 (3). Mental pressure caused by frustrations and psychological illness, is becoming a serious social problem. In 2002, China published the first survey on suicides, indicating that suicide has become the fifth cause of death in China. Every year, the number of death due to suicide reaches 287,000. Suicide is the leading cause of death among 15 to 34 year olds, and it is 19% of all deaths in that age group. (4)

In recent years, many cities have set up are mental health "hotlines" to meet the rising need of mental illnesses. Depression and extreme frustration become so common that they are called the "influenza" of mental health.

In Shanghai, since the setup of the hotline, there is a call every three minutes, on the average: 80% are those called face serious emotional hurdles, particularly depression and anxiety. According to a survey of Shanghai Mental Health Center, the whole city has 120,000 people who need mental help. This is about 8-9% of the population (5).

Young man and young woman moving ahead

Last November, one report from "the National Conference on Quality of Mental Health in Schools" held in Chungqin, had shaken everyone attending the meeting: 90.21% female high school students have severe psychological pressure and bewilderment. In order of seriousness, these problems include personal relationship, " premature dating" and pressure of scholarly achievement (6).

It is understandable for students to face school pressure. Unfortunately in places where life should be pure and simple in middle and high school campuses, now students feel the tremendous pressure of interpersonal relationship problems, even to the point great distress. In their young age, they have to face problems with "premature dating". The situation makes people to worry and be concerned.

Unofficial report show that in the adolescent Clinic of Beijing' s Second Hospital alone, there are over 300 student visits every month. They are junior high students from ages fourteen to fifteen. About half of them involve "premature dating". In particular, when the young girls go one step further in their sexual relationship, they pay a heavy price. According to one of the clinic physicians, Beijing University Medical School professor Hu Peicheng, for every ten people visiting the clinic, there are two pregnant young girls (7).

Experts give many explanations to this phenomenon. Most thought it is a matter of lack of sex education to the young people. The young people do not know how to protect themselves. But I think differently. If we cannot understand the big picture of today's world, these " home grown flowers" are growing up in the kind of soil, full of moral decay, loose sex and broken homes, as well as being tempted by the unlimited amount of pornography. It would be like scratching over the boot and pure self deception to think that we can prevent "teen husband and teen wife", and "unwed mother" by strengthening sex education among the young people.

Atmosphere of commercialism on college campuses

On today's college campus, it is not unusual to find many commercials and advertisements on the bulletin boards for newspapers. It is common to find salespersons visiting the dormitories. The student-sales persons would promote all sorts of goods. They look very mature and are very effective in their sales.

The idea of "not hearing things from the outside world with two ears, but single-mindedly study the books of the saints" has become much like a withered flower on today' s college campuses. Everywhere we go, it is filled heavily with commercialism.

There are people on both sides of the opinion to this situation. Those proponents think that college students through this commercialism can enable them to go to the outside "beautiful world". They can be independent by earning their expenses. They should be encouraged. Unfortunately, when you see these youthful faces, they are so smooth-tongued and having already learned how to get into everywhere using whatever means necessary. Many people would shake their heads and sigh over these ruthless college businessmen.

In fact, the students who are busy in doing business, are having trouble focusing on their studies, studying hard. More worrisome is the attitude of making a profit as their motto in life, spending without control, and considering money as number one. This has eroded into the ideal campus atmosphere of the fresh and simple life, and the emphasis of studying. They actually attract admiring eyes, becoming the dominating trend on college campus.

According to a survey by a website, www.sohu.com, in May 2003, out of 1881 college students, 21.2% work in sales, 10.4% work in restaurant to earn money, 4.2% work as "junior secretary" in offices, and 3.8% work as tour-guide. (8) One can see the society is "money is everything", and business atmosphere is getting thicker on campuses. It is no wonder, People's Daily is crying out that those on campuses should not give up their studies to work for money. They should recognize their primary responsibility is a student, and working is merely to demonstrate they can do it and not for profit (9).

Virtual world injures the heart

Looking into today's Chinese campuses, the life style of little emperors from the rule pf one-child per family has created difficult roads to walk on. These so-called Heaven's chosen students have no steady steps in their lives. Many have fallen into the virtual world of the computer and they cannot find a way out. They have no energy all day, but once they get on the web, they become excited. They describe themselves as the generation of "having one click of the mouse and creating endless energy".

But in the "ta ta" sound of the keyboard, they spend their precious time and waste their lives away. According to a survey reported on "www.peopledaily.net", in one college, 237 withdrew from school, and among those staying in school, 70% wasted their time playing computer game (10). One of the reasons is that many people live under a tremendous mental pressure. They cannot find a correct pathway. A recent survey on the same website, reports that among 1477 college students interviewed, 59.5% stated that they have had thoughts of suicide. What do you do "when you face setbacks"? 58.4% answered "keep silence and deal with it yourself" (11).

Dare I ask where is our path?

Can today's students in our homeland really "take care themselves?" Aside from sighing, shedding tears, getting frustrated and keeping silence, is there any other methods? Where is the way out? How do they get out of the mess? Many sing the theme song from the TV series "Westward Journey": "Dare to ask where is my path? The path is under our feet". Many are rushing out of the country, becoming the lead of today's "westward journey". More and more junior and senior high school "young students studying abroad" start to travel westward. (I will discuss more in detail the problems of "young students abroad" in the next issue). Unfortunately, what is waiting for them is not an easy road, they would feel the pain upon pain, and who would know?

If I did not get to know Jesus Christ during my freshman year, and accepted the Christian faith, I would feel unbearable emptiness when I face today's situation. Only with God's guidance and keeping, I can see the sunshine through the clouds; otherwise, life would be covered by so much dark clouds.

The scripture says, "We had all strayed like sheep, each of us had gone his own way;" (Isaiah 53:6), even when we walk in darkness and we do not know. Not only the outside darkness, even more the darkness in our heart, the ending will be being lost and death.

Jesus said: " I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6), the way in college is the same as other roads in our lives. Only through knowing Jesus Christ, can we find the way out.

References:

1. Xinhuanet.com, May 26, 2003, Reporters: Meng Zhaoli, Zhang Miao.

2. Chungqing Evening News, November 3, 2002, Reporter: Tang Hanfeng.

3 .Sohu.com report, May 22, 2003.

4. World Journal, November 29, 2002.

5. Sohu.com report, May 22, 2003.

6. Chungqin Evening News, November 3, 2002, Reporter: Tang Hanfeng.

7. Daily Living, October 11, 2002.

8. Sohu.com report, May 22, 2003.

9. People's Daily, "About my jobs", Sohu.com report, May 22, 2003.

10. Peopledaily.com: "Survey and discussion of college students' internet life"; June 23, 2003.

11. Campus.sohu.com, May 22, 2003.

The author came from Shanghai, and is presently Director of Chinese ministry, the Sowers international.

Dear readers: After you read this article, we hope you will pray for the problems in the Chinese campuses in the next months.