A broad look at the courses on offer shows they typically recruit students aged 7 to 15, with tuition fees ranging from 4,000 to 10,000 yuan for eight to 10 days' study.

However, parents and education experts are questioning whether the high fees are justified.

Zhang Jianhong, the mother of a primary school second grader, said she saw many ads claiming that students can memorize circumference ratios, or 100 numbers, in two minutes, after taking part in an eight-day program.

"If it was as wonderful as it claims, everyone would grow up to be a genius," she said.

"My boy is quite naughty and I doubt he would be patient enough to sit down and memorize circumference ratios. And even if it does work, how can he apply it to his studies?" she asked.

Wang Xuming, a former spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, said there is no short cut in education.

"Studying is a process of accumulation and one cannot expect to memorize and understand everything in a very short period of time," Wang said.

In his blog, Wang also commented on the reciting of The Book of Family Names, undertaken in the Spring Festival Gala.

He said the show opposed the law of education and the principal of education authorities to stimulate creativity.

"Memorization is of no use when nurturing a talent with the spirit of creativity," he said.

-China Daily/Asia News Network