Whiz Kid Wants a Quiet Life

Feng Shaoyi and his father, Feng Yingang, in Zhuhai, Guangdong Province.

"Teachers think we kids know little about things like the US presidential election. But, in fact, many of my friends and I learned about it online."

The inquisitive student usually turns to the Internet, rather than to his teachers, for answers to questions that pop up when he reads textbooks.

He once embarrassed his Chinese teacher by asking why some dinosaurs had feathers.

"The teacher didn't know the answer. I searched for it on the Internet on my own, afterward," Feng recalls.

"The Web satisfies my curiosity better than school."

Du Fang, Feng's favorite Chinese teacher during his primary school years, admits teachers are increasingly pressured to know more than their core subjects because students are exposed to a wide range of online information.

"If I fail to answer a question raised by my student, I will tell him or her that I'm not almighty," Du says. "As a teacher, I am here to guide them to distinguish between good and bad, and true from false, so they can make good use of online information."

Feng's father, Feng Yingang, agrees the Internet can't replace scholastic education.

"My son still needs guidance to sift through information on the Internet and build his knowledge base. He is like a kung fu lover, who learns all kinds of martial arts moves but lacks the internal strength to master them," the father says.

"It would be great if the schoolteachers can guide my son."

Feng Shaoyi also admits that he has difficulties digesting the glut of online information.

"I will enjoy school's lessons better if the teachers can discuss hot issues related to the subject and tell us what materials we can refer to better understand these issues," the boy says.