In light of the upcoming UN
Children's Summit in September, what is the state
of China's children?
Generally speaking, the situation of children
varies. In most aspects of their survival, their
protection and development there is some geographic
correlation. The east coast of China has the
best situation, the middle of the country having
near to or below national norms. The west often
is far below the national average. UNICEF has
a principal focus in 12 western provinces and
has worked with the Chinese government for 22
years. The quality of life of a child in China
is of very paramount importance. There has been
tremendous progress in providing basic forms
of education. The market economy is coming to
China and parent's are thinking of their children's
future.
Do
you believe the Chinese education system places
too much pressure on young students?
Sometimes the children are under an undue amount
of pressure because many people will not have ensured
employment in the future of China. Children grow
up in an environment where merit is measured in
the form of academic performance and extracurricular
involvement, and in terms of the ability to perform
well with the Chinese and other foreign languages.
If they can't achieve this it is very much a liability.
The Ministry of Education has responded to the
pressure placed on children by asking teachers
to modify the syllabi.
What are some of the differences between the Chinese
and America education systems?
There are fewer opportunities in China to pursue
higher education. There isn't a system of land
grant colleges like in the US. Also, in the US
there are compensatory education programs. Some
students may leave school for behavior problems
or special education needs and are unable to continue
their education. There is a broader variety of
services in the US, but I would say China has done
very well with attention to special education for
children. Both the US and China are following a
theme of universal enrollment and participation.
What are some of the major problems in the Chinese
education system?
One problem is gender stereotypes. There is a
stereotype that girls are less able in certain
areas and less is expected of them. However, on
the other hand the tension on the boys to perform
is so high. For example, in my son's robotics class
in Beijing three girls showed up in the class.
They were ostracized and none of the boys wanted
them in their study groups. One of the reasons
I think the government has made changes in the
education system is to not have children overstressed.
Also in this education system late bloomers are
often lost. If you have a system that streams or
channels them and labels them as less than successful,
you may actually be cutting off their late achievements.
However, China has focused very successfully on
the basic education issue, particularly grades
one through nine.
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