Maths prodigy, 9, says HK university too easy

HONG KONG, Sep 5 (Reuters) A nine-year-old mathematics prodigy has become Hong Kong's youngest undergraduate, waltzing through his first day at university saying classes were too easy.

March Boedihardjo, an Indonesian-Chinese boy resident in Hong Kong, was accepted by Hong Kong's Baptist University to study for a master's degree after gaining straight As in entrance A-level exams usually taken at 17 or 18.

''It was too easy,'' Boedihardjo told reporters after attending a convocation ceremony in a pint-sized black-gown and his first day of classes yesterday, adding that he'd already learnt the subject matter a year or two ago.

The university has designed a five-year programme for the child, but it has stirred controversy among some education experts who say he might experience stunted personal and social development as a result.

REUTERS CS RAI0858