@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).

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.”

These kids are in desparate need of Sesame Street.

Something showing multiculturalism, and manners, and counting, and cooperating, etc..

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.

After all they are the worlds best students right?

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.

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.