Military of China, force comment.
Military of China, force comment.

online circulation of China’s fourth generation stealth fighter unveiled map.

text Kristof

last month released an international study published in 65 countries in math, science and reading performance of subjects. Champion is: Confucianism!

chart shows that in all three subjects by a large margin to win, the students are from Shanghai. Followed by four best performing players in three out of the traditional Confucian emphasis on education with the community. The top few, Finland is the only non-Confucian countries.

then, American students of result? Read: the first 15, Science: No. 23, Math: No. 31.

20 years, I was in China and other Asian regions visited many schools (my wife and I have to briefly sent our children to school in Japan, Japan is a Confucian imprint of countries), in During the visit, I often have a sense of envy or surprise. I will never forget when we intend to nursery from Tokyo two years old son picked up with back to the U.S., we must fill out the form content: “vacation state the reason.”

in China and other Asian region, education is booming, because this is most of these countries the priorities – we need to learn from many things.

true, come out on top in the global tests of students in Shanghai and do not represent all levels of Chinese students – after all, Shanghai has the country’s best schools. However, China’s poor rural areas of the old school indeed unusual made remarkable improvement.

only 20 years ago, rural children drop out from primary school scene is also common. Some teachers do not speak standard Mandarin almost. In theory, should be teaching Mandarin language.

And now, even in remote rural areas, whether boy or girl, basically on the school. College is not uncommon. Level of teachers has improved significantly. My wife is Chinese, in her home (a poor village in southern China), the depth of the mathematics, these rural children than my son attended a full New York City public schools focus on a higher level. School math classes throughout China probably also true.

In addition, as a socialist country, although China’s school teachers can not be easily dismissed, but the Chinese president means to deal with unqualified teachers are very skilled (at least much more sophisticated than Americans) – they performance is not good for the teachers to provide additional training, if not useful to do so, simply let these teachers engage in other work.

“schools often make poor teachers to teach the sport,” president of Xi’an, a kindergarten, when I visited in this guide explains. In China, the sports and fitness classes is irrelevant subjects (kindergarten this reflects China’s another advantage: excellent pre-school starting age is usually 2 years old. In fact, the poor performance of China’s educational system is only part of university system in China is the third-level college, should be cited as the Chinese national humiliation).

but there is a paradox: China’s own evaluation of its school system is far from the outside world so high. Every time I asked a Chinese person’s view on China’s education system, I almost always hear the complaint, not praise. Many Chinese people of almost demanding to complain that China’s education system stifle independent thinking and creativity, they are very envious of the students self-reliance, try to make learning a pleasure instead of a chore for the purpose of the U.S. education system.

in Xi’an, I visited the high-tech one (perhaps the best high school in Xi’an), the school’s students and teachers value the club, referring to U.S. schools, art and independent thinking, the longing for love loneliness. “We need to encourage further creativity,” chemistry teacher Huaguo Hong said, “We should learn to U.S. schools.”

Guangdong Province, a friend said he intends to send their children to study in the U.S., because the local school is simply “creativity killer.” Another friend sent his son to an international school, to get rid of him as a “training seals’ education projects. Private schools have mushroomed in four emerging, many schools boast that they particularly focus on the creativity of students.

In my opinion, this self-criticism is entirely correct, but I deeply admire the Chinese people’s passion for education and is committed to improving the education system of determination. William Butler Yeats very rightly pointed out that “education is not filling a bucket, but lighting the flame,” but if there is a bucket of fuel and, indeed, would be easier to ignite the bonfire.

bigger issue is that the Chinese education system’s biggest advantage is the deep-implanted re-teach the traditional Confucian culture. In Chinese schools, teachers respected. The envy of most students, is good intelligence students, not athletes or the “class clown.”

Americans are often based on a new stealth fighter planes to consider such things Chinese to the United States constitute a strategic challenge. But the real challenge is the rise of China’s education system, and the Chinese people’s passion for knowledge. We do not believe in Confucianism, but we can improve education in our position on the priority list, but not give up on creativity and independent thinking ability. The Soviet Union launched Sputnik in 1957, after we did. These latest test results no different satellites in the 21st century, we should continue our efforts.

(United States, “New York Times,” January 15, translated Renkai Wen)