[MD] A fine mess

[Platt Holden]

Andre:

Many, many thanks for taking the time and trouble to tell us about the
dehumanizing educational system in China. Two phrases you wrote struck me 
like a punch in the stomach -- "Human robots" and " heartbreaking to 
witness." Those were precisely my thoughts as I watched the recent Olympics 
opening and closing ceremonies. Further, it's worrisome that this country 
seems to be headed in the same direction with more and more central 
planning from Washington. As you know, our educational system use to be  
locally controlled. Now with increasing frequency orders are coming from a 
national educational bureaucracy with the inevitable consequence of 
deterioration in student skills and knowledge. A recent poll of voters for 
Obama showed an appalling lack of basic understanding of how our republic 
is organized and of current political issues. As one like Ham and Bo with a 
60 year perspective, it is indeed heartbreaking to witness our nation's 
downward spiral toward the sort of society you so eloquently describe.But, 
as you summed up, the flame of liberty still burns even when smothered. We 
can hope. 

Thanks again,
Platt
   








> Platt:
> 
> I would be very much interested in how the Chinese system deals with
> their
> children, and I'm sure others here would be, too. Your previous
> descriptions of Chinese culture have been most helpful to my
> understanding
> of that country. Given China's growth as a world power it's prudent to
> learn all we can how the "glasses" they wear interpret experience.
> 
> Andre:
> 
> Thanks Platt. though I must say again that I wil make statements based
> on
> local observations...ones I have seen,heard and felt and that this may
> not
> be a true representation of the way things are in China...as a
> whole...but
> truthfully I have my doubts.
> I do live in the poorest part where aids to teaching and learning take
> the
> form of flash cards and realia...not your power presentation luxury
> because
> the power supply may fail you any moment and you are stuck for anything.
> No
> computer technology available to large numbers of students,  (I know of
> multi-media class rooms unused because staff do not know how to use the
> equipment, I know of multi-media rooms being used but in a limited way
> because "it may get damaged or dirty'!!!)
> Personally I do not like multi- media stuff...I force my students to use
> themselves...to THINK..but...as you hopefully will bear with me this is
> easier said than done. ( and perhaps there isn't that much difference
> between the educational system in the US and China...as far as
> molding the desired end-product is concerned).
> 
> I live in a poor, rural part of Yunnan province where traditionally
> children
> were bred to help and continue working on the farm, first alongside mum
> and
> dad, then, taking over the farm and supporting mum and dad, being too
> old
> for the hard work.It was (and still is in many ways) a combination of
> farming (taking the produce to the market or directly selling it on the
> streets in the larger towns) and peasantry (produce grown for their own
> survival).
> Deng Xiaopeng challenged this lifestyle (carried on for thousands of
> years)
> and suggested to 'modernise' farming techniques and upgrading the
> lifestyles
> and living conditions in the rural areas. With some success I must add.
> Per
> capita income has increased and yields from crops have increased.Housing
> and
> sanitation have, slightly, improved.
> He also opened the (economic) doors to the West of course and this is
> what
> people in rural areas are now being confronted with. Modernisation of
> the
> rural sector has meant increasing use of different technologies and use
> of
> machines and more efficient farming equipment. Resulting, of course in
> massive unemployment and I must add uneven developments within this
> sector.(One must be able to buy this new stuff).
> This also shifted the emphasis from traditional practices to applications
> of
> modern practices and here education comes in. Basically for 2 reasons: 1,
> to
> learn about these new practices and apply them if son wants to take over
> the
> farm and 2, an opportunity to escape from the hard life and find
> something
> entirely different, in other words, learn a trade or a profession
> and thereby breaking the traditional lineage (father to son) and
> lifestyles.
> Enter the Communist Party system orchestrating this entire network
> through
> successive 5-year plans.A huge ideologically / administratively driven
> system it almost puts Orwell's 1984 to shame. Everything
> noted,recorded,registered, checked and double checked. A huge,
> slow,tedious
> apparatus agonisingly reluctant to change and respond to change.
> Within these rural developments and national modernisation plans came
> the
> necessary educational reforms. Traditional Chinese education is teacher
> centered (a la Confucian principles). The teacher is the one with the
> necessary knowledge and his/her role is to impart and instill this
> knowledge
> to and in the children. Remember in ZMM Phaedrus talks about peace of
> mind
> producing 'right values, right values produce right thoughts.Right
> thoughts
> produce right actions and right actions produce work which will be a
> material reflection for others...' (p290) and here I stop because here I
> remind you of the Party ideology again. Substitute 'right values' for
> 'China's Communist Party ideology' and substitute 'produces' for
> 'enforce' and you get an idea of it all.
> Since 1949 pre-school age the children are inculcated with slogans that
> reflect this ideology plus an attitude to 'life' which ensures its
> continuation. These slogans are used by parents, and later used by
> teachers
> to check the proper (moral) development and social adjustment of their
> children.
> Empty slogans when used out of context (and that is what happens...they
> are
> plastered all over the walls of every primary and middle school)
> 'practice
> makes perfect' , no pain no gain, dozens of these (life wisdoms) all
> over
> the place within the context of party ideology.
> Primary school starts at 6 years of age and as the children learn to
> read
> and write the slogans keep being hammerd into them. Typically, there are
> 60-70 students in a class. The teacher walks in and starts reciting the
> textbook. The children are expected to remain silent and listen. They
> are
> only allowed to respond to a question the teacher asks (given by the
> textbook) and when the teacher calls out the student's number (no name!)
> the
> student is expected to give the correct answer (as given by the book).
> This
> happens 5 days of the week from 8 in the morning 'till 6 in the
> afternoon.
> In the evening the children are busy doing their homework for the
> following
> day and is continued for 6 years.
> Then Middle school (the children are now 11/12 years old). Exactly the
> same
> process is taking place with one difference: here you start at 8, finish
> at
> 6 (by the way all schools, colleges and Uni's have a break from
> 11:35-14:30)
> and start again at 19:30 'till 21:45, 6 days/week. Sunday morning and
> afternoon is 'free time' (usually filled with homework) and evening
> classes
> start at 19:30 'till 21:45.
> 
> Over a period of 12 years children are told to shut up unless spoken to,
> their receptive skills bombarded with information spoken of above and
> very
> little chance to use their productive skills.
> 
> Enter the College level where I am.My students are all English major
> students who want to become English teachers.Part of my work is to share
> my
> knowledge and skills with my (English Dept.) Chinese colleagues here to
> change this traditional way of teaching (teacher centered, grammar
> translation and rote learning) to communicative teaching and learning;
> i.e.task based, interactive etc, etc but by this time the students'
> minds are in a constant state of 'suspended animation'. They have no
> ideas
> of their own, no initiative, no creativity....nothing. They are
> re-active
> rather than pro-active still filled with empty slogans, telling
> themselves
> that if they study hard they'll be successful. And they have been
> studying
> hard...under conditions of a traditional Chinese education system which
> has
> reduced them to listen, obey and do what they are told. Human robots.
> They have been studying English for up to 8 years and cannot produce an
> English sentence longer than 5 words without making a mistake.
> They continue to be bombarded with examinations which reinforce and
> emphasise writing and reading skills (which they have, but at an
> atrociously
> low level).
> Competition is murderous (no kidding, suicide rates are going up and
> there
> is at least one, reported incident where a student murdered his mother
> with
> an axe because of the incessant pressure put on him).
> Already (and this is an indication of how fast things change here at
> another
> level) when I started working here 3 years ago, students who graduated
> were
> virtually guaranteed a teaching job. Not anymore, some of my best (ex)
> students no stay either at home, wasting away, work at a supermarket or
> are
> placed (if they are lucky) in a kindergarten, with the possibility
> of..perhaps a teaching job...after having fulfilled their contractual
> obligation presented to them by party officials.
> Those that are lucky enough to get a teaching job (after having
> graduated
> from this college, the local leaders decide where they are going to
> teach)
> they must sit an entry exam (to be admitted to the school and actually
> work
> there). Up to 70 or 80 new, and old graduates, apply for this one
> position.
> If you fail or if you are unlucky you get another chance somewhere
> else...1
> year later!!
> 
> Slowly, tediously slowly, this cultural immune system is making way for
> change but oh so exasperatingly slow.
> 
> It is this inertia creating system, totally unresponsive to any form of
> DQ
> which really is heartbreaking to witness. I am an outsider but have grown
> to
> care for and love these kids. (I have a daughter 4 years older than they
> are). They are so naive, so gullable and innocent but so positive I have
> also grown to admire their resilience, strength of character and
> determination and positive attitude to life (principles of Taoism and
> Buddhism are quite strongly felt and practiced here).
> This is their strength but at the same time their weakness because the
> Party
> and its ideology is literally getting away with murder/ fraud and
> downright
> immoral practices.
> 
> Talking to these kids does give me hope. They are beginning to see that
> their Government as not all it claims to be. It is failing to deliver a
> future to these young people as promised.They are aware of fraudulent
> officials, are aware of the fact that what is important is not what you
> know
> but who you know. That contacts within the party are a sure means of
> 'getting ahead'. And they do not like it.
> They are getting more frustrated with their lot and with 'the system' and
> at
> present they do feel powerless.
> I tell them that they are not alone, that lively, critical discussions
> are
> taking place on the Internet (underground of course). But it has to
> start
> somewhere. In my own, tiny,weeny way I give some of them an outlet i.e.
> my
> ear.
> 
> For what it is worth
> Andre
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