The student, a 12th-grader at Baoan High School in Shenzhen City, filed a complaint to the school board, saying the noise of birds in a tree next to his classroom was disturbing his preparation for the national college entrance exam, according to local outlet CGTN.

Principal Yuan Weixing then responded in an open letter, acknowledging the student’s academic pressure but ultimately rejected the request.

“I understand your urgency,” he wrote, “but I cannot agree to remove the bird’s nest. Not because I lack sympathy, but because I hope you can understand that the ultimate goal of education is not to make the world adapt to us, but to teach us how to live with it.”

He added that the birds are part of the campus environment and witnesses to students’ youth. He also encouraged students to learn to coexist with nature.

His letter drew mixed reactions online.

Many praised his perspective as “the true meaning of education” and commended the school’s values. Others said said the complaint was reasonable given the intense exam pressure faced by final-year students.

In a follow-up response on Friday, Yuan said he had contacted the student directly and given him earplugs to reduce the noise.

The student later wrote on social media that he appreciated the principal’s guidance and public feedback.

“I now have a new understanding of life and nature,” he said.

In an interview, Yuan said the current education system can place too much emphasis on scores and efficiency, seeking to remove all distractions and create a “sterile” environment.

“The era of one exam determining a lifetime has passed.

“Education is not about cleaning up the world but about helping children find their place in the real world,” he said,

Education should help students build the ability to deal with imperfections and challenges in real life, rather than shielding them from them, he added.