One of the things I have thought about and talked about the most since I have gotten to China is education.  Whenever we see family friends, they always ask about the schools my siblings and I go to or are going to go to, and the when the answers interest them they go on to ask us about our experiences with the high school education system.  Although I still believe that the American attitude towards education undervalues hard work, rewards mediocrity, and allows laziness, the truth is I have really come to appreciate it after hearing about the Chinese system.

Growing up, my parents raised us very much in the tiger mom way.  The attitude was that we could never be stupid, just lazy.  As long as we worked hard enough, we would get good grades and get into good schools.  Being studious was the most important thing, followed by cultivating musical talents and participating in the “right” extracurriculars.  After I got into college, I looked around me at all the kids whose parents didn’t push them to work hard, and thanked my parents for kicking my ass and developing my work ethic. But after reading this article, I realized that my parents only had it half right. American society doesn’t value pure hard work, nor does it reward pure academic merit. American education prizes those who are independent, who have strong personalities and know how to work other people and communicate well to others. These are not skills that are learned from staring at a textbook day in and day out, these are skills best learned through having a social life, playing team sports, and not listening to authorities.

The Chinese system, from which my parents derive their attitude towards education and values about work, is based purely on hardcore, cut-throat academic merit. There’s a lot of history behind this; Chinese officials have tested into their positions starting dynasties ago. Moreover, the Chinese culture is still collectivist at the core even though it is becoming more Westernized, so keeping your head down and working hard is more important than bragging about yourself. Therefore, there’s not a lot of emphasis on sports or outside activities, and there is a heavy focus on grades and tests. Once kids get to high school, they spend hours in class and then hours in cram schools; one of our relatives told us she goes to school at 7 in the morning and leaves at 6 or 7 in the evening. College is a get in or lose at life deal, and it is entirely determined by the dreaded college entrance exam, the Gao Kao. Children and parents alike cry over poor results from the Gao Kao because it means much worse life prospects; studying for it is so stressful kids actually go crazy. Wanting to avoid the high pressure of the Gao Kao, wealthy families in China pay for their kids to go to school elsewhere.

It’s also becoming more and more popular to send children to the United States in high school. When we asked my dad’s friend, a Chinese lawyer, why he sent his two sons to a New Jersey public high school, he replied that he believed the American education system would teach his children more useful things like people skills, independence, and decision-making. These, he believed would give them better opportunities in a globalized world than the studiousness that is prized in Chinese schools.

The Chinese education system produces very qualified individuals who can more than hold their own in the global job market. But as far as personal growth and ambition, an American education seems more advantageous in several ways. Personally I’m glad I had the freedom of an American education; I probably would not have survived with my sanity intact if I had to take the Gao Kao to get into college. At the same time, I’m glad I know the value of working hard…too many American parents are too lax on their children with regards to school achievement, which severely limits their options later on.