Before I begin, a quick note about my last post, on How to Watch the Stanley Cup Playoffs Online. It seems as though there have been some intermittent problems, but for the most part, I think I can generalize and say it’s working now. So be sure to send it along to friends who might not be aware that they have access to hockey outside of Canada.
Anyway, down the the business at hand. Today is June 1st, which happens to Children’s Day here in China. Oddly enough, in the week leading up to the day which celebrates China’s youth, the internet has been in a hissy-fit about a certain video clip recorded by some kids in a Beijing classroom. In the video, taken with a mobile phone, most of the kids are laughing, joking and throwing objects around, with no regard for the 70+ year-old teacher who’s lecturing at the front. One kid even goes up and tries to take the teacher’s hat, much to the amusement of most of his classmates.
Not what you expected from a Chinese classroom, huh?
Is this the New China?
Maybe…
While the older generation really had things rough, some of these new kids (or China 2.O-my-jeezis, as I like to call ’em) haven’t known the meaning of the words “have-not.” They are the “little emperors,” the one child upon which an entire family showers it’s attention and care.
And money.
Needless to say, spoiled brats are hated the world over, and China is no exception. The national response to this incident has been one of outrage, especially online. Most Chinese netizens condemn their behaviour, and call for kids to respect their teachers and the elderly.
Wow. I thought regulating social behaviour was the responsibility of those black-suited dudes in Beijing? Is the internet now to be used for self-policing? a tool in ensuring the nation’s strong moral fibre?
We saw it happen in Hong Kong with the infamous Bus Uncle.
As Marge Simpson once said “the courts may not be working any more, but as long as everyone is videotaping everyone else, justice will be done.”
Is this the New China? Trial via Tudou?
Maybe…
It turns out that since the videos were posted, the school’s name and location has been identified, the their website overwhelmed with traffic (and then hacked), and the kids were identified and urged/forced to apologize.
Witch-hunts seem to be all the rage in China these days…
I hope that’s not the New China.
Might even be worse than New Coke…
Having myself grown up with three younger brothers, I would hope that these classroom antics are simply a case of boys-will-be-boys. Chinese students have a reputation for being regimented, unquestioning, nose-in-the-book robots. It certainly appears as though that stereotype is changing, if only just a little.
But who knows? Perhaps a bit of mischeif would do a kid some good?
Maybe…
But of course not to this extent.
As a teacher here in China, I see this shit all the time. It’s the #1 reason I prefer to teach primary school kids or university school kids. All the brown-nosing, I love English darlings in the country can’t make up for a pack of pain-in-the-ass, never-been-told-know dickwads.
I don’t know that it’s entirely the little emperor syndrome though. I think it has a lot to do with the previous generation. Not the old, I suffered so much, nai nais, but the parents that just have fuck all idea about how to raise a kid.
It has always been the privilege of the grandparents to be the ones that lather kids with praise, love and attention – but that’s supposed to be an aside to the actual parenting itself.
Parents should have a balance of praise and punishment for their children, giving them a clear idea of what is right and what is wrong.
Please don’t think I believe this is limited to China, but there does seem to be a complete lack of parenting knowledge among the parents I’ve met here. And as a teacher, that’s quite a few.
I have been teaching in China for the last six years and I have never seen anything that bad.
Having said that I have seen a lot of misbehavior and general as they say tom-foolery. It reflects poorly on the country, the parents, and the system as a whole. All the Confucian levels really. Most schools only care about the fact that they have paying students, the rest is irrelevant.
The idea that all Chinese students are great I think stems from the fact that so many Chinese students that want to go abroad every year and they are able to pick the best and the brightest.
However this is starting to change with more and more families having money and skills and grades meaning less and less, but the perception has not changed yet.
I agree with Ryan, Nainais are the single greatest evil I have encountered.
Ryan, you might also add that parents should play a role in their children’s lives. Quite a few of the kids I’ve taught here see their parents, who don’t seem to give a damn, once in a blue moon. In other words, the kids are packed off to school to make them someone else’s problem, and then sent overseas to make them someone else’s problem again.
I once saw a girl of about seven or eight who was very excited to see her father. His reaction? He ignored her. Great parenting skills, mate.
As Sean says, this is about making money. However, the attitude of the school also affects the issue. I’ve been at two schools where the sole interest was money, and only one where academic standards were also given credence.
I’ve never seen anything that bad either, but I’ve spent most of my time here teaching some pretty evil xiao huangdi on whom I’ve been almost entirely wasted and unappreciated. When I came to China, I was expecting the kids to be regimented, disciplined and unthinking. All I got was the unthinking part.
Mr bamboo I have to agree with that aspect. I am guilty of the same idea about coming to China and maybe being appreciated.
After all they are the worlds best students right?
I know of one kid here who’d probably worship me and sacrifice his first born to me. Honestly. I was stunned to find one of the pupils who thinks that the foreign teachers are special. Of course, he’s not in one of my usual classes, which are just full of those best students you mention.
Mr. B, I teach at a boarding school and so know exactly what you’re saying. I’ve got kids that break down in tears and misbehave because they miss their parents – and rightfully so.
I can’t count the number of parents that I’ve met that do exactly what you’re saying about shipping their kids of and making them someone else’s problem – even if that other person is another family member.
Again, this isn’t limited to China, but there does seem to be very little in the way of education for parents on how to properly raise their children. Normally, I wouldn’t say parents need be “told” how to raise their kids, but when you live in political/cultural system the suppresses free thinking and encourages “just tell me how to…” behavior… a little effort is needed.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again…
These kids are in desparate need of Sesame Street.
Something showing multiculturalism, and manners, and counting, and cooperating, etc..
Ryan, you’ve probably inferred from your pupils that their mothers do most of the parenting while their fathers work, smoke and sleep (as I was informed once).
At my first school in China, we had Koreans who were definitely there to be someone else’s problem.
Rick, Sesame Street would be an excellent idea. It’d also help my Senior 2s with basic numeracy and literacy skills. Have the Chinese never attempted to rip it off? There’d be 大鸟 who in no way is an exact copy of Big Bird. “Please look closely! Bird is not canary yellow. Is sunflower yellow.”
@Rick: Polka-roo!
@Mr. B: Yeah, no doubt that their dad’s don’t lift a hand but to leave the marks on at least one poor student’s face that I’ve seen. However, what I mean is that I’ve noticed a complete lack of “motherly” behavior with a lot of mothers here. This is completely a new-Gen thing, and relates specifically to the kids I teach that are in early grads (so have many parents that were born after Mao’s death).
Ryan, I’ve noticed something similar about maternal behaviour from time to time. Some of the younger mothers (as you say, the post ’76 generation) seem to treat babies like toys or pets.
The Polka-roo was here?
And I missed him again?!