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Teacher made famous by BBC reflects on educational ideas and China’s progress
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LAST December, I was invited by two Chinese media outlets to attend national education conferences in Beijing. For the very first time, I entered my homeland as a celebrity, and the experience was truly amazing.
Having lived in England for 18 years, I was amazed by the changes and progress I witnessed in Beijing.
The Beijing Hotel was a true luxury. The entrance hall was massive, covered by expensive dark shiny marbles, and decorated with Chinese historical paintings. In the center of the hall there were numerous water fountains, spurting dancing water with gentle classical music.
Back to my old days when I lived in China, hotels of such standard would be filled with Western guests, with Chinese waiters and waitresses serving tables. Eighteen years later, I saw a very different scene: The majority of guests were native Chinese. They were well dressed, and seemed to be well informed, too. There was a blond girl in uniform working as a waitress, and a young Western looking male in his black suits, supervising other staff in the restaurant. Both of them spoke Chinese to me.
A very pleasant young Chinese girl approached me, interrupted my daydream. Having asked if I had enjoyed my breakfast, I was taken to a room at floor No.12. It was a make-up room, where all the professional hairdressers and make-up artists were gathered. I was about to be given a makeover by these professionals. I wasn’t prepared for this, and I had never had any professional make-up artist worked me before.
“Didn’t you have a professional make-up artist when you were filming with BBC?” A young man asked, showing me a seat to sit myself down.
“No. Never,” I replied. “We were teachers. My main focus was to plan and deliver good lessons, and to make sure my students understood it. I knew we would have exams in 4 weeks time, and I had a hard time controlling students’ discipline. So I had little time to think about beauty and looks.”
Having completed my make-ups and my hair, I was led to the 3rd floor, where the annual national education conference was to be held. I saw my PowerPoint presentation projected onto the massive screen, with my photo in the center. A young female explained to me where I should stand on the stage when I make speech, and how to use the remote control.
Other guests at the conference included a well-established edu-business man, a famous Chinese celebrity and the owner of a Chinese Art Academy, a professor from Beijing University, and a director/professor for National Education Development Research.
My speech was a highlight of the conference, as a lot of Chinese had watched the BBC documentary program I was at the center of: “Are Our Kids Tough Enough? The Chinese School.” It generated a nationwide debate on China/UK education, provoked deeper reflections on how Chinese education could be improved.
After my speech, each time a TV producer, journalist, or head teacher was introduced to me, I was amazed by how young they were. I realized that young people, who think critically and approach to issues sensibly, are at the leading edge of modern China’s development.
I was also stunned by how efficient these Chinese young people were. They were fast, diligent and delivered results with quality. In my eyes they possess the right attitude and approach. They often feel that they are behind the rest of world, so they are constantly learning.
Times-tables
Reflecting on England, it worries me that memorizing times-tables has become a national debate, especially when a well-respected professor has turned against such changes made towards the math national curriculum.
The education secretary, Nicky Morgan, announced that every child in England will be expected to know their times tables by heart before leaving primary school as part of the government’s “war on innumeracy.”
Some critics condemned this reform. Jo Boaler, a professor of math education at Stanford University, said that focusing on memorizing times tables is “terrible,” it sets up “maths anxiety,” and creates “huge damage.” She even admitted that, as a math professor, she still has not memorized the times tables! How did she manage to claim her professional status in the first place, I wonder?
The times tables are deeply embedded into Chinese education. Almost everybody, regardless of his social status, has memorized them.
Every trader, young or old, seems to be a good mathematician and can make correct change for customers without using a calculator.
These people, who are usually working class with minimal education, rely on their knowledge of math to support their families and themselves. Rather than causing “huge damage,” the times tables are great assets to them.
It is reported that “England’s biggest exam board has signed a deal with a major Chinese education group, which will see it help schools in Beijing and Shanghai to assess maths and science.” It is aimed to share the best practice in promoting critical thinking, problem solving and creativity.
If Chinese are willing to learn from English and to address the shortcomings in their education practice, and English government is also open to different learning strategies, for example introducing the memorization of times tables, isn’t it a wise decision for British young people to prepare themselves for the increasingly flattened global economy and competition? Why is it a big problem to Professor Boaler?
The author is the Chinese teacher who appeared on the BBC documentary “Are our kinds tough enough? The Chinese School.” She lives in London and has been teaching in British schools for 10 years. Shanghai Daily condensed her article.
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