Comments on: Continued Education and the Rural/Urban Divide http://benross.net/wordpress/continued-education-and-the-ruralurban-divide/2007/06/10/ Urban Sociology and Urbanism, in China and North America Fri, 04 May 2012 09:48:35 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Handan http://benross.net/wordpress/continued-education-and-the-ruralurban-divide/2007/06/10/comment-page-1/#comment-1304 Handan Tue, 12 Jun 2007 02:56:45 +0000 http://www.benross.net/wordpress/?p=91#comment-1304 Chris: You remind me of one of my best friends, who did her 大专 through zi kao and is now near the end of a one year course to upgrade her diploma into undergrad. Her teacher calls her "catalyst for lively discussions in class". Ben: Chen Lin's response points to the regretful association between studying and pain and boredom, a result of the rote education found across many asian countries. Students put through years of exam-driven cramming of prescribed "knowledge" are typically deprived of the genuine curiosity of the world and the fun of learning about it. Self-improvement, as an idea, would've long faded out of their mind as learning is exclusively linked to meeting imposed standards and passing endless exams. On top of this, both parents and kids, parents more so, look for immediate and tangible economic benefits out of the investment in education. What education contributes to one's overall well-being( which is itself unproportionately linked to wealth) is overlooked, if not totally neglected. The failure of the only college graduate in a village to secure a job of high salary and/or high social esteem upon graduation could easily drown the whole village in disillusion about education. Whether a well-educated earner of good salary is happy or not is simply not an issue in the education system, family upbringing emphatically included. Now you might accuse me of talking about such luxuries as happiness while subsistance remains a challenge. My friend, let's try look at it this way. I say, the lack of the happiness goal in education makes the whole system a place that students want to run away from. Even those excell and stay on do so only for the economic benifits at the end of the road. What's worse, those who never get to taste alternative learning experiences draw an equation mark between Asian schooling and learning, and shun, if not hate the very idea of learning altogether. This deprives a lot of people of the opportunity to better realize their diverse potential through continued learning and live a better, happier life. If the hatred of learning, by the doing of wrong education goals and modes, is one of the biggest barriers in their way to a better life, what shall we blame? This question has been on my mind for years. Chris:
You remind me of one of my best friends, who did her 大专 through zi kao and is now near the end of a one year course to upgrade her diploma into undergrad. Her teacher calls her “catalyst for lively discussions in class”.

Ben:
Chen Lin’s response points to the regretful association between studying and pain and boredom, a result of the rote education found across many asian countries. Students put through years of exam-driven cramming of prescribed “knowledge” are typically deprived of the genuine curiosity of the world and the fun of learning about it. Self-improvement, as an idea, would’ve long faded out of their mind as learning is exclusively linked to meeting imposed standards and passing endless exams.

On top of this, both parents and kids, parents more so, look for immediate and tangible economic benefits out of the investment in education. What education contributes to one’s overall well-being( which is itself unproportionately linked to wealth) is overlooked, if not totally neglected. The failure of the only college graduate in a village to secure a job of high salary and/or high social esteem upon graduation could easily drown the whole village in disillusion about education.

Whether a well-educated earner of good salary is happy or not is simply not an issue in the education system, family upbringing emphatically included.

Now you might accuse me of talking about such luxuries as happiness while subsistance remains a challenge. My friend, let’s try look at it this way. I say, the lack of the happiness goal in education makes the whole system a place that students want to run away from. Even those excell and stay on do so only for the economic benifits at the end of the road. What’s worse, those who never get to taste alternative learning experiences draw an equation mark between Asian schooling and learning, and shun, if not hate the very idea of learning altogether. This deprives a lot of people of the opportunity to better realize their diverse potential through continued learning and live a better, happier life.

If the hatred of learning, by the doing of wrong education goals and modes, is one of the biggest barriers in their way to a better life, what shall we blame?

This question has been on my mind for years.

]]> By: Chris http://benross.net/wordpress/continued-education-and-the-ruralurban-divide/2007/06/10/comment-page-1/#comment-1281 Chris Sun, 10 Jun 2007 08:49:59 +0000 http://www.benross.net/wordpress/?p=91#comment-1281 I know of at least one of my graduate students who got his undergrad or equivalent on his own. He's actually one of my better students, at least in terms of speaking, and he's far more willing to put himself out there than the rest of the class who have come up through a more traditional college route. I know of at least one of my graduate students who got his undergrad or equivalent on his own. He’s actually one of my better students, at least in terms of speaking, and he’s far more willing to put himself out there than the rest of the class who have come up through a more traditional college route.

]]> By: ym http://benross.net/wordpress/continued-education-and-the-ruralurban-divide/2007/06/10/comment-page-1/#comment-1280 ym Sun, 10 Jun 2007 04:55:31 +0000 http://www.benross.net/wordpress/?p=91#comment-1280 It must be pointing out that besides economic poverty, one of the reasons why so many rural teenages dropped out of school is they were not good at studing(Because of the backward educational facilities and equipment and conditions of teachers ).Many excellent students from rural areas could also go to college even if the poor family circumstances. But contrast to the rural children, the urban ones are always fortunate! It must be pointing out that besides economic poverty, one of the reasons why so many rural teenages dropped out of school is they were not good at studing(Because of the backward educational facilities and equipment and conditions of teachers ).Many excellent students from rural areas could also go to college even if the poor family circumstances. But contrast to the rural children, the urban ones are always fortunate!

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