Observation Deck #1, From Mark

Disclaimer...The following commentary is from my personal experience and viewpoint, and may not reflect the experience of others.

Since we have 4 kids enrolled in Chinese school, differences in educational systems have intrigued me. In the States we hear much about the problems in our schools and how far we are behind the rest of the world. Although I agree the USA school system has definite weaknesses and room for improvement, I can't say the Chinese system is the model we all want to follow.

Below are some of my observations:

Chinese schools place extraordinary demands on the children in the form of math, language, time, and homework expectations. Since opening the door in the late 1970s and through the accelerated growth of the 1990s and 2000s, Chinese society has gone from one extreme, suggesting formal education was to be punished, to the other extreme, pressuring children to compete rigorously for admittance into the best universities. The motive behind this new found rigor is to assure the children a successful and good-paying occupation. This pressure is exceptionally acute due to the fact the vast majority of families have only one child, and thus place their hopes of posterity on that child.

This translates into 10 hour school days, 3 hours +/- of daily homework, and weekend tutoring classes to boot. No break for the weary. What is missing, however, is not just unstructured free time, but sports, music, theater, art, and various other activities necessary for a balanced life.

Several Chinese people have confirmed, via recent conversations, that this phenomena is new, vastly different from just a generation ago, the kids who are now parents. Albeit a gross generalization, Chinese society, as a whole, is virtually obsessed about getting ahead financially and materially, akin to someone who is highly motivated to leave the past and make a better life for themselves. I certainly admire this determination.

In one sense, it is the fad of the day. Like all fads, it comes and it goes. My hunch is that as this young generation grows into adulthood, there will be a cultural counter trend movement in the opposite direction, i.e. rebellion against such rigors due to burn out and undue pressure from both parents and society. The counter trend could manifest itself in a number of ways, some of which not too different from those experienced in the 1960s and 1970s in the USA--although the genesis of the causes are perhaps different.

As compared to the educational system we have in the States, the Chinese will excel in specialization. What is lacking however, is a well-rounded education (i.e. liberal arts), a notion for creativity, and the skills to live a balanced life. Of course, societies and systems evolve, and China is no exception.

In the meantime however, this push to get ahead will undoubtedly propel China's economy to extraordinary heights, becoming the world's largest, and wielding great influence on the rest of the world.