Little Soldiers: An American Boy, a Chinese School, and the Global Race to Achieve

by Chu, Lenora

Published: September 19, 2017

Read: January 1, 2019

★★★★★

Review

China is a worldwide leader in test scores(counting only urban centers), so the world is wondering what are they doing right? This is a great book focuses on answering this question with a critical questioning of its shortcomings. Chinese rigor for tests against more western holistic ideas. With the underlying story of her own children in early education, the author must not only tussle with the theoretical comparison but decide what is best for her own child. She talks with experts, friends, and students while struggling herself as a parent in Chinese culture. This was engrossing, heartful, as well as critical and educational. For this topic, the book was excellent and highly recommended to anyone interested in education or China.

Notes

#Book by [[Lenora Chu]]

Chp1
- Kid wants to be smart and not cute, rewarded in school with gold star for sitting still
- Conformity and model citizen in [[China]] vs standing out in America
- [[Shanghai]] has top high school in math, science, and reading in the world
  - Barack called it a Sputnik moment
  - Is China creating robots or giving a superior education?
  - Should the world measure themselves against China?
Part 1: The System
- Chp 2 (It Begins?)
  - Author brought her child to China at 18 months. Got him into the best preschool at 3. Flashback
    - Called everyday for weeks to speak to principal
    - White husband spoke great Chinese
    - "One generation plants tree others get shade" Chinese proverb in conversation shows camaerdie, wonderment, and acceptance
    - Got interview and they liked the foreign born American with the grand father with deep roots.
    - Kid force fed eggs on first day, but teacher has no regrets. Eggs are nutrious.
    - Kid ate egg with determination and focus with lots of cups of water. Good show of resolve
  - Chinese [[How did you decide what to be?]]
    - Strong extreme respect for [[Authority]] and ancestors
    - Doing good in school ultimate respect
    - [[Confucius]] certain with tradition and hierarchy
    - Teacher asks her to not question her in front of children. They need to be in alignment.
    - Parents are scared of teachers and give great gifts because teachers hate challenges.
  - American parent rat race
  - Other mothers think she is much too free
    - "What after school classes is he taking?"
    - Parents spend more on [[Preschool]] children then [[High School]]
    - To get into good college starts with good kindergarten
    - All students must eventually walk narrow road.
  - [[Chinese Nannies]] shopping is cheap and they will do it all for $3
    - Like Americans because [[Sterotypes]] say they are welcoming, neurotic, and care about labor conditions
    - First nanny just walked out cuz child wouldn't listen
    - Second nanny held kid down to get him to sleep
    - Nannies didn't want to work for her.
  - Husband Rob is blond, tall from Minnesota.
    - Church and sports center of society
    - Just attend school and explore outside
  - She grew up in Texas with authoritarian parents worshipping education.
  - Chinese Preschool's Perspective on [[Parenting]]
    - Child education should be one parents full time job
    - Principal says she doesn't pick children, she picks parents
    - Big board of schedule info
    - [[WeChat]] group kept her hooked to phone
      - Please bring a photo of yourself or other daily instructions requiring work or more
      - Parents expected to respond instant, a race
      - One day had 300 msgs
    - 4 grandparents and 2 adults per child basically. [[One Child Policy]]. Grandparents day :(.
  - Gift-giving based on way it is given and what it is.
    - Respectable verbal and nonverbal must be nailed.
    - People love to reject the gift the first several times.
    - Teacher literally runs away and is like no no no.
- Chp 3 Obey the Teacher
  - Foreign parents frustrated at lack of meaningful communication
    - Can't question teacher.
    - Foreign parents made group to share what they learn about school from children
    - One child is like we just sit there and do nothing.
  - Big size means athletic prowess in America, more visible in China
  - Witness Chinese school kindergarten.
    - Day 1 force kids in chair
    - Day 3 tell them what is expected of them, before trial and error
    - Sit down don't do that, sit well. "YOUR MOM WONT COME GET YOU TODAY"
    - Sitting get kids still and ordered.
    - Circle time is really odd, if kids can get up when they want. "What a luxury, there has to be standards".
  - West has god and church, China has teacher with external discipline
    - Church gives West discipline from early age
    - Early childhood professor says he doesn't encourage the threatening
    - But teacher and society likes conformists and with so many students they need to control. 40-100 students in single room. Westerns have luxury of room.
  - Rain drawing activity must be drawn falling from top to bottom and in perfect tear drop
  - Arbitrary choosing of who gets to go drink by standing well to show who's in charge
  - U shaped chairs.
- Chp 4 No Exceptions to Rule
  - Chinese school Chinese rule
  - Teachers say "we don't threaten".
    - "Police will get you"
    - "Ill drop you to the lower grade level".
    - "You must have same style as us, he can't say mommy said it was alright". "They need to think mommy and teacher on same side."
  - Super scared of child getting hurt.
    - "American if child falls then its ok, Chinese moms can't have their child fall".
    - "Your child goes down slides heads first".
  - Both parents respect and admire Chinese values and culture
    - Rob seeing good children
    - Mom seeing good intentions of her father in authorian rule
  - Her school had teachers with Masters mostly in early childhood education and visiting classrooms abroad.
  - Hires Mandarin tutor because a very complex language with tones and characters.
  - Pollution problem, kid has coughing fits perhaps asthma
  - Great efficiency for processing large crowd. Colors for nurse.
  - Chinese rules were too restrictive to follow to the letter. "Rules are dead, people are alive".
  - Special ed schools are tucked away from society.
- Chp 5 No Rewards for Second Place
  - Really no parks, too little lands
  - Chinese playdate
    - "Add oil" common cheer
    - Rainey got 2nd and 3rd person cried
    - So competitive and congrat winner
  - [[Self Esteem]]
    - Americans care for [[Self Esteem]] and treat it very importantly and refrain from ranking children individual
    - Chinese will trash it, [[Self Esteem ]] is not really important, more about objective comparisons.
    - "Your Mandarian is not good".
  - Constant [[Competition]]
    - Public board of stats inviting comparison with even medical things.
    - Privacy has negative connotation because like having something to hide.
    - Students numbered. Everyone knows their current rank of school.
    - Even better to have competition between relatives because no genetic difference right, just hard work.
    - No reward for 2nd place, everyone is competitor.
  - Amanda was forced to eat lunch. When she isn't studying feels lazy, but when studying feels like she should do more
  - Other student says [[Competition]] is good, pushes him to compete
  - Low ranking students eventually give up maybe, but ambitious people go farther.
  - Chinese have history of meritocracy with imperial bucreratic position brings prestige, status to your family and ancestors. Pass rates impossibly low. 1/100. 1/6000 hit top. Aristocracy of learning.
  - [[Gaokao]] - The Chinese College Entrance Exam
    - Sure both take same test, rich people got the education stystem.
    - Lot of carnage at base, 2/3 get into college and fewer into prestigious ones.
    - IV drips for energy. Anxious parents camp outside.
  - Race of children and parents
    - Very serious
    - Teacher tells parents to get ready
    - Was everyone cheating? At a sports meet?
    - Children indifferent as pawns and teacher beaming
Part 2: Change
- Chp 6 High price of test
  - "Learning something and taking a test on something are two different things".
  - Kid spends summer in America
    - In America, he a super good boy waiting patiently and so well behaved.
    - Eating habits and preference was so open for such a young one
    - Eats eggs now and all
    - Enjoyed doing things he didn't like as show
    - Americas meanwhile research effect of pen color on student emotions
    - Lets him make decisions in his room.
  - China is trying to adopt some western [[Archive/Slingshow/Education]] ways.
    - Things that are naturally to author as a western, but new to some
    - "Affection in [[Archive/Slingshow/Education]] is important" - from new teacher.
    - Learn naturally.
    - This first place kid will burn out.
    - Encourage dont insult paintings.
    - Talk about what student want.
    - China trying to make school more welcoming and holistic
    - White bible is required reading for early childhood
  - Chinese believe very strongly about eating hot food.
  - Hundreds of directives from Beijing to lessen load like no entrance exam for preschool
  - Ministry of education had no real power to punish schools
  - Negative Effects
    - Got population of test taking machines without social skills.
    - Fatter.
    - Problem with vision
    - Most students have no time for house work.
    - Many students say they have heavier workload
    - Students too busy studying to visit psychologist about hating study
    - Shit creativity
    - Student kills people because of insult.
  - Korean and Japs get excellent scores with way less study. Finland amazing
  - Motivation to learn long term stays.
  - Without tests, how do you make criteria? Can you introduce grey areas with human graders for holistic assessment?
  - [[Social Status]] based on tests.
    - Father and friends speak about scores at reunion. Father tells SAT score at wedding.
  - Mandarin tests for work. High school salary boosted up to 40%.
  - Education system even ranks schools for funding and they get more money. "No one wants to change"
  - Relaxation is a learned skill
  - 2 years before elementary school, readiness class for parents so popular.
- Chp 7 little soldiers
  - Education used for rule of people.
    - "I like China more than America" why? Shrug.
    - Chinese flag above chalkboard behind glass.
    - He must love china, work, [[Science]], Chinese people, [[Socialism]]. 5 loves essential.
    - China always believes in ruling by idealogy with a strong identity, 1984
  - Peaceful [[Hong Kong]] protest
    - Attributed to Hong Kong problems of education for patriotism
  - Free thinking could be dangerous, restrict it about politics, ethics, and religion
  - Best students in party
    - Gives power over classmates
    - Class monitor
    - Teachers must vouch for you to join party
    - 1 billion in young party communist club
    - Must be great to serve in league
    - Adidas track suit uniform of future communist leader.
  - Guy who wants to join party says what he writes is nonsense.
    - Wants to study abroad and join for brighter future.
    - Networks and scholarships and can be required for promotion.
    - Something he has to do.
  - Public faces very different than private thoughts.
  - Huge gap between what they learn and what they see
    - Capitalism abroads
    - Unconvincing and unreliable and means of indoctrination over people.
    - Starving flag bearer won't give it up in story.
  - Civil service is super secure job, embezzlement open secret
  - Everyone obessed with getting ahead, so telling people to work for state rings hollow
  - Caring about [[Censorship]] is a western luxury.
    - Ban [[Democracy]], free speech, and failures of communist party in school.
    - Collective action is hard censored.
    - Censor of [[Tiananmen Square Massacre]] of students protesting for democracy.
  - Americans have illusion of [[Democracy]], elitist. Illusion there is hope, but Chinese know there is no hope.
  - Obviously not Socialist
- Chp 8 100 days til test time
  - Educators in rural schools very different
  - Shanghai number one, but include rural China and they suck.
  - Name child with ambitions. Beautiful, Ferrari.
  - One family has parents with little education.
    - Antiquited [[Archive/Slingshow/Education]] creates trouble for gettings students away.
    - Migrant workers can't bribe teachers if they're far away
    - Teacher insults mother.
    - Migrant parents work in City and leave family in town.
    - Parents trying to educate only child.
    - Scoring well duty to community and country.
    - Chinese migrant kid says he likes America better cuz knowledge useful and kids happy. Plays league of legends.
  - Imports carry status.
  - Mantra was build it and hope they come for cities, regional centers urbanizing
  - Inequality index highest in world, [[Poverty]]
    - 3/4 rural have delayed cognitive development because of malnourishment.
    - Teacher ignores those who prob won't make it
    - 1/3 of pop
    - Can't do welfare state, too poor
    - Chasm like Bangladesh and London for wealth.
  - Rural China had students ordered by aptitute
  - Most students in a high school have given up.
  - Everyone knows their rank.
  - Could pay for workaround to get into school if your score is close. Widens inequality.
  - One student goes to low migrant worker, other student studies in high school.
  - 60 years ago 4/5 Chinese couldn't read
    - 1980 compulsory schooling with grand goals
    - Major shifts but great progress.
    - Single greatest educational effort in human history
    - China notoriously difficult to weed people(teachers?) out.
  - Can focus on learning in America, but China means very little if you can't get to a good college.
  - Entire working life and money on tutoring and more.
- Chp 9 shortcuts and favors
  - "If you have money, you can get ghosts to do your work".
  - Gifting / Bribing Teachers
    - Gifts banned to teachers
    - Teachers will accept money from safe families
    - Gifting crazy and requires recopricity.
    - Girl recalls teacher picking on her even though she did well.
    - Most families gave 100-200 dollars per year.
    - Must pay to get her real grades from transcript office.
    - 6 of 10 have coach now too common. Apple 1.5x more and luxury more. $750 annual salary still has so many luxury bags
  - No idea of [[Conflict of Interest]]
  - Principal "90% of students cheat".
  - Students must go to school in province of parent
  - To get out, one student had their parents divorce and father remarry for money to someone in Shanghai to be in that school system
  - Ranking has real consequences. Scarce [[Opportunity]]. Admitting defeat and taking high ground is too bad.
  - Open secret teacher must bribe for promotion
  - Large scale fraud.
  - Crackdown on widespread cheating results in riots
    - "There is no [[Fairness]] if you don't let us cheat"
    - Crackdown on their children puts them at disadvantage.
  - New principal starts enforcing rules😯
  - Teachers have children too.
  - School started putting antiflu drug to keep them in school. To get that money!
  - Legally actionably in US, reason for gov corruption crackdown in China
- Chp 10 Beating the system vs opting out
  - "I don't believe in Chinese morality"
  - Rainey realized teachers lie.
  - Chinese have many reasons to lie.
  - Darcy great at beating system. All colleges usually use testing, but for quality can interview those at lower scores. Humble brag communist stuff in interview.
  - [[Literature]]
    - Literary works in China are snippeted with official interpretation. Write official interpretation in essay only.
    - Chinese literature focused on beautiful sentences and imagery. American for clarity of ideas.
  - Money is official for individual pursuits while China community focused.
  - Put bag on kids head. Take something off you don't need. Only 3/100 Chinese remove bag.
  - [[Creativity]] is linked with environment.
  - Chinese hard to ask questions. Cultural fear of losing face.
  - Thinking outside box associated with disobeying teacher.
  - Some top like [[John Ma]] credit their success to going to low tier school.
  - [[Startups]] have some Creativity
    - Chinese contribute to 17% of patents and 13% of SV startups.
    - Innovation can be just copying something and then incremental improvement.
    - Change is quick, and they're determined.
  - No creativity would be overstatement as Chinese trying to overcome.
  - Is their child different? Says no to changing clothes...
  - Victorian, International kindergarten rejects parents.
    - Mobilize parent group with democracy to enact change.
    - Parents entitled and want more.
  - Chinese hire administration and hope for the best.
Part 3: Chinese Lessons
- (Chp 11: Compare Systems?)
  - [[Math]]
    - In every domain at every age, Beijing vs New York kids. Chinese destroy in math.
    - Early [[Math]] skills most important factor in predicting future earnings
    - Math skills peeps are more likely to trust and see themselves as actors.
    - [[China]]
      - Math essential, violates law to teach math in kindergarten but everyone wants it
      - Double digits math for 6 year old, believe it's possible.
      - Chinese rulers mostly scientists or engineers.
    - [[US]]
      - Math isn't very important. "Depends on what your goals are"
      - Natural love of humanities doesn't feel like it should be overridden for math.
  - Kid complains others are being tutored
  - Chinese cultural values. Practice young everyone.
  - [[US]] kids wear failure was badge of honor
  - [[China]] has people fall off at every level of system
  - [[US]] prides itself on leaving no child behind. Compare Chinese and Boston school.
  - Chinese Schools.
    - Cement floor. Blank walls with flag. Electronic tablets. Called by number. Call out and question kid showing classwork to class. Game competition. Parents work at home. "Yes"
    - Chinese Teacher got 59 question and called on random. Timed competition 1:32.
    - Goes deep in concepts.
  - America Schools
    - bright boards and imagination. Approachable and encourage guesses. Chit chat teacher quiets. Kid replies silence to question.
    - American got 3 direct calls. Groups, individual. Many opportunities to ask for help. 1:6.
    - Trys to do applied so less depth. To much focus on making kids interested. Inquire based scores less than teacher focused in science.
  - Group vs individual
  - In Pisa global results, Shanghai beats all now
- Chp 12 Genius means struggle
  - Americans believe in [[Genius]] without hard work. Chinese don't
  - Northeast is foreign and portrayed as lawless extremist, but increasingly crackdown on.
  - Cousin didn't work hard enough no girl to marry, parents in pinery, no job.
  - Chinese think anything worth accomplishing takes sustained effort. Also believe in fortune.
  - "I was never good at math" in US.
  - Hearing about struggle of great scientists did better than those who hear great achievements.
  - US tries to pretend learning is fun or easy. Sports all about effort.
  - [[Rote Memorization]] hated in the US, but allows effortless actions that let you have more thinking.
  - China Educators do lots of analysis of their own teaching
    - 50 hours of professional development a year for new teachers ramping down.
    - Experienced teachers sent to sturggling schools.
    - Teachers specialize.
  - Teachers afforded more status in China.
    - 1/3 of parents would want children to be teachers despite poor pay
  - 95% have desk for student in 5th grade.
  - Elementary school is time for most parental intervention to develop habits.
  - Us rigorous teaching stops and generalists in elementary school. Double hookieness. 60% of fifth graders have desk.
  - Dentist kid can handle it and not move.
- Chp 13 Middle Ground
  - More European china.
  - Rainey good at jumping between cultures.
  - Chinese reform
    - lots of stuff electives. Student unions. Chinese flowing out.
    - China wants creative thinking and social skills.
  - US will lose its individuality? More you think more sophisticated thoughts.
  - Education system converging globally and pendulum swings. Changing rapidly.
  - Author wants rigor and creativity in the middle. Decides up to 6th grade in Chinese system.
  - Countries say PISA isn't the goal and China wants different things.
  - Chinese lesson one: child pretty resilient.
  - Family bigger influence than school says one researcher.
  - Test for high school got 2 day test and everyone was outside cheering with teachers and parents. People worried. If you fail, vocational school factory for high school.
  - Parents choose first job and internships and major in college. Want updates every other day. Mom apologized on death bed for extreme pressure. Rural fails.
  - Author's younger children had parent child class for 1-2 years. Need to reserve spot for this class principal said. She did not and so he went to another kindergarten.