Guangzhou Yang Qiwei: Is the "Olympiad" an angel or a demon?

>Guangzhou Yang Qiwei: Is the "Olympiad" an angel or a demon? In order to enter a better university, many students and parents are keen on the Mathematical Olympiad, thinking that the Mathematical Olympiad is a step into a well-known university...

Guangzhou Yang Qiwei: Is the "Mathly Olympiad" an angel or a demon? In order to enter a better university, many students and parents are keen on the Mathematical Olympiad. They believe that the Mathematical Olympiad is a "stepping stone" to enter well-known universities, and they must grasp it no matter what. In fact, there are many examples of students who were recommended to colleges and universities with extra points or obtained independent admission qualifications because of their outstanding performance in the Olympiad. Therefore, many students and parents have pinned their hopes for further studies on the Mathematical Olympiad. However, the Mathematical Olympiad craze has begun to cool down recently. The main reason is that the "Third China Primary School Mathematics Education Summit" proposed that starting from 2014, Olympiad winners will no longer be eligible for university admission, and provincial education departments across the country have also successively suspended various trainings involving "Mathematical Olympiad". When this ladle of cold water was poured down, some people cheered and some were worried. Is it a good idea to stop the National Mathematical Olympiad? Is Olympiad an angel or a demon? For a time, there were divergent opinions and no consensus. In my opinion, the Mathematical Olympiad itself is not a bad thing. To put it bluntly, it is a mathematics competition for middle school students. At least it can help discover the special intelligence and mathematical interests of some students. If students really learn Mathematical Olympiad out of interest, there is nothing wrong with it. It's just that many things will always change their taste when they come to China, and good things will turn into bad things, so that it becomes a stepping stone for parents to add points to their children and get into prestigious universities. In this way, Mathematical Olympiad is harmful. In fact, a student who has won the Mathematical Olympiad will certainly not have a bad math score when taking the college entrance examination. Why should we take special care? Doesn’t this give students an insurance mentality and a sense of luck? The result of extra points in Mathematical Olympiad is not only bad for students, but also ruins the reputation of Mathematical Olympiad. The International Mathematical Olympiad upholds the Olympic spirit of "the important thing is not winning, but participating", and its purpose is to "discover and encourage young people with mathematical talents in the world, create conditions for scientific education exchanges between countries, and enhance friendly relations between teachers and students in various countries." However, in China, the Mathematical Olympiad, which should have been an extracurricular dessert for a few "geniuses", has become a feast for all. Schools and parents blindly promote the admission rate and the effect of prestigious schools, turning the Mathematical Olympiad into a monster. Mathematician Yau Shing-tung, a professor at Harvard University in the United States and winner of the Fields Medal, the "Nobel Prize in Mathematics", has publicly called on many times on different occasions to cancel the exemption from examinations in colleges and universities and to recommend gold medalists in the International Mathematical Olympiad competition. He said that the Mathematical Olympiad has been "professionalized" in China, while in the United States, students just "play" the Mathematical Olympiad as a hobby. In China, as long as students win the Mathematical Olympiad competition, they can enjoy admission without examination. Therefore, many students who do not like to learn Mathematical Olympiad are forced to learn Mathematical Olympiad. Once the goal is achieved, they will give up thinking and mathematics. Professor Qiu Chengtong believes that China has trained so many gold medalists in the International Mathematical Olympiad competition over the years, but so far none of them has won the Fields Medal. This is enough to show that the "Math Olympiad fever" has not selected real mathematical talents for China. More experts pointed out that the "National Mathematical Olympiad" has turned most students into sparring partners and destroyed their interest in learning mathematics. Throughout the history of Mathematical Olympiad, there have indeed been some famous mathematicians. For example, Li Jun, a professor in the Department of Mathematics at Stanford University, once won the championship in the Shanghai Mathematics Competition. Fields Medal winner, Chinese-American mathematician Terence Tao, is also a former Mathematical Olympiad champion. Henri Poincaré, the greatest mathematician in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century, had the "Proof of the Poincaré Conjecture" named after him, which won him three Fields Medals (Nobel Prize in Mathematics). This great mathematician happened to be the champion of the French middle school mathematics competition twice, and was recommended for admission to university. It can be seen that the Mathematical Olympiad produces talents, and the Mathematical Olympiad creates masters. But in China, the extra-point policy for the Mathematical Olympiad has made it a stepping stone for admission to prestigious universities. The temptation of extra points has increased the mental burden on students, parents and schools, reduced the fairness of competition, and tarnished the reputation of the Mathematical Olympiad. Therefore, experts believe that although the Mathematical Olympiad is not an angel, it is not a demon either. Managing the Mathematical Olympiad does not mean to stop the Mathematical Olympiad and cancel the Mathematical Olympiad. The Mathematical Olympiad can continue to be held, but to return the Mathematical Olympiad to its essence, we must put aside all utilitarian factors and allow those students who are truly interested in mathematics and have superior intelligence to learn the Mathematical Olympiad. Moreover, the bonus point policy for the Mathematical Olympiad must be abolished, and the Mathematical Olympiad is only used as a reference score. It is also necessary to change the examination method and provide students with multiple opportunities. Instead of taking one test to determine their life, we can learn from the American SAT (Academic Ability Assessment Test) to give students more room for growth.