How to spot talent? China looks to genes

"No more than 1,000 children will be enrolled for the program. We will finally select 50 of the most talented kids and train them extensively,” Chen Minqiang, a marketing officer of the program, told the newspaper.

The tests will be performed on DNA microarrays, or DNA chips – a complex technology, which enables tests on multiple targets with multiple genetic markers. In other words, samples from several children can be simultaneously checked for many genes at once.

Laboratory analyses are said to be conducted by Shanghai Biochip Co Ltd, one of China’s leading centers for biochip design and engineering.

"We will take cells from the children's oral mucosa and send them to Shanghai for the tests," said Chen Minqiang. He also noted that the screening would be able to identify 13 traits, among which are intelligence, emotional quotient (EQ) and athletic ability.

The Training Center has also invited experts in psychology, heredity, dance, art, music and sports to spend five days with the children at a camp to judge their talents.

"Each of the 50 kids will have an expert panel draft a training plan for them, after which they will be trained for a year at the children's center," the marketing officer said, adding that the experts will continue to check on the kids for the next few years.

Points of criticism

However, and most importantly, there is no indication of the genetic markers that the authors of this investigation intend to use to judge the children’s intellect, physique and particularly their specific talents.

Such uncertainty makes the perspective of future conclusions rather dubious, as things appear to be more complex when complex traits are under examination. Quite frequently, it is multiple genes that are in charge of specific features, with many interconnections here being still unknown to science.

Many parents who inquired about the program were not convinced by Chinese experts and have expressed their doubts over the reliability of such screening.

"I believe your genes determine your talents, but I doubt a genetic test can reveal how gifted you are," said Meng Veina, mother of a five-year-old boy from Beijing.

Others felt genetic tools are not necessary to discover talents.

"Talents are hereditable, and can be discovered without scientific tests. The tests will deprive parents of the joy of discovering and nurturing talents in their kids," said physician Zhou Li from Jiangsu province, mother of a six-year-old boy.

Some experts go even further. They are worried that such an approach to unveiling hidden talents could harm a child's psychology.

"Unbalanced training could result in the lack of necessary social skills in a child and can cause psychological problems,” explains Yu Wei, a professor of the education science department at the Northeast Normal University.

Yet, as long as extracurricular talents are considered in China as a guarantee for entering the country’s best schools and universities, more parents are pushing their kind to develop hobbies.

Flute or piano?

According to Gong Kang, an official at Shanghai Biotech's health department, the concept of discovering talents through genetic tests is "not new" in China.

"The tests have been ongoing since last year and quite a number of children in Beijing and Shanghai have already been screened," he said.

Yet, the expert clarifies that genetic screening gives a "scientific reference for grooming a child" and cannot uncover hidden talents.

"The tests can't tell you if the child should learn to play the piano or the flute," said Gong Kang.