Comment on the Problems of School Curriculum Setup, Teaching, and Examination Methods〔1〕
(March 10, 1964)

After Liu, Deng, and Peng〔2〕 have read this, please have Shangkun〔3〕 handle it. This document should be distributed to each of the ministers and vice ministers of the Central Propaganda Department, each of the ministers, vice ministers, and department and bureau heads of the Central Ministry of Education, one copy for each of the responsible persons of the Beijing Municipal Party Committee and Municipal People's Committee and the comrades in charge of education, and three copies for the Central Committee of the Youth League. And ask them to investigate and study it. Currently, there are too many school courses, and the pressure on students is too great. The teaching methods are also not very effective. Examination methods treat students as enemies, launching surprise attacks. These three things are all detrimental to cultivating young people to develop actively and lively in the moral, intellectual, and physical aspects.

Mao Zedong
Month Day, Year
Published based on the manuscript.

Notes
〔1〕 This comment was written on the sixteenth issue of "Masses' Reflections," compiled and printed by the Secretariat of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee on March 6, 1964. This issue of "Masses' Reflections" excerpted a letter from Wei Lianyi, principal of Beijing Railway No. 2 Middle School, dated February 1964, regarding his opinions on the issue of lightening the burden on middle school students. On March 14, the CPC Central Committee issued Mao Zedong's comment and this issue of "Masses' Reflections" as Document Zhongfa〔64〕171.
〔2〕 Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Deng refers to Deng Xiaoping, then General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee. Peng refers to Peng Zhen, then a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee.
〔3〕 Shangkun refers to Yang Shangkun, then an alternate secretary of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee and Director of the General Office of the Central Committee.