Western students enjoy a seemingly relaxed educational experience、 This, however, is not the case for students in Asia, who face crushing workloads and are often very disciplined、 In the first part of her Globalist、
The decision is partly based on an inability — or unwillingness — to spend thousands of dollars in tuition fees, especially given the suspicion that local schools are better anyway、 After all, what more could one want from a basic education than a strong grounding in language, math and science, all subjects in which Asian schools famously excel、 Our main concern is the ability of our son — and indeed the whole family — to adapt to the strict diligence that is expected of the Chinese、 Apprehension increases when talking to local friends、
China has a long history of standardized tests, beginning with the ancient imperial exams initiated during the Sui Dynasty、Shelly Chen is at the top of the class at the Shanghai foreign language school, one of the city’s best middle schools、 Already near fluent in English, she is studying German and ranks among the highest in her grade
in physics、 Her goal is to get a full scholarship to Harvard to study biochemistry、 It is not only Western expatriates that grow anxious when hearing about students like Shelly、
Throughout England, politicians, parents and pundits worry that the industriousness and discipline of kids in the East are leaving relatively relaxed Westerners trailing behind、 Though there is some debate surrounding the statistics, it is widely believed that North America is failing to produce sufficient graduates in sciences and engineering、Still less controversy attends the observation that math scores throughout the West rank well below those of most Asian countries、 As a result, there is a deepening consensus that, in order to maintain its competitive edge,
Chinese students are taught that all questions have but one right answer and there is little room for debate、North American education needs to move away from an emphasis on fun, flexibility and individual learning styles、Instead, it has to shift towards a more strict, disciplined teaching environment that math and science, in particular, seem to demand、This shift can be discerned even in Canada, where
there are no college entrance exams, and where, standardized testing, memorization and rote learning have long been frowned upon、
Nevertheless, there is a mounting chorus complaining that the prominence given to creativity cheats students out of a proper education、People like science teacher Sumitra Rajagopalan are entreating Canadian educators to adopt a more Asian pedagogical philosophy based on “constant repetition, recitation, grilling and drilling”、 In the United States, the rise of China and India is putting even more emphasis on the demand for education reform、
Tougher standards,New policies — such as No Child Left Behind — have led to an increased stress on standardized testing、
In the 2006 State of the Union address, President George W、 Bush mentioned the threat of Asia’s giants specifically when introducing his “Competitive Initiative”, a program that promises substantial funds for the teaching of basic math and science、
But in an ironic twist, there is an increasing desire to make education more England in China、 Many now agree that the lack of creativity in China’s education system will soon prove a major stumbling block in the country’s continuing development、
Government and business leaders worry about a derivative, manufacturing-based economy, which is unable to innovate core technology, lacks major research and development projects — and lags far behind in creative sectors like marketing and design、
A lack of flexibility and inability of individuals to take the initiative affects the entire service sector, paralyzing employees at every level、 Arriving late for the set breakfast at a five-star hotel in Chengdu, for example, I, along with a group of other foreigners, found that the coffee had run out、 Our request for more threw the staff into crisis、It was not until a series of meetings had been held and permission sought from senior management that a fresh pot could be brewed、Passing even trivial problems up the management hierarchy in this way is simply impossible in a sophisticated post-industrial society、
China has implemented a set of reforms known as “quality education”、This policy, which aims to teach creativity and emphasize character development, has resulted in certain concrete shifts including changes to textbooks, an increased emphasis on oral skills in language learning — and various attempts to get teachers to encourage student participation、
Most Chinese, however, are skeptical that anything other than surface transformation is taking place、 As they are quick to point out, the underlying issue — an education system rooted in standardized tests — has yet to be altered、
Chinese students achieve near perfect scores on Western standardized exams、 But when go abroad, they find themselves ill prepared for the education、
Today, national tests determine which elementary, high school and university a student will attend、 They are still the single most important factor in deciding one’s general career path、
The weight given to testing is regularly criticized
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