Kids in China

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Hello everyone,

There is huge pressure for Chinese kids to succeed and there is a concern that kids have no time to just have fun. Success in elementary school is necessary to get into high school which is preparation for university that will lead to successful jobs. I wonder if the pressure is greater when they only have one child. Watching parents and grandparents with their kids, they really seem to enjoy them. I have yet to see impatience or frustration. The birth of a child is a celebrated event and the first birthday is the most celebrated birthday. One interesting custom is that a table is set with 100 items and the baby starts crawling across the table. The first item he grabs determines his future: a cell phone says businessman, a book would be an intellectual and so on.

Formal education starts at age six. The first nine years are compulsory. Tuition is free, but they have to pay for books and uniforms. Many children in rural areas leave school early for financial reasons. In the city, children often go to something called a children’s palace. They learn skills that get missed at school: piano, table tennis, etc. Training can start as early as age two. Homework starts in grade one. Elementary grade kids spend a couple of hours each evening doing homework. In high school homework takes up the entire evening. We were told that life in China is so competitive that working hard will ensure future success.

We visited a school in a rural area. Kids start school at age seven and go on to high school at sixteen. School starts at 7 a.m. and finishes at 5:30 with a two hour break for lunch. Most of the kids go home for lunch. The upper grades have 35—40 students per class and the lower grades have 50 kids per class. They go to school Monday through Friday, and have January, July and August off. The government supplies everything including uniforms—but uniforms are only worn on Mondays. For high school, parents have to supply books, etc. The kids need to pass an entrance exam to get into high school; about 80% pass. Teachers earn between $500./month to $2,000/month and can expect around $500./month pension. Salaries and pensions depend on where the teacher lives.

High school is the time to prepare for college entrance exams. They refer to this as Black June. Before, only 10-15%!p(MISSING)assed, now it is closer to 50%!p(MISSING)ass rate. For the other 50%!,(MISSING) they can pay to go to a private university. Another popular option is to go into the military for three years. There is no pay, but everything is supplied. After four years of university or three years in the military, the best jobs go to members of the Communist party.

再见

Donna

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Photos

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People really seem to enjoy their children.

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Visited an elementary school. These kids and some teachers gave up their Sunday afternoon to meet with us.

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Our group was invited to a concert using traditional Chinese musical instruments. The kids dressed up in their Sunday best. This eleven-year-old played the zither. They told us it was the first time they performed for "foreigners."

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Went to a University for lunch and to meet with English students. Walked around their campus and let them practice on us.

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Encountered a bunch of fourteen-year-old boys from Washington, DC on a school trip. They were acting silly for a bunch of Chinese students. They told the Chinese student that their teacher--tall, black man with shaved head--was Michael Jordan. The kids went crazy asking for his autograph!

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Kids everywhere like these coin-operated rides.

Comments

[Gretchen Huntley]

Education
I think our country could take a few lessons from the way children here are educated!!!!!

[Candy]

Hello.
Hi Donna. Thanks again for your posts. It is very interesting how children/education are viewed in China. I love that the parents treasure their children; not so sure about the competitive nature of their education, but then...that is how they succeed. Have fun and travel safely. Candy