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| My morning began with a personal visit from the head schoolmaster. We were all given a 12" x 24" photo of the BNDS International Department Teaching Staff. This program of preparing students for attending college abroad through the AP/IB/A level programs just began in 2006. It's amazing how much it has grown, now servicing more than 600 students annually. This is like having a high school of 600 students grades 10-12 within the total of 4000 enrolled in grades 7-12. |
To give you an idea, tuition to attend BNDS runs about $15,000/yr, yet the average family income for a family of three in China is about 54,000 rmb which equates to about $8800/year. This takes in to consideration that almost always both parents in the home are working. Families will borrow from other family members to come up with the money to educate their one child, as a formal education is the ticket to a better life. Even at that, the average annual income of a physician in China is just $30,000- and that is considered wealthy. Because such a personal and financial investment is made in educating their one child, great importance is placed on their achievements in school. Children begin formal education at age 2 here. They have three years of schooling before they actually begin attending public school. Learning to speak another language is an expectation of their children as well. China believes in preparing its young people for a global economy. Most often that language is English, and lessons in English begin in primary school. By the time they get to high school, they are fluent. In fact, when grading the first writing assignment this past weekend, there were only a few students who still made some ESL mistakes in their written communication skills. By and large, it was as if I was grading the papers of a college freshman, given their command of the language, their strong vocabulary, and their use of proper grammar. Incredible. I've been immersed in the language for two weeks and I still can't properly ask where the bathroom is. In fact, I can only confidently say 'hello' and 'thank-you'.
In junior high and high school, the students are in school 14 hours a day. Yep. You read that correctly. Exercises begin at 7:40am, and class begins at 8am. The day doesn't end until 10:00pm. For the handful of students that commute, I have been on campus at 10pm, when parents are outside the gate, waiting in their cars and on their scooters, to pick up their kids from school. Remember, too, these are parents who have already put in a long day's work themselves. The formal instruction for kids ends at 4:10pm. We have a nine period day; one period of which is their lunch time and more exercise. Everyday, before the end of 8th period, there is an audio tape that takes students through a series of 'eye exercises'. I've never experienced that before! After 9th period, from 4:15 until 6:00pm, they are in enrichment programs...getting additional instruction for their more difficult subjects, attending study groups, special music lessons, etc.
They get an hour for the dinner break and exercises (they exercise three times a day here), and then it is on to 'self-study' back in the classroom for another three hours. They are not allowed to return to their dorm rooms until 9pm for junior high students, and 10pm for high school students. During 'self study' they complete their homework, read, prepare for the TOEFL exams, SAT/ACT exams, and such. They are supervised in self study. They are not allowed to sleep, or play video games on their phones...they must be engaged in academic related activities...IT IS THE KEY TO THEIR SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE! Even for those students who live in the area and do not board on campus, the majority of their parents do not allow them to engage in 'self study' at home. Nope; all school work is expected to be done at school. It is their privilege to attend a school like BNDS, and is the expectation that they will succeed in all of their school endeavors. Everyone is making a great sacrifice; parents and kids alike. The child's job is to get an education, and to make a better living for themselves. The reason being is that one day, the grown child will be caring for their parents- that is also an expectation. The average Chinese woman retires at age 50; the man at age 60. At which point, if the parents are unable to physically or financially care for themselves, they move in with their grown child to be taken care of- it's the payback for their good education and the financial sacrifice made by the parents. That is a cultural norm here.
There's an interesting phenomenon with the One Child Policy, however. It's referred to as 1-2-4-8.
Potentially, one child may have to provide and care for up to eight other family members. One boy marries one girl. These two potentially have four parents to care for, and because life expectancy is increasing, they could also be responsible for potentially another four grandparents. Add one child to that newly married couple, and you have a two income family caring for up to nine people. It's not mathematically possible on the average income here....and now you know the rest of the story as to why there is such a huge influx of Chinese in the United States, Canada and Europe. (Studying German is also very popular given the positive economic and labor relations between China and Germany.) The Chinese attending school and working abroad are trying to make as much money as possible, to be able to financially care for their own child, parents, and grandparents one day. It is the cultural expectation. The other reality to consider is that potential family of nine (or less) typically all live in a home or apartment that is less than 100 square meters. It happens in a country of 1.4 billion people; space is a premium.
How does all of this pressure and expectation effect the kids? What kind of kids do we have at BNDS? Are they stressed out, academic zombies? Incredibly, no; we have happy kids :) They are happy to be in such a prestigious school. They are happy to be learning. In fact, they are EAGER to learn. Even after a 14 hour day, they come back the next morning prepared, filled with questions, and with bright, smiling faces. They like having homework and reading assignments to do during self-study. All of that work means they will one day be successful and have better lives. All in all, these really are happy kids. There is lots of laughter and joy in the hallways and in the classroom. It is amazing to me how these kids are not driven by immediate gratification like I see in teens and young adults back home. These kids have their eye on the long term reward, and they stay focused, motivated, and so, so disciplined. It is the fabric of their culture, even an entire nation.
See, these kids can't imagine leaving school at 3:00pm everyday. They don't know what it is like to be able to go home, have a snack, hang out with their friends, play video games, watch TV, blow off their homework, etc. They see that kind of activity as wasteful, and more importantly, it is disrespectful to the adults in their lives- their parents, grandparents, and their teachers. If only the kids I have had in public education could see how these kids live. In my experience, most kids in the U.S., even the 'best' ones, complain over most assignments given. "Why do we have to do this?" "This is stupid!" "When are we ever going to need this?" Where as, the kids here China yearn for more. They are taking Calculus as 10th graders, and passing the AP exam for college credit with a score of five, which is the highest grade given. I have never seen a five on an AP Calculus test in all my years in public education in Indiana. Ever. I know it happens, but I've never seen it. Here in China, the expectation is you will pass with a perfect score of five. And these kids do it. For the handful of students that may pass with a score of four, it is nearly disgraceful. Scores of 3, 2, or 1 are unheard of here; it simply does not happen.
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| There is no FERPA (Federal Educational Right to Privacy Act) in China, either. These kids grades are all displayed proudly- all over the school. I've never seen this many kids take the AP exam from one school in a year, let alone seeing this many pass with a perfect score! It's beyond impressive as an educator. |
At what cost is all of this pressure for excellence, you ask?
I have not witnessed any personal suffering. In fact, students speak of meditating to get 'their mind in the right place' for learning. Again, every where I look, I see happy, well adjusted kids. Their 'social life' is studying together. They do research projects together- for fun. They form their own tutoring groups. They find common interests, like film studies, and form a club writing, acting, editing, and producing their own films. There are NO after school sports. There are no competitions between schools for basketball or soccer titles. It doesn't happen here. Yet, we have a state of the art sports complex and Olympic quality facilities. These are simply used for exercise, where kids will play pick up games of badminton, tennis, soccer, ultimate frisbee, and such. But again, it is purely for exercise, because 'circulation is important to a healthy mind.' It's such a different way of life, a different way of thinking, a different way of being...and by and large, it seems to be working for them.
As a teacher, I feel like I have died and gone to heaven. I have already pushed these sixteen year old kids further in the concepts from the first unit of the textbook than I ever did at the college level- and they want more from me. This week, I incorporated an activity with these kids that I have used with my college upperclassmen Abnormal Psychology class in the past. The kids nailed it. Still, they want even more things from me to do during their self-study time. They want things to show their parents, 'to make them very proud of me'. My creative juices for the classroom have not been tapped like this since I had the eagerness myself as a first year instructor. Their happiness and their desire to learn more, do more, and be more is simply infectious.
Now, what is so interesting to me about this total paradigm shift to learning is that these kids are not out working their teachers for an edge or an advantage. They are not asking about additional assignments, or making up questions to simply hear themselves speak in class. Actually, they are quite shy, by and large. There is no 'brown-nosing' the teacher to get a better grade. To the Chinese, that insincere manner of interacting would be disrespectful to the teaching profession. The Chinese are a service oriented culture- you help someone who needs it, and you help them gladly, no matter the cost. You are friendly and courteous to everyone you meet. And always, always you are respectful to others. I cannot walk from my office to the classroom without at least five kids offering to carry my books. If I deny them, they don't understand that I would want to carry them myself. Their feelings are hurt. They are genuinely wanting to be helpful. It is an honor to show respect and kindness to an elder, particularly a 'person of great importance like a teacher.' Where in public education in the United States are teachers paid and treated like their job is 'of the greatest importance?' I have not experienced that before now.
Here in China, teachers are above doctors..."If there were no teachers, we would have no doctors." Damn, Skippy! These people GET IT. We have perks to our school day that I even hate to mention. I have 45 students in the grade book, not 175. I am granted time in my school day to really develop the curriculum, and to build relationships with the students. Why are the administrators so generous with their teachers? Because they believe what knowledge I can impart to their students is THE KEY TO THEIR SUCCESS IN THE FUTURE! Our school lunch is paid for. I am given a stipend to purchase materials I need for my students; it doesn't come out of my pocket as it would back home. Everyday the faculty lounge is stocked with fresh fruit, pastries, juice, milk, and an expresso machine :) Every faculty meeting has catered snacks. Their generosity is so ridiculous and foreign to us, that we talk of feeling guilty for how good we have it. It is such a blessing, to be treated and given all that we have so that we can be comfortable and give our best to their young people. I am working with teachers from all over the world, and none of us has ever had it close to what our employment and quality of life is like here. I dare say teachers rate even higher than administrators. There are few administrators, even, as the school essentially runs itself- everyone is disciplined in what they do. It would be disrespectful not to be disciplined. It's the Chinese way. I like the Chinese way.
The bottom line...We all smile...all. the. time. BNDS is a happy place to be. Why? Because we all know how great we have it here- the kids and the adults- and none of us wants to mess up a good thing! Have high expectations, and human beings will rise to their fullest potential. When we don't expect much, we don't get much. When you create an atmosphere of cooperation, communication, respect, and creativity, the sky is the limit for a child. The same is true for the adults that work here. These are the core values of BNDS, and every school has them. But these values have been indoctrinated into these kids since the age of two. The adults in the building were raised with these same principles. They are not just words. They are not posters hanging in the school cafeteria. Very simply, these four words are a way of life for students and adults alike, not just in their academic life, but it is their way of life as a people, as a culture, as a country. We don't have to demand or remind these things of our students. It is truly an atmosphere of cooperation, communication, respect, and creativity, each and every day of the week. So, a squatty potty? The smog? A language barrier at times? Some strange foods? Cultural differences? I can deal with it.
As a teacher, as a parent, as an employer...we see such an attitude of indifference and entitlement all across America. It seems to be getting worse with each passing generation. My own children thought I had too high of expectations. Well, they proved me right! All five of them are college educated, successful, contributing adults, each in their own corner of the world. The culture and climate of education in China is the same...have very high expectations, and the kids will rise to it, time and time again. The kids at BNDS will all be accepted to the most prestigious universities all over the world- that's how good they are.
Now, there are those kids who obviously fall through the cracks...who are from poor rural areas that are never given this kind of educational opportunity. It is true that 5% of the people in China hold nearly 25% of the country's wealth. There's a whole history and political climate that played a huge role in this command and demand for respect, obedience, and discipline. But these young people of China are rising up, and China gets it- they are the very future of their country. There is also an expectation they will return and give back their skills to their country one day. They are okay with that...their country is expecting something of them, and in turn, they will contribute to an even bigger, better, more powerful China. China is growing and on the move, in more ways than one.
Now, I have a number of kids from other provinces, poor rural areas, and they live in Beijing year round at BNDS. Their summers are spent at 'enrichment camps' at Stanford, Yale, Harvard, MIT, and the like. That's how they spend their summer vacation- engaged in more learning. They leave home at 13 to begin junior high school, and will not see their parents...maybe, ever again. Students enrolled in our International Department are being prepared for attending college abroad, and their sights are set on the best schools in the world. There is a staff of over 10 counselors for a graduating class of about 700. What?! You mean it's not one school counselor per 400-650 students?! Nearly every job I ever had as a guidance counselor, I was the 'lone ranger' for the entire building. Not here, the counselor's student case load is between 60-70 students. The college fairs are Ivy League schools, Oxford, Cambridge, and the like. And, they like coming to Beijing to recruit kids from BNDS.
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| This is the atrium/lobby area at the front of our school. We have no attendance officer, no vice principal in charge of discipline- there just aren't those kinds of problems here. Kids would be ashamed if a teacher had to call out their behavior in class- removing them from the class? Unheard of. Mr. Salkoski used to say, "Discipline yourself and I won't have to discipline you." These kids are living proof of that. He wouldn't have a job. There's no athletic director here either.  As if I didn't have enough to smile about during the school day already, I sure got a kick out of walking back to my beautiful apartment. Pink poodles?! This place called China is somethin' else, for sure! G'nite, y'all! |
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