| In the video to the right, girls perform a traditional chant with percussion and accompanying choreography. There is a clear gender bias with respect to the activities in which students participate. Typically, girls focus on music and art; boys are more involved in team sports. Even in activities where both girls and boys participate, at many schools, they are separated by gender. | |
Lots of excitement when Americans visit schools in rural China. On nearly every trip to China, I bring travelers to a local school. These visits are not planned ahead of time. If I schedule a school visit in advance, the school and local government plans the appointment specifically for the American visitors and the authenticity of the experience is lost.
Chinese schools are remarkable. The first surprise is the number of children per classroom: 40 students, one teacher. That student teacher ratio is not as remarkable as the children's behavior. The students are busy working, reciting poems, singing songs, and listening to the teacher. Do students have ADHD in China? Of course. The students who are able to focus and concentrate do well in school; those who are unfocused do poorly. This is similar to what it was like in the U.S. until the 80's when ADHD diagnosis became more prevalent and accepted.
All students participate in extracurricular art, music and/or sport. Those with natural talent are identified at a young age and their gift is cultivated. Those without a natural flair for an instrument, art form or sport are assigned to a craft and taught how to play or perform to the best of their ability. Regardless of whether the talent is natural or assigned, students take their activities seriously and are expected to practice both at school and at home in order to fully contribute to the success of their team, music group or individual art form.
Students benefit from free play time as well as structured recess activities, such as jumping rope, line dancing and yoga. The sounds of the playground are familiar to American ears: a lot of laughter and screaming.
Chinese schools are remarkable. The first surprise is the number of children per classroom: 40 students, one teacher. That student teacher ratio is not as remarkable as the children's behavior. The students are busy working, reciting poems, singing songs, and listening to the teacher. Do students have ADHD in China? Of course. The students who are able to focus and concentrate do well in school; those who are unfocused do poorly. This is similar to what it was like in the U.S. until the 80's when ADHD diagnosis became more prevalent and accepted.
All students participate in extracurricular art, music and/or sport. Those with natural talent are identified at a young age and their gift is cultivated. Those without a natural flair for an instrument, art form or sport are assigned to a craft and taught how to play or perform to the best of their ability. Regardless of whether the talent is natural or assigned, students take their activities seriously and are expected to practice both at school and at home in order to fully contribute to the success of their team, music group or individual art form.
Students benefit from free play time as well as structured recess activities, such as jumping rope, line dancing and yoga. The sounds of the playground are familiar to American ears: a lot of laughter and screaming.
If given the opportunity, I like to teach an English song to the students, like "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes". Students study a second language starting in elementary school, typically English. Other courses are similar to what children study in the United States. Last year, students from the Shanghai Foreign Language School visited the Connecticut school district where I teach and some attended an Advanced Placement biology class. They decided to sit for the test that their American counterparts were taking. They got B's. The teacher and American students were shocked at this excellent performance given that the test was in English, they had not been in class for the coursework and they had not studied for the test. This was not a surprise to me as the Chinese students are generally ahead in science and math.
Join me on a Chow Fun tour. I look forward to the opportunity to share China with you and introduce you to the school system. Experiencing a visit at a Chinese school is fascinating.
Join me on a Chow Fun tour. I look forward to the opportunity to share China with you and introduce you to the school system. Experiencing a visit at a Chinese school is fascinating.
Recess at a school in a small fishing village on Hainan island. The kids there had never met anyone from outside China, let alone someone with red hair.
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