'Smartest' label fails to impress
December 11, 2010, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINESE parents and education experts have shrugged off a report by an international organization saying Shanghai students are the smartest in the world.
The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Shanghai students' test results had "stunned" Western educators.
"As it stands right now, America is in danger of falling behind," United States President Barack Obama was quoted as saying by the New York Times as he commented on the rise of China's education in a speech in North Carolina.
But Chinese parents and educators say the performance of Shanghai students is not proof of a successful education system in China where students are burdened with an excessive workload and there exists a large gap in education resources between different regions.
"Admittedly, Chinese students are comparatively knowledgeable and have very strong learning skills. But they were results of pressure from school, family and society," said Xiong Bingqi, a Jiao Tong University professor who specializes in education in China.
Chinese students work extra long hours on school days and continue to have classes at weekends and during holidays. It is hard for them not to perform well on tests, he said. "We must not let the good test results hide the problems of education in China," Xiong added.
"Chinese children are victims of a test-oriented education system. We have no reason to celebrate the result of another test," said Shanghai mother Guan Jiaojiao. Guan said Chinese children lacked the ability to solve real questions and were not independent enough because they spend too much time learning. But she sees to it that her 16-year-old son attends a math lesson every Saturday. "I don't like it, but my son's future is at stake," she said.
Cai Fang, head of the Institute of Population and Labor Economics, said China's education still lagged far behind that of developed countries. China will see a significant increase in its labor productivity with the improvement of education, Cai said.
But Xiong worries whether China's educational system can produce enough talented citizens who can support the country in its bid for social and economic transformation.
The greatest disadvantage of China's education is in the cultivation of personality, integrity and innovation, Xiong said.
According to a survey by the International Assessment of Educational Progress in 2009, China was at the bottom in all 21 polled countries in its students' imagination and ranked 17th in children's creativity.
It is imperative for educators to find a way to free Chinese children from heavy burdens and encourage the development of personality so that they can learn to innovate, to think independently and to apply their knowledge in practice, Xiong said.
The Paris-based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) said Shanghai students' test results had "stunned" Western educators.
"As it stands right now, America is in danger of falling behind," United States President Barack Obama was quoted as saying by the New York Times as he commented on the rise of China's education in a speech in North Carolina.
But Chinese parents and educators say the performance of Shanghai students is not proof of a successful education system in China where students are burdened with an excessive workload and there exists a large gap in education resources between different regions.
"Admittedly, Chinese students are comparatively knowledgeable and have very strong learning skills. But they were results of pressure from school, family and society," said Xiong Bingqi, a Jiao Tong University professor who specializes in education in China.
Chinese students work extra long hours on school days and continue to have classes at weekends and during holidays. It is hard for them not to perform well on tests, he said. "We must not let the good test results hide the problems of education in China," Xiong added.
"Chinese children are victims of a test-oriented education system. We have no reason to celebrate the result of another test," said Shanghai mother Guan Jiaojiao. Guan said Chinese children lacked the ability to solve real questions and were not independent enough because they spend too much time learning. But she sees to it that her 16-year-old son attends a math lesson every Saturday. "I don't like it, but my son's future is at stake," she said.
Cai Fang, head of the Institute of Population and Labor Economics, said China's education still lagged far behind that of developed countries. China will see a significant increase in its labor productivity with the improvement of education, Cai said.
But Xiong worries whether China's educational system can produce enough talented citizens who can support the country in its bid for social and economic transformation.
The greatest disadvantage of China's education is in the cultivation of personality, integrity and innovation, Xiong said.
According to a survey by the International Assessment of Educational Progress in 2009, China was at the bottom in all 21 polled countries in its students' imagination and ranked 17th in children's creativity.
It is imperative for educators to find a way to free Chinese children from heavy burdens and encourage the development of personality so that they can learn to innovate, to think independently and to apply their knowledge in practice, Xiong said.
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