Dear Parent of Student B，

Greetings!

When my daughter entered university to study Biological Sciences, I was truly grateful for your reminder: “Biology is a dead end. If the child has the chance, switch to medicine or engineering.” I fully understand your concern. Similar warnings — “such-and-such a major is a dead end, stay away from it” — are now widely circulated in Chinese social media. Biology, in particular, is often portrayed as if choosing it means walking straight into a dead end. Each time I hear this, I feel both saddened and regretful.

Please allow me, in this letter, to share some of my reflections with you.

Biology is not the dead end —
the true “pitfall” lies in a utilitarian view of education

Why is biology called a “dead end”? The reasons are not hard to see:

• Job opportunities for undergraduates are limited;
• The research path is long, often requiring a master’s, PhD, or even postdoctoral training;
• The domestic system is rigid, with too many talents but too few positions;
• The media likes to amplify extreme cases, creating the stereotype of the “PhD delivering takeout.”

All of these phenomena are real. But that does not mean biology itself is a “dead end.” The real problem lies in how many people see education purely as an assembly line of schooling → employment → survival.

And so:

• High-return majors (finance, computer science) are pursued feverishly;
• Fields that demand long-term commitment (biology, mathematics, philosophy) are discouraged;
• The meaning of education is reduced to “finding a job that pays,” rather than “cultivating a whole person.”

That, I believe, is the true “pitfall.”

Why do we live? Why does education exist?

Just yesterday, I discussed an old question with a colleague: Why do we live? She has also been a guiding light in my daughter’s growth. With a teacher’s delicate touch, she shared with us her observations of natural environments across the world during her travels, and she also introduced us to many New Zealand biologists and educators.

Our shared understanding is this: life is not merely about making a living. It is about experiencing, observing, knowing, and understanding the world — whether the natural world or the human world.

But the mission of education should not stop there. After understanding the world, the greater task is to understand oneself. This was, in fact, my original intention in founding the Forest School.

Education must ultimately return to the person. Only then can a child truly know: In this vast world, who am I? What can I do? How does my life connect with others and with nature?

If education cannot bring children to this point, it loses its soul.

Biology: A doorway to understanding the world and oneself

From this perspective, biology is not a “dead end” at all. It is, rather, an excellent doorway.

• It compels us to ask: What is life?
• It prompts us to think: Where did humanity come from, and where are we going?
• It reminds us: Can the relationship between people, nature, and the environment move toward harmony?

Studying biology may not bring quick economic rewards. But it allows children to face the essence of life and to join in humanity’s deepest inquiries. Even without headline-making achievements, their efforts will inevitably become part of the great edifice of knowledge for future generations.

Isn’t that far more meaningful than simply earning a paycheck?

Beware of becoming “scallions under the sickle of education”

What worries me most is not the future of any one field, but rather the chaos in today’s education marketplace.

Many so-called “education experts” are, in fact, merchants of anxiety. They follow a few predictable patterns:

• Spreading fear: frightening parents that “your child will fall behind without extra classes”;
• Over-promising: boasting of “guaranteed admission to top schools,” while charging exorbitant fees;
• False packaging: claiming to offer “exclusive secrets,” but none can withstand scrutiny;
• Short-sighted utilitarianism: caring only about test scores, never about the child’s inner growth;
• Quick profit-seeking: turning children into experiments, parents into scallions under the sickle of education, while they themselves profit handsomely.

These people are not true educators. What they harvest is not knowledge, but the future of children and parents’ trust in education.

True education: helping children discover passion and self

Dear parent, true education is not about steering children away from “pitfalls,” but about helping them:

• Discover their interests and passions;
• Connect their studies with life in a broader vision;
• Cultivate timeless soft skills: critical thinking, communication, interdisciplinary understanding, and self-motivation.

Only then can they not only make a living, but also find meaning in life.

A note to wise parents

So, let me say this: Biology is not a dead end — life itself is the classroom.

If we look at education with short-sighted eyes, we will be harvested by so-called experts and become scallions under the sickle of education. But if we raise our eyes higher, we will see: the purpose of study is not mere survival, but to live more deeply, more freely, and with greater dignity.

The meaning of education is to help children understand the world, and ultimately, to understand themselves.

We are committed to walking this path with children: so that they may achieve not only in grades and resumes, but also in character and soul.

That, in the end, is the true value of education.

With my best regards,