An eight year-old university student?
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He Yide reads a book on marketing. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

Eight year-old He Yide and his helicopter father, 50-year-old He Liesheng, successfully registered in the self-taught examination of Nanjing University, one of China's top universities.

He Yide already drew attention to himself as his father took on his son's education personally. He took him out of school to travel America, giving him alternative educational tasks like toughening him up by having him run naked in -13C temperatures and educating him at home.

He Yide now wants to study sales management if he successfully enrolls in university. "I want to be a businessman so I chose this major," said the little boy.

"I passed junior high school on my own, so I know how to teach myself. Actually, the primary school English exam is harder than this," said He Yide. When he got the heavy reference books for the exam he said, "they are heavy and difficult, and I don't know what the content is about."

He Liesheng feels proud of his parenting methods. [Photo: Chinanews.com]

His father said the exam doesn't have any age limitations, and the subjects are all quite wide. "I think that higher education is suitable for his future job, and it is more targeted so the efficiency for future study will be higher."

The 8 year-old is not the only boy in his father's 'helicopter parent' school, several other students also study under the father, who was previously a teacher. The method of teaching has been questioned by a number of people, and the father has responded by saying that He Yide doesn't only have fun at home, he also hasn't given up compulsory education.

"In the morning, He Yide studies general knowledge, and in the afternoon, he learns specific knowledge," said the father. "He learned science, chemistry and other subjects by himself, and the result is good."

The father regards the self-taught exam neither as a probe nor a try. "However, it is time to see the result of my educational ideas," he said.

He Yide and his mother [Photo: Chinanews.com]

However, He Yide's mother is worried about the issue. "My feelings are complicated as I am afraid my son will not easily get used to such pressure. It may be a challenge for him to take university education."

A student of Nanjing University said that "traditional education could be toppled down, and everybody has infinite possibilities," reported China News.

Wang Liping, former principal of Zhongshan Primary School in Nanjing, said that attempting personalized education is acceptable, but it is not with universal relevance. Children are ordinary people, and the way they develop has certain disciplines. "Pulling up seedlings to help them grow goes against nature," said Wang.

Author： 　　　Source：CRI　　　 Editor：Yang Fan