A speech by a father in China in which he expressed the belief that his academically-poor-performing son has a bright future has captivated mainland social media and reignited a discussion about parenting styles.

During a teacher-parent meeting at an elite elementary school in Qingdao, Shandong province in eastern China, a man, whose son was bottom of the class was invited to speak about his child, Zhengfa Channel reported.

“My son is a struggling student, but I still believe he will be able to make great contributions to society when he grows up,” the father said in a viral video shot in a classroom on Nov 17.

The father, who was not identified in the report, then apologised to the teachers because his son’s low grades had brought down the average mark of the class.

“But I still believe he will have a bright future,” the father insisted, adding: “It is because of two factors. Firstly, despite my son’s poor scores, he still feels relieved. He also eats, drinks, plays and sleeps well. He seems never worried about his studies and this makes me admire him.

“This means he has a very strong mentality, even better than mine. I am the holder of a psychologist consultant’s certificate. Strong mentality and a high emotional quotient are crucial to success in our careers,” the father said.

The second reason he gave was that the boy was making gradual progress in his studies thanks to his teachers.

“Sometimes he can score 60 out of 100 in tests. So I think he has a chance to become an extraordinary person in the future,” the father added.

People on mainland social media have praised the father.

On Douyin alone, the video of his two-minute speech has been viewed 8.3 million times and has attracted more than 200,000 likes.

“This is the most clear-minded parent in China,” said one online observer.

“Life is a marathon. It is too early to say a person has won or lost at such a young age,” said another.

“Every kid aspires for his parents’ recognition and support. If you don’t accept his shortcomings, how will he be able to face the challenges in society?” said a third.

Good parenting stories frequently make headlines in China.

In September, a mother in Zhejiang province in the east of the country comforted her teenage daughter with a hug and kisses after the girl asked why she was not as beautiful as her mother.

A video clip of the pair’s interaction touched many hearts on mainland social media.

Also, a woman in Shanghai won online praise for her tolerant attitude towards her son, a secondary school pupil, after he left a note asking her to ignore his teacher’s complaints about his low scores.

 - SCMP