A belief that Chinese students are taught through rote, silent learning is broadly accepted in the West, and this type of education will only lead to the development of obedient workers without creativity or innovation.
We contend that this is untrue. In fact, there are many very successful students and a highly creative and skilled workforce in China’s educational system. We believe that the world may take away from this.
Apple CEO Tim Cook made a point in a popular video earlier this year about the special attention of skilled labour attracted to China’s production operations:
In the US, you could have a meeting of casting professionals, and I’m not sure we had fill the room. You may fill several football fields in China.
Tesla’s CEO Elon Musk responded swiftly on X:” True.”
When South African President Cyril Ramaphosa made a surprise visit to the Shenzhen office of BYD earlier this year to learn that the company planned to increase its 100, 000-strong executive task force within the upcoming generation.
He might not have been aware that Chinese institutions produce more than ten million alumni annually, which constitutes the foundation of a super-economy.
The dilemma of the Taiwanese person
Chinese educators achieve amazing success rates compared to their Western – or non-Confucian-heritage – rivals.
In terms of reading, mathematics, and technology, 15-year-olds in China have topped the group desk three out of four times since Shanghai initially took part in the PISA education assessment in 2009, ranking 15-year-olds in China at the top of the table.
How may a supposedly silent and monotonous Chinese system outperform its European competitors? Since the 1990s, a number of Asian academics have been studying this “paradox of the Chinese person.”
Their research demonstrates that these widespread views of Chinese and other Eastern educators are false. For instance, repeat and significant learning are not mutually exclusive. According to a Taiwanese proverb:
书读百遍其意自现 – meaning reveals itself when you read something several days.
What is American schooling learn?
A defining characteristic of Chinese society is the emphasis on education. Since Confucianism became the state-sanctioned doctrine in the Han Dynasty ( 202BCE–220CE), education has entered every fabric of Chinese culture.
This became especially important after the Sui Dynasty institutionalized the Keju system of civil service examinations ( 581CE–618CE).
Now, the Gaokao University entrance exam is the current Keju equivalent. Every time, a lot of school graduates take the exam. For three days in July, Chinese society generally comes to a halt for the Gaokao.
Although everyone involved in the system is a big motivator for the culture, it is not something that can be easily learned and applied to other Western cultures.
However, there are two concepts we believe are key to Chinese academic achievement, at both the reader and program levels. To explain these, we use two Chinese expressions.
The primary we call “orderly and steady development” – 循序渐进. This theory stresses person, step-by-step and sequenced learning, sustained by toughness and delayed pleasure.
The minute we call” heavy accumulation before slim production” – 厚积薄发. This idea emphasizes the importance of two points:
- a solid basis by accumulating fundamental skills and knowledge.
- integration, integration and creative imagination only come after this solid base.
The method of learning calligraphy is the epitome of ordered and progressive development. It goes from simple to tough, simple to complicated, imitating to complimentary composing, technique to artwork. It has been a required weekly training in all primary and middle schools in China since 2013.
The art of Chinese creating embraces patience, devotion, breathing, focus and an appreciation of the natural splendor of music. It teaches the principles of harmony and visual heart from China.
” Solid deposition” can be illustrated in the way kids study extremely painful for the national Gaokao exam, and also during secondary education. In this way, they acquire the fundamental skills and knowledge needed for current world.
The ability to filter or concentrate this accumulated knowledge and skill in order to find and implement innovative solutions at work or elsewhere is referred to as” thin production.”
Ways of learning
The focus on continuous and steady development and the development of fundamental skills and knowledge may appear to be a slow, routine, and boring process, which is the source of those common misconceptions about Chinese learning.
In fact, it boils down to a plain discussion: without a critical mass of fundamental knowledge and skills, there is little to adapt and integrate for effective creativity.
Of course, there are issues with Taiwanese learning and education, not least the brutal competitiveness and emphasis on investigations. However, our goal here is to illustrate how two fundamental academic tenets support Chinese advancements in science and technology in a contemporary information economy.
We believe these principles are applicable and probably beneficial for politicians, scholars and learners abroad.
Stephen Dobson is doctor and professor of learning and the artists at CQUniversity Australia, while Peter Yongqi Gu is associate teacher at Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington.
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