Wang Nanzi, a Shanghai native who was labeled a standard 'bad' student by his teachers when he was studying at a Shanghai school eight years ago is now considered a talented animation designer after continuing his studies in the United States, writes the Eastern Morning Post on September 25.

Wang Enchong (L) and his son Wang Nanzi. [Eastern Morning Post]

Wang's 'bad' habits of chatting in class and interrupting his teachers, totally forbidden in Chinese classes, earned him a reputation as a genius in the US.

Wang had to leave his home country in his second year of junior high school.

"I had become a headache to teachers," Wang told the paper, adding that his class was graded by performance and he was considered a typical bad student.

"I had no choice but to give up my studies," says Wang.

China's education system originates from the centuries-old Keju (imperial examinations) system, which confined ambitious young men to the traditional 'four books and five classics'.

Because of this influence, China's educational system is well-known for offering fundamental knowledge but is accused of lacking creativity and confining students' personalities.

The future seems bright for Wang who could not continue his studies in China.

Wang is now a senior scholarship student at The Art Institute of Philadelphia.

The 1.8 meter-tall animation designer bought a three-story apartment in the US and won first prize in the Saytek animation competition.

According to Wang, his habits such as chatting and interrupting others are not considered problems in the US.

"I was encouraged to a large extent," Wang told the paper when recalling his interruption to correct a teacher's mistake.

"I was called a genius."

Wang's story raises concerns about China's further educational reform and questions on how to get rid of the Keju influence. It also triggers criticism China's domestic education system from Wang's father, a former teacher himself.

"The many problems rooted in the country's educational system have caused some talented students to develop into 'cement-heads'.

"Some teachers are short-sighted when it comes to cultivating students," he says.

"If my son's active personality had been properly guided, he would not have given up his studies," Wang says, adding that repeated criticism and neglect led to his son's unsuccessful attempt to study in China.

Economic hub Shanghai is witnessing a new round of educational reforms, domestic reports said.

China's educational experts also voiced concern over the issue.

Top expert Zhang Renli noted that it is a fact in China that lots of teachers do not actively encourage students, but that encouragement is not a good way to deal with students.

"Criticism is needed to mold students as long as it fits their condition," he says.

Wang's father rebutted the claims, saying students develop into homework machines while their psychological development is neglected.

"It is not worth bragging about if some junior high students learn high school students'textbooks and win the title of the Olympic Maths Competition," Wang says.

A great number of Chinese students have won top prize at the Olympic Maths Competition.