Questioning Kristof on Chinese Education

Alex Lew:

Nicholas Kristof last wrote about Chinese schools shortly after the release of some stunning news: on a comprehensive exam testing students in 65 countries, China had come in first - thirty spots ahead of the U.S. in math. Kristof praised the Chinese model and ended with a warning: "These latest test results should be our 21st-century Sputnik."

This wasn't the first time Kristof had celebrated Chinese schools, but I remember it clearly, because at the time I was enrolled in one. I had come to China to bolster my Mandarin, but I was also excited to experience a Chinese education for myself. My imagination had been stoked by Kristof's descriptions, and I was eager to see how real Chinese schools stacked up. I would live ten months with a Chinese host family and attend classes at a high-ranked local school. I wondered: Would the real thing impress me as much as the reports?

As I took my first glance around my host brother's room, I was convinced it would. On the ride to his apartment, Edward had mentioned that studying consumed his summers, but it didn't register until I saw just how much homework he'd done. Piled on his desk were dozens of worksheets, all of which Edward had dutifully completed. When he told me he'd spent hours each day on the problems, I asked if all his classmates were so diligent. Yes, in fact he said he was something of a slacker.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at August 31, 2012 2:50 AM
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