Make military drills likable for pupils(2)

Nevertheless, many people have criticized such drills saying they have failed to deliver the goods. A lot of students in training camps are single children who cannot cope with the intense physical regime of military training because, pampered and even spoiled by their parents, they have spent most of their time indoors studying for one exam or another. The schools, given the pressure of such protective parents, thus feel that the training regimen should be made less demanding and shortened in duration to ensure students' safety.

Also, the mismatch between supply of and demand for well-trained drillmasters has contributed to the inefficiency of many military training sessions. Most training programs for students are held in August and September, when the military is busy with professional drills, so it is difficult to assign top-class drillmasters to every students' training camp.

Moreover, the lack of professional training compounds and equipment make the sessions monotonous because of routines such as singing revolutionary songs and folding quilts in square shape. Undoubtedly, this perfunctory practice is neither attractive to students, nor does it serve its original purpose.

To make it attractive and ensure it fulfills its avowed purpose, the military training program has to undergo a qualitative change. To begin with, diverse training activities have to be introduced, and military officers should be instructed to train students in the art of providing medical aid.

More importantly, only qualified drillmasters should be selected to run the training camps, and their activities closely monitored to avoid untoward incidents. There is also need to build compounds exclusively for the training programs and equip them with all the necessary requirements. And, perhaps, other qualified trainers such as demobilized soldiers should be encouraged to set up military training institutes for students so as to relieve the burden on military officers on active duty.

The authors, Wu Peng, Sun Wenji and Liu Zhengmao, are research scholars with the People's Liberation Army National Defense University.