An honesty crisis has hit Chinese fledglings
By Echo Shan (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-07-13 17:25

An honesty crisis has hit Chinese fledglings as they find an honest quality hardly leads to any benefits. A recent survey polled a total of 700 middle school students, aged from 12 to 16, and found that nearly 90 percent bypass honesty for the sake of interests.

Conducted by a district educational committee in Southwest China's Chongqing Municipality, the survey results has shocked the public as the Chinese younger generation has grown so pragmatic that self benefits easily trump the quality of honesty, which has been long preserved by Chinese as one of their traditional core values.

In exchange for booties, 72.4% of the minor respondents would tell a lie, shows the survey.

Also, when asked what they would do if they detected a substandard food maker in the community where they lived, half of the students said they would do nothing, citing it as the duty of relative authorities, rather than theirs.

Citing heavy schooling pressure more than three-quarters of the polled would rather cheat in exams, if it could be hidden from monitors patrolling the examination room. Some admitted to providing a fake health report when applying for further study programs.

While the dishonesty in the above cases could possibly be viewed as "reasonable" as they concern individual benefits, there are no excuses for the following cases.

Some 64.5 percent don't arrive to appointments on time, and at school, 43.5 percent of the students said they have at least once given false excuses to skip school or PE lessons.

Once upon a time middle students viewed it an honor to help others in need now it's considered "outdated" nowadays. While riding a bus, according to the survey, nearly 60 percent decline to offer their seats to senior people and the weak, saying that they are also tired.

Over 90 percent said they wouldn't give a helping hand to school peers in trouble, saying that they should be helped by teachers.

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