To stop his 15-yearold son blowing off his studies, a father in Lianyungang, Jiangsu Province took a revolutionary approach – he pulled his son from high school to take him on a crosscountry cycling trip. The father surnamed Tang said after trying persuasion and punishment to get his son to study, he thought the long and arduous road trip would scare his son straight back to school. But his son surprised him. The duo covered around 9,000 kilometers over seven months, during which their relationship improved and the teen matured. Tang said the trip has tempered his son’s will through the many challenges they faced. However, Tang said he will respect his son’s choice on whether he wants to return to school.
The story triggered spirited online discussions. Some praised Tang for having the courage to take an unconventional approach to education, saying that life experience is the best teacher. Others said that long-term absence from school deprives him of conventional education and social skills. “Why not have him get a part-time job instead? I think that would better help him learn how important studying is for his future,” a netizen commented.
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