A YOUNG CHILD in Shanghai was diagnosed with alopecia areata, or spot baldness, caused by too much stress. The two-and-a-half-year-old's mother sent him to five training classes－English, mathematics, fine arts, piano and public speaking－over the past two months in a bid to get him into a prestigious kindergarten next year. People's Daily comments:

Although this is an isolated case, it is undeniable that many parents worry their children may "lose the race at the starting line" if they do not attend training courses as early as possible.

Those parents, who can afford to pay for various kinds of extracurricular training programs or the high fees charged by private tutors, usually ignore the role they play in educating their offspring.

A child's own interests are the best teacher. Too much forced education and training at an early age can easily stifle the imagination and curiosity that are required for true learning and thinking, which are things valued by all true educators.

The education authorities have no reason to sit idle while anxiety about children being left behind at the starting line has become such a prevalent concern of parents. The root cause is the unfair distribution and lack of quality education resources. Increasing the supply of high-quality education resources, including teachers, should be a priority on the government's to-do list.

Also, the talent assessment system should be reformed to downplay the importance of exam scores and instead better reflect children's comprehensive abilities.