A question asked in a math exam paper for grade five students in Nanchong Shunqing Primary School in China has left both students and adults confused.
“If a ship had 26 sheep & 10 goats onboard, how old is the ship's captain?" This “complicated” math problem went viral on social media in China and worldwide, where people debating with multiple answers to this question.
One student answered, “The captain should be at least 18 years old, as a minor is not allowed to operate the ship.”
Another student said, “the captain probably is a bit narcissistic and should be 36 years old, which is the sum of the number of sheep and goats.”
One kid answered in a funny way “I am the captain. My age is the captain’s age.”
Education officials mentioned that there is no right or wrong answer to this question, and this is meant to challenge young students in China to “think outside of the box.”
