‘He will be extraordinary’: proud China father praises ‘emotional strength’ of poorly-performing son in emotional school speech
- Boy struggles in exams but shows mental strength to cope with setbacks
- Social media observers praise father for parenting style
A speech by a father in China in which he expressed the belief that his academically-poor-performing son has a bright future has captivated mainland social media and reignited a discussion about parenting styles.
During a teacher-parent meeting at an elite elementary school in Qingdao, Shandong province in eastern China, a man, whose son was bottom of the class was invited to speak about his child, Zhengfa Channel reported.
“My son is a struggling student, but I still believe he will be able to make great contributions to society when he grows up,” the father said in a viral video shot in a classroom on November 17.
The father, who was not identified in the report, then apologised to the teachers because his son’s low grades had brought down the average mark of the class.
“But I still believe he will have a bright future,” the father insisted, adding: “It is because of two factors. Firstly, despite my son’s poor scores, he still feels relieved. He also eats, drinks, plays and sleeps well. He seems never worried about his studies and this makes me admire him.
“This means he has a very strong mentality, even better than mine. I am the holder of a psychologist consultant’s certificate. Strong mentality and a high emotional quotient are crucial to success in our careers,” the father said.
