<p>On Friday, I heard a presentation by the president of my daughters math and science magnet high school that got my attention.</p>
<p>The president recently accompanied a group of about two dozen students on an 11-day trip to China. What he reported about the trip was eye-opening.</p>
<p>China, he said, is making major investments in math and science education. The group visited a math and science magnet school in Beijing. This school, he said, lacked nothing, courtesy of the Chinese government. Their biology lab is equipped with brand new electron microscopes. The faculty are all highly qualified, experienced scientists, many with doctoral degrees and many who are well-known in their fields (and this is at the high school level, albeit at a specialized high school for high achievers).</p>
<p>But what really raised my eyebrows was what he said about the type of instruction. The Asian stereotype, as Im sure many CCers are aware, is drill-to-the-test, content-intensive preparation. While that is still the norm many places, he said, the Chinese government is aware that true technological leadership comes from through genuine education that teaches students how to think and solve problems.</p>
<p>Therefore, he said, the Chinese are aggressively pursuing plans to transform their STEM education. My daughters high school is known internationally for its innovative approach to STEM education; the trip of the Illinois high school students was largely subsidized by the Chinese government, in order to glean from those students how they are being educated. Next summer, the Chinese government is sending two dozen STEM teachers to our high school for a week of professional development training. </p>
<p>In the presidents words, they are determined to suck dry everything we have learned about innovative and effective STEM education, then apply that on a wide scale throughout China. Because of the top-down Chinese system and the governments determination to provide the necessary resources to implement their plans in contract to our decentralized education decision-making and unwillingness to make major investments in education it is likely that at some point in the not-too-distant future, we will fall behind China in STEM capabilities.</p>
<p>Because of the top-down Chinese system and the governments determination to provide the necessary resources to implement their plans in contract to our decentralized education decision-making and unwillingness to make major investments in education it is likely that at some point in the not-too-distant future, we will fall behind China in STEM capabilities.</p>
<p>What they need is not more STEM graduates, but more customers in their own country for their own products and services (internal growth). Otherwise they’ll fall into the same hole that many other countries with great STEM education fell into - great education and nowhere for their graduates to go.</p>
<p>I’d look towards the Turkey, Taiwan, and South Korea models where they have very good STEM education but also thriving middle class consumers.</p>
<p>Maybe these bright tudents can figure out hiw to find people to live in the ‘ghost cities’ they have built to stimulate their economy…google chinese ghost cities,it is scary…</p>
<p>The Romans, the Greeks, the Persians, et. al, all had great civilizations with contributions too numerous to mention… A lot of good that did them :-)</p>
<p>emeraldkity, no, I don’t think we should “emulate China” (although in the interests of full disclosure, I should reveal that I sent my daughter from our “rural village” to an “urban boarding school!”). However, I do think we should be aware that unless we (a) have a coherent national education policy and (b) go back to the policy of the 20th Century in devoting sufficient economic resources to maintain high-quality education system, then we are headed for second-class status - probably not within my lifetime, but possibly within the lifetimes of some of the younger parents on this forum and very probably within the lifetime of those young children we are so eagerly and hopefully sending off to college.</p>
<p>Let me provide another vignette, again using my daughter’s high school. The school is basically 100% funded by the state (we do pay a small student activity fee for her) and its charge is not only to educate the ~650 resident students but also to disseminate advanced practices for STEM education to schools throughout the state. But it’s like pulling teeth to get school districts to send teachers in for professional development - because, they say, they have no money to pay the teachers for the overtime. China can send 24 teachers half way around the world for the development opportunity, but school districts that are almost literally across the street can’t (or won’t) afford to.</p>
<p>We are on the route to the technological also-rans, and given our policies, when we get there, it will be exactly what we deserve.</p>
<p>I was amazed this past summer to find out that many rural people - children included are illiterate. There are also many areas without any schools. I think we exaggerate the Chinese story.</p>
<p>I heard on NPR last week that the majority of wealthy Chinese would like to migrate to this country if they have a chance. One of the most cited reasons? Better education for their children – repeat, children, not the college kids.</p>
<p>jvtDad, I heard the same report. I do think that a long term economic policy should be a priority, and I support the President’s efforts with the Race to the Top initiative. I would love to see national standards, real benchmarks and less variances within the states. However, many others in this country would like to see the Dept. of Education abolished. Until we can come together in this country to legislate and fund the future our educational prioroties will continue to crumble along with our roads adn bridges.</p>
<p>Lots of China’s news are being blocked for the Western world. So, do not assume everything you read or saw is atypical. While the economy is seemed booming in China, the problems are abound. This is a general statement, each individual may have a different experience.</p>
<p>They already have it “kumon”. More than 20 years ago, before I took TOFEL, I went to New East for English after work. Now that school also teaches SAT and SSAT.</p>
<p>it seems that China has a big Dept of Education. Just like the USA. and a Lobby. :)</p>
<p>For some reason, there is an near endless supply of Chinese students applying to US’s colleges, apparently well qualified and with money. :)</p>
<p>Somewhere in early CC, someone cited Education officials meeting together. One commented that US would like to emulate China’s education of the masses to a certain standard (Bush W era). The other official said, China would like to emulate the US education system to create a more innovative workforce.</p>
<p>“In the presidents words, they are determined to suck dry everything we have learned about innovative and effective STEM education, then apply that on a wide scale throughout China”</p>
<p>And they travel to the United States? They may as well study our savings habits.</p>
<p>The situation in China is not nearly as picture perfect as many americans believe. The view of a rising Dragon set to take over the entire Pacific region is very misguided.</p>
<p>“I wish China can do well in everything so that they can contribute back to mankind.”</p>
<p>Well, let’s see . . . they could start by stopping the infanticide of baby girls. Who cares how high your STEM score averages are if your young scientists have no women to marry? You’re not too good in math if you force a one-child policy that icludes gender selection resulting in a failure to balance the boys and the girls - doh!</p>