Comments on: “Two Million Minutes” – High school in US/China/India

By: S.

S. — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 15:41:20 +0000

The Chinese will do better because Wikipedia is blocked so that students can’t copy and paste but have to think up original stuff.
XD

By: S.K. Cheung

S.K. Cheung — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:11:25 +0000

I think it’s partly cultural, though not exclusively a Chinese trait, since Korean and Japanese families seem to place a similar premium on higher education. But I also think it might be a generational thing. My parents certainly harped on me going to university more than i ever seem to with my kids.
I also wonder if it might relate to how society values the work people do. In the US/Canada, it seems that physical work is remunerated at a much higher rate than in HK at least, such that the pay disparity with “intellectual” work might be considerably smaller.
The common denominator might be lower, but I think for desirable programs or schools, the competition in the US/Canada is still fierce. I also think that culturally, there is less emphasis on academic excellence alone, and more value placed on a well-rounded education and individual. Might also explain why the Chinese soccer team doesn’t do so hot…they’re playing teams made up of players who’ve been playing since they were 5, and played all through adolescence while the Chinese guys were busy studying.

By: Young & Restless in China | Blogging for China

Young & Restless in China | Blogging for China — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 04:11:55 +0000

[...] “Two Million Minutes” – High school in US/China/India [...]

By: Nimrod

Nimrod — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 03:24:45 +0000

I’m writing for a colleague who said he likes the American system better. If you want to get ahead you can, but you have to make that choice. The common denominator is definitely low.

By: Opersai

Opersai — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 15:05:56 +0000

@Buxi,

I agree with you it’s a culture thing generally in Asian culture – not just the “desire” or “hunger” as the article says that drives students work harder. There’s generally a more emphasis on education in the culture. Kids are taught since very young that they MUST go to university. It never occurred to me that I would not go, it was only a matter of which one to go to.

By: Buxi

Buxi — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 14:52:12 +0000

I definitely think that *drive*, that emphasis on academic excellence which is so strongly embedded in our culture is one positive aspect.

The best of both worlds still seems to be raising a child with that Confucian-inspired (I don’t want to call it “Chinese”) ambition in the West, where the schools are excellent but not nearly as competitive.

By: BMY

BMY — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 02:25:26 +0000

I agree with you of “It may be that some Chinese parents take this too far” . there are too much pressure and workloads been put on some little kids from their parents. I don’t want my children go through that. I am not talking about the whole system as I am not able to.

we have talked a lot on the previous Gaokao post.

By: FOARP

FOARP — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 23:11:50 +0000

Things that the west can learn from the Chinese education system? I’m not sure, but I think that some western parents could learn much from the tradtion of encouraging children to strive for excellence through education. It may be that some Chinese parents take this too far, but I definitely think that many parents here in the U.K. do not impart much ambition to succeed into their children.