One of the biggest wastes in Chinese education is confining the smartest people entirely within classrooms to compete for grades, rather than allowing them to enter fields that truly create value.

Taking the catering industry as an example.
French cuisine and Japanese cuisine almost dominate the discourse in high-end global dining. But if we only consider flavor and complexity, Chinese cuisine may not be inferior.
The question is, why can French cuisine keep evolving, while China's international influence remains limited?
Because in our societal perception, those who can get into 985 universities, Tsinghua, or Peking University should go into finance, the internet, or research institutions, not learn culinary arts.
But modern culinary competition is no longer just about cooking itself.
It requires nutrition science, aesthetics, branding, marketing, supply chain management, food science, and even cross-cultural storytelling skills.
If the most capable learners, researchers, and innovators never enter this industry, then it’s indeed difficult for the industry to achieve globalization and high-end upgrading.
A truly advanced society is not about making all the smart people take exams, but about allowing the most talented individuals to freely choose any profession and continuously drive that industry forward.