Is Nationalism killing Education in China?

According to (somewhat outdated) UNESCO 2006 figures, China’s student population (from primary school to university level) amounts to over 236 million. If China’s student population were a country, it would rank 5th in the world above Brazil. Think about that for a second; that’s a lot of people to educate!

Of course with so many students, it’s needless to say that competition is extremely fierce. We all know parents go to extremes to provide the best possible education for their kids. I am a foreign teacher living and working in Shenzhen since 2008. Every school day, tens of thousands of tiny kindergarten and primary school pupils march their way across the three main border checkpoints in the city for their daily commute to a “nearby” school in Hong Kong. Parents returning from HK always make sure to bring expensive cans of foreign baby milk powder from there too. Anything to give their kids an edge!

While not everyone can afford to send their kids to (very expensive) private schools across the border or within mainland itself, most have to send their kids to public schools. We needn’t examine the public schooling system in China, as we all know what it’s really about – producing an army of “test machines” who will make their parents proud on the ZhongKao and GaoKao exams (the direct descendants of the Chinese Imperial Examination System). If they are lucky, they will make it in a “top” university in China most likely to study in a major of their parents, teacher, or someone else’s choosing.

It’s no wonder why so many parents and students wish the alternative of sending their kids to study abroad, as it carries many advantages. Unfortunately, as will be explained below, the possibility of Chinese students being able to study abroad is rapidly (and sadly) deteriorating.

Why is education in China deteriorating?

There are a slew of reasons but the main ones are: increased nationalism; the degradation of English and “western” curriculum in public schools; and the repulsion and alienation of foreign teachers.

1. Increased Nationalism

Last year, certain reforms were introduced and ordered to be implemented regarding a plethora of areas ranging from commerce, to anti-corruption, to education all in the sake of a renewed nationalistic spirit and path for the future.

While some reforms such as the One Belt, One Road, and the AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) will undoubtedly be extremely beneficial to China for many decades ahead, others may prove to not only be detrimental, but will also impede such reforms from effectively bearing fruit. For example, the One Belt, One Road project to reestablish the Silk Road will see China, its enterprises, and citizens seek business and cultural relationships with countries who share it. With this will come the need for social and cultural understanding and integration, not to mention a greater need for language training for improved communication between concerned parties.

English is still the language of choice for business around the globe, even in Asia. Without proper use of English, both companies and individuals will struggle when wishing to form partnerships that will be fruitful for China. This is the main point I am trying to convey. A nationalistic mindset whereby the focus is to make Chinese values and customs the pervasive and prevailing norm will most likely not prove effective because we live in a world that is more and more multi-cultural.

Everything begins with education; it is the root of all social, cultural, and commercial development.

With such a prevailing nationalistic mindset the future of Chinese nation, in my opinion, is highly compromised if not doomed.

Maybe there is something I am not getting or understanding. How will an increase in Nationalism help China move forward in this highly integrated and multicultural world? If it is currently part of the multi-year plans, why are its reasons and benefits not communicated to the masses? What would such reasons and benefits be? One has to wonder.

2. Degradation of English and “western” curriculum in public schools

Having taught in China since 2008, I’ve seen a gradual deterioration of English in schools.

My last two years were spent both teaching and implementing an “International Program” in one of the top two public schools in Shenzhen; the program was highly successful and effective in integrating Western style curriculum and teaching methods complementing middle school students’ skill set. This program was to follow the successful implementation of an “International Program” in the high school division of the same school whereby 100% of its graduates got admitted to reputable and famous universities in America, Britain, and other countries. Unfortunately, due to last year’s nationalistic reforms, both programs are being scrapped. Instead, the school (and most likely all public schools in China) prefers to focus on producing “testing machines” (i.e., getting students ready for the ZhongKao and GaoKao). Not only do I find this backward-looking mentality extremely depressing, but my heart goes out to the students because, ultimately, they are the ones who will pay the price and be cheated out of a more holistic educational experience.

The net effect of such kind of policies and reforms will be that it not only decreases students’ English ability (a crucial skill which will be needed even if they practice their careers within China in the future) but also forsakes other skills and cultural knowledge that Western style curriculum offers. Skills such as Creativity and Innovation – which are essential to China’s future development in a very competitive world – will likely be forgotten.

As a long time educator, I find this to be an utmost and utter tragedy, as I am sure many parents would also concur.

Last week, a former student of mine from that middle school told me that with the “new system” his English was deteriorating so much this school year and he no longer enjoys nor has an interest in learning English. This just breaks my heart. I can see first-hand how the implementation of a nationalistic policy is negatively affecting the quality of education whilst compromising China’s future. After all, it is their future. Are those who have decided on such policies and reforms even aware of such effects?

Another strong contributor to the deterioration of English (and other) learning in Chinese public schools stems from the repulsion and alienation of not only foreign teachers, but of how foreigners are treated in general in this country; I will elaborate on this in the next section.

3. Repulsion and alienation of foreign teachers

With the educational reforms discussed previously, I have witnessed a drastic deterioration in the way foreign teachers (for English as well as other educational subjects) are regarded and treated in the sphere of public education.

A basic value us Westerners hold dear is one of respect. I have to say that, even as a very experienced teacher and educator, I was seldom shown a level of respect that I would deem even very basic from my fellow Chinese educators – especially the ones in administrative positions. I basically received zero support from any of them when I was setting up the International Program (for which I had poured my heart and soul into, not to mention hundreds of hours of my own personal time and energy).

Near the completion of my second year in this “supposed” top school in the city, I demanded a measly 10 minute meeting with the headmaster of the school (the one who had decided to hire me to set up the program in the first place) to discuss the future of the program. It was not granted. This clearly showed to me two things: first, they have no respect and don’t understand foreign culture at all, and secondly, they had no interest in the continuation or further development of a program which would have beneficial to their students.

Now, while I can understand that they were simply following orders from the “commanders” above, I still find it highly hypocritical that it was (and still is) mostly the children of those same people who were actually in such programs and being sent to study abroad (a trend that is still noticeable nationwide).

I’ve also spoken to many other educators here in Shenzhen and have read a lot online suggesting to me that our place here in China is numbered in its days.

Moreover, there is a new by-law here in Shenzhen that requires any foreign English teacher to have worked at least two years here otherwise they cannot apply for a teaching position. Think about the ramifications of that for a moment. That means that from this point on, educational institutions – whether public or private – will not be able to recruit talented teachers from abroad but only those that are currently in the country. This tells me clearly that the new Chinese Education System is weeding us out of the country like unwanted rats. This could easily be called a “war of attrition” – a modus operandi that is quite prevalent in this country.

Sadly, this phenomenon is not only to be observed in the field of education, but also in other circles such as in business. I’ve also observed that fewer and fewer foreign companies are desiring to establish operations in mainland; this can be attributable to the reasons enumerated in this post and the nationalistic mindset in particular. And this paradox is also exacerbated by the fact that internet accessibility is slowly being destroyed in China. Internet accessibility is crucial not only for business enterprise, but also for education for, without it, how can one learn about and do business with their international counterparts? Moreover, limited access to mostly Chinese website hinders students’ ability and opportunity to learn more about the culture and practices of those from other countries. Will this be a tremendous opportunity cost for China and its economy in the future? Will it forsake the possible employment of countless job seekers in the Chinese workforce in the future? Time will tell.

To conclude this part: If you can’t attract quality educators to China, what do you think the net effect will be on the quality of education for the current student population? Will English even be a part of public school curriculum in the future?

Conclusion

I came to China to try to make a difference. For the most part it’s been quite gratifying and I have found Chinese students to be far more clever, passionate, and enthusiastic than those from my home country. The potential – that is the keyword P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L – is absolutely amazing and astounding here. There are so many bright minds here that are just starving for knowledge. But after having taught in China for almost eight years now, my faith has greatly waned and faded for I don’t see a reversal of course on the horizon any time soon.

Perhaps only in private schools there still is hope which, for the moment, is where I chose to spend my remaining time in this country.

I end with a few questions to think about:

- Will educational reforms prove effective for China in the 21st century?

- Will English even be part of the educational landscape in public schools five years from now?

- Will the mass production of “test machines” really help produce capable citizens?

- Will the next generation of Chinese workers be adequately prepared to thrive in a very competitive and multicultural global environment?

Time will tell.

Your thoughts on this extremely important topic are welcome. I would love to hear from both Chinese and foreigners and also from students. Please post your thoughts below.