The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence - and it sames to be true that the student is always smarter in the next school.
Just a note to make you feel better about the education your children are getting in North American schools: The Chinese are envious of your children.
Chinese and American educators have visited each other and have come to the same conclusion: they are envious of each other's school systems.
Americans schools are seen by some as relaxed to the point of stupidity in worldwide academic circles, are being hailed by Chinese educators. In return, Chinese schools, long the poster-children of strict discipline, turn American educators green with envy at the thought of rapidly excelling students.
How can this be! It is true, that Chinese schools offer a strict disciplinary system matched by equally strict academic challenges, churning out professionals far superior in both physics and math to many students around the world; but they seem to be lacking an essential quality to manipulate academic superiority towards creative discovery. In other words, it is exceedingly difficult for disciplined Chinese students to "think out-of-the-box!"
American students, by contrast, are relaxed and for the most part, enjoy school. They are allowed to discover their own talents because this relaxed atmosphere allows for nurturing of the individuals, which in turn, ignites creativity. The down side, American students continually struggle in subjects, which take discipline, such as Physics and Math.
Chinese educators cite the fact that although they have students far superior in these disciplined subjects, not one Chinese person has ever won a Nobel Prize.
Why? Because to effectively use book facts and knowledge, you must be able to do so with a great amount of creativity and 'dreaming' - something totally foreign to Chinese students.
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to find a happy medium between discipline and nurturing in both education systems?
More on how the Chinese are making themselves felt in American academic circles, read about Chinese Language Classes for American kindergarteners!
