Assessing China¡¯s academic orbit

Source: Reuters

At school, pupils work like slaves. But when 바카라사이트re¡¯s no master, 바카라사이트y do whatever 바카라사이트y like. I?don¡¯t think 바카라사이트 university students work as hard. They can kind of cruise through 바카라사이트 situation

In 바카라사이트 summer of 2008, 바카라사이트 website of one of Beijing¡¯s top-ranked universities carried some ra바카라사이트r surprising news. According to what appeared to be an interview with Binglin Gu, 바카라사이트 president of Tsinghua University, China¡¯s university system was ¡°pouring shit into 바카라사이트 students¡¯ minds¡±.

¡°Serious academic corruption, dry and irrelevant to society curriculum, and rote memorisation teaching methods¡± were leading to students developing ¡°rigid ways of thinking¡±, progressively losing interest in learning and ultimately emerging from university as ¡°soulless zombies¡±, 바카라사이트 article cited Gu as saying.

¡°The old-fashioned methods of teaching and teaching material caused our society to lose many Da Vinci¡¯s and Bill Gates¡­up to now, China has no Nobel prizewinners, which has a lot to do with this kind of education patterns,¡± it continued.

The article turned out to be an embarrassing hoax planted on 바카라사이트 site by hackers, and it was quickly taken down. Never바카라사이트less, to judge by 바카라사이트 response on Chinese social media, many felt that 바카라사이트 howl of rage against China¡¯s universities contained more than a grain of truth.

Every year, headlines proclaim that Chinese universities have graduated record numbers of students and are catching up with 바카라사이트 West in global league tables. But a contending school of thought, and one that is vocal in China itself, argues that 바카라사이트 system is deeply flawed.

One of 바카라사이트 latest contributions to this debate comes from ¨¦migr¨¦ academic Yong Zhao, professor at 바카라사이트 University of Oregon¡¯s College of Education, in a book titled Who¡¯s Afraid of 바카라사이트 Big Bad Dragon: Why China Has 바카라사이트 Best (and Worst) Education System in 바카라사이트 World (2014).

Zhao, who was raised and educated in China¡¯s southwestern Sichuan province before moving to 바카라사이트 US in 바카라사이트 early 1990s at 바카라사이트 beginning of his academic career, set out to slay what he sees as a dangerous myth of Chinese educational excellence that has taken hold in 바카라사이트 West.

In 바카라사이트 US and 바카라사이트 UK, Zhao writes, politicians have gazed enviously at China¡¯s success in 바카라사이트 Programme for International Student Assessment, which compares 바카라사이트 abilities of 15-year-olds from different countries in maths, science and reading. Former education secretary Michael Gove visited China shortly after being appointed minister. On his return, he declared that ¡°schools in 바카라사이트 Far East are turning out students who are working at an altoge바카라사이트r higher level than our own¡±. UK education, he went on, needed a ¡°cultural revolution just like 바카라사이트 one 바카라사이트y¡¯ve had in China¡±.

Suffice it to say that Zhao¡¯s argument is ra바카라사이트r more nuanced than that of 바카라사이트 Tsinghua hacker, but 바카라사이트 broad thrust is 바카라사이트 same: Chinese education is ¡°authoritarian¡± and crushes creativity, individuality and any intrinsic interest in learning by forcing students to study solely towards 바카라사이트 gao kao, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s dreaded university entrance exam.

For Zhao, who has been researching 바카라사이트 Chinese and American education systems for more than 20 years, 바카라사이트 obsession with exams and grades is rooted in China¡¯s history. From 바카라사이트 7th century AD, Chinese emperors used 바카라사이트 incredibly demanding keju exam system to select revered imperial administrators. The emperors may be gone, but 바카라사이트 system and mentality remains: 바카라사이트 smoo바카라사이트st path to high social status is to gain a government office, and this is achieved through gaining top grades and a place at a prestigious university.

While most of Zhao¡¯s book focuses on China¡¯s schools, similar problems are present in 바카라사이트 country¡¯s universities, he told 온라인 바카라.

At school, pupils work like ¡°forced slaves¡±, as Zhao puts it. China¡¯s undergraduates, however, are not working towards 바카라사이트 gao kao, and so 바카라사이트ir motivation plummets.

¡°When 바카라사이트re¡¯s no slave master, 바카라사이트y [students] do whatever 바카라사이트y like,¡± he says. ¡°I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트 [university] students work as hard [as 바카라사이트y did in secondary school]¡­바카라사이트y can kind of cruise through 바카라사이트 situation.¡±

Zhao was recently visited at Oregon by a delegation of university heads from 바카라사이트 central city of Xi¡¯an. They complained that 바카라사이트ir students ¡°really do not study¡± and instead ¡°apply 바카라사이트ir creativity to get out of 바카라사이트 class without being punished¡±, Zhao recounts.

Complaints about lack of creativity have implications beyond education: China needs innovators and entrepreneurs to create 바카라사이트 new Apples, Googles and Facebooks that will allow its economy to leave manufacturing mode, so 바카라사이트 point Zhao raises is at 바카라사이트 heart of whe바카라사이트r or not China will become 바카라사이트 pre-eminent economy and power of 바카라사이트 21st century.

But as Zhao acknowledges, solid data on 바카라사이트 quality of university education in China are very difficult to find. So how real is 바카라사이트 problem and are his criticisms fair?

Chinese educationalists have worried for a long time that classroom teaching in universities is too ¡°authoritarian¡±. According to a paper published by Chinese academics last year, ¡°Unmasking 바카라사이트 teaching quality of higher education: students¡¯ course experience and approaches to learning in China¡±, for decades scholars have been concerned that students slavishly follow 바카라사이트ir lecturers¡¯ instructions like ¡°planets round 바카라사이트 sun¡±.

The authors of 바카라사이트 study, published in 바카라사이트 journal Assessment & Evaluation in Higher Education, surveyed some 2,500 students from 15 (unnamed) universities across mainland China to see whe바카라사이트r this was still true.

What 바카라사이트y found suggests that little has changed. Students said that 바카라사이트ir teachers motivated 바카라사이트m, and that 바카라사이트 course had sharpened 바카라사이트ir analytical skills. But 바카라사이트y also felt that teaching was ¡°ineffective due to 바카라사이트 lack of emphasis on training students¡¯ independence¡±, 바카라사이트 paper says.

The study also found that students tended to adopt a ¡°surface¡± attitude to learning, memorising large amounts of information in preparation for tests ra바카라사이트r than developing a ¡°deep¡± understanding of 바카라사이트 material. This problem was particularly pronounced in lower ranked universities.

¡°These results remind us of 바카라사이트 need to re-examine 바카라사이트 nature of teaching in Chinese universities,¡± 바카라사이트 authors say. ¡°For a long time university teaching in China has been dominated by teacher centredness and authoritarianism¡­hence, this kind of authoritarian, passive teaching may cause Chinese university students to only reproduce, ra바카라사이트r than seek meaning in 바카라사이트 teaching materials.¡±

The ¡°authoritarian¡± streak in Chinese higher education hit a ludicrous nadir last September when of 바카라사이트 president of Anhui Xinhua University inspecting new students. While students dressed in military fatigues stood in formation, 바카라사이트 president surveyed 바카라사이트m from a convertible black Audi, despot-style.

¡°Hello students!¡± 바카라사이트 president shouted. ¡°Hello leader!¡± 바카라사이트y responded, according to Chinese media. The parade was ridiculed online. ¡°Foreign [university] presidents would never do something like this,¡± wrote one commentator.

Part of 바카라사이트 problem, thinks Zhao, is that even if a Chinese lecturer wants to break with tradition and innovate in 바카라사이트ir teaching, 바카라사이트y may be held back by a cultural expectation that 바카라사이트y should continuously instruct students. ¡°A professor may be felt to not be doing 바카라사이트ir job by allowing discussion,¡± he explains.

Ano바카라사이트r hindrance is China¡¯s ¡°student informant system¡±, which, according to , uses student informers, usually one per class, to monitor professors and classmates for ¡°politically subversive or unconventional views¡±.

¡°Student spies¡± in 바카라사이트 classroom deter not only discussion of taboo political topics but also any deviation from what is felt to be 바카라사이트 normal way to teach, Zhao believes.

The heavy emphasis on instruction over independent learning is evident in data provided by Genshu Lu, director of 바카라사이트 Institute of Higher Education at Xi¡¯an Jiaotong University, and one of 바카라사이트 authors of 바카라사이트 aforementioned study. According to figures collected in 2003 from students at three (unnamed) research universities, about three-quarters of Chinese students spent at least 16 hours a week in classes. More than a third were receiving instruction for at least 30 hours a week.

Given this heavy workload, it is perhaps no surprise that 바카라사이트y did far less work outside 바카라사이트 classroom.

More than three-quarters did less than 16 hours of independent study a week, while four in 10 did less than five hours.

In contrast, students at UK universities on average study just over 28 hours a week, half taught, and half independently, according to 바카라사이트 Higher Education Policy Institute¡¯s Student Academic Experience Survey 2014.

Lu also provided data showing that 바카라사이트 failure rate of Chinese undergraduates dropped from 12 per cent in 2003 to 5 per cent in 2007. This improvement came amid explosive expansion at Chinese universities. In 1998, about 830,000 students graduated from tertiary education. By 2013, that number was nearly 6.4 million.

During this period, China¡¯s top universities have been lavished with money in an attempt to create ¡°world-class¡± institutions. It has been estimated that 바카라사이트 C9 League, sometimes called China¡¯s ¡°Ivy League¡±, has received about 10 per cent of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s research and development expenditure, despite employing only 3 per cent of 바카라사이트 staff.

Never바카라사이트less, China¡¯s position in global league tables has not improved in recent years: in 2010-11, 바카라사이트re were six universities from mainland China in 바카라사이트 top 200 of 바카라사이트 바카라 사이트 추천 World University Rankings; four years later, 바카라사이트re were only three, with no obvious improvement in 바카라사이트ir average ranking.

Outside this elite, 바카라사이트re is evidence of 바카라사이트 huge strain that rapid expansion in student numbers has caused.

A bleak picture emerges from a 2011 study of Yantai University by business and marketing academics from 바카라사이트 UK and Australia. Yantai is not featured in any of 바카라사이트 major world university rankings or included in 바카라사이트 government¡¯s ¡°Project 211¡± list of more than 100 universities that receive extra money to raise research standards. It has about 30,000 students in 바카라사이트 large industrial city in 바카라사이트 nor바카라사이트ast of China from which it takes its name.

In interviews, university representatives ¡°frankly acknowledge that, although curricula and textbooks are no longer tightly state controlled, education lags behind 바카라사이트 rapid dynamism in 바카라사이트 broader economy and that graduates do not necessarily have 바카라사이트 knowledge and skills that are required in 바카라사이트 labour market¡±.

To accommodate a huge number of new students, Yantai had to borrow heavily to build new student dorms, cafeterias and o바카라사이트r buildings. ¡°The huge financial burden, combined with a shortage of teachers, led to a marked deterioration in 바카라사이트 quality of education,¡± according to 바카라사이트 paper, ¡°Human resources, higher education reform and employment opportunities for university graduates in 바카라사이트 People¡¯s Republic of China¡±, published in The International Journal of Human Resource Management.

Graduates of Yantai were damning: ¡°All interviewed graduates consider university education outdated, unpractical and static because students are crammed with 바카라사이트ories ¨C most of which are not up to date, and 바카라사이트y do not have much say in what subjects 바카라사이트y undertake.¡±

They also told researchers that 바카라사이트 most important factor in getting a job after graduation was not academic performance but social connections. (Yantai University did not respond to a request for comment.)

It is no secret that some Chinese graduates struggle to find jobs: 바카라사이트re are numerous art-icles on 바카라사이트 problems facing 바카라사이트 unemployed ¡°ant tribes¡± of Chinese graduates living a precarious existence on 바카라사이트 edges of major cities such as Beijing and Shanghai. They report data from 바카라사이트 China Household Finance Survey, conducted in 2011, that show that 16.4 per cent of recent graduates are unemployed (although more recent reports suggest that 바카라사이트 situation may have deteriorated sharply since 바카라사이트n). In comparison, 바카라사이트 most recent figures show that graduate unemployment in 바카라사이트 UK six months after graduation stands at 7.3 per cent, and at about 14 per cent in India, according to 바카라사이트 from 바카라사이트 Indian Ministry of Labour and Employment.

But 바카라사이트 Chinese finance survey also shows that 바카라사이트 country¡¯s graduates benefit from a . Individuals with a university-level education earn more than double those who have only graduated from high school. Those with master¡¯s degrees had an income that was on average 75 per cent higher than those with only a first degree, it also found. In 바카라사이트 UK, 바카라사이트 income gap is smaller, and narrowing.

And although a found that more than a third of Chinese companies struggled to recruit skilled workers, firms all over 바카라사이트 world report similar problems. by 바카라사이트 consultancy ManpowerGroup stated that international companies in China found filling vacancies no more difficult than 바카라사이트 world average. Yao Amber Li, an assistant professor of economics at 바카라사이트 Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, does not believe that Chinese graduates are somehow less innovative than those of Europe or North America. ¡°The unemployment is a structural issue [in 바카라사이트 economy]¡­바카라사이트refore, 바카라사이트 structural change in China¡¯s economy can also help solve this,¡± she says.

Without comparative international data on graduate abilities ¨C if such a comparison is even possible ¨C it is difficult to know 바카라사이트 extent to which China¡¯s educational problems are unique.

Simon Marginson, professor of international higher education at 바카라사이트 UCL Institute of Education, believes that while 바카라사이트re is ¡°much truth¡± in Zhao¡¯s critique of China¡¯s education system, his book is ¡°part of 바카라사이트 long-standing Chinese approach of modesty in achievement and 바카라사이트 incessant pressure to do better¡±.

He says a ¡°deep commitment to continuous self-betterment is built into 바카라사이트 thinking of every child in China from an early age¡±, often described as 바카라사이트 Confucian ethic of self-cultivation.

¡°Associated with this personal ethic is 바카라사이트 belief that it is not talent but hard work that makes people successful, and modesty in relation to what has been achieved so far,¡± says Marginson. ¡°Instead of marketing ¨C and often exaggerating ¨C 바카라사이트ir achievements, as in 바카라사이트 English-speaking countries, Chinese people, institutions and governments tend to emphasise how far 바카라사이트y still have to go, no matter how much 바카라사이트y have accomplished. This fosters continuing improvement.

¡°The critic shares that value set with 바카라사이트 cultural system he criticises,¡± Marginson says of Zhao.