China's Cram School
Even though some kids are not a big fan of school, they still go because it will help them be successful in their future life. The article, “China's Cram School” by Brook Larmer, talks about a test named Gaokao taken by 9 million students each year. This test is the only thing that matters to get admission to a Chinese university. Since this test is at such high stakes, it puts a lot of stress and pressure on the students which makes them study at extreme measures. The schools also work to help their students do their best on this test by making harsh rules so they can stay focused on their studies and nothing else. But even though everyone is working hard for grades some kids are at disadvantages because they are rural students. It is not fair that the Gaokao test can determine the lives of many students because those students have different amount of wealth and are from different locations which can effect their education.
It is
not fair that the Gaokao can determine the lives of the students that
take the test because the student come from different families with
different amount of wealth. The article, “China's Cram School”
explains Yang Wei's, a senior, studies for the Gaokao saying, “...
had spent the previous three years, including weekends, stumbling to
his first class at 6:20 in the morning and returning to his room only
at the end of his last class at 10:50 at night....his mother, who
lived with her son near the school The rent on their tiny room was
high, rivaling rates in downtown Beijing.... Yang's father is a peach
farmer in a village 45 minutes away; his mother quit her garment
factory job to support yang in his final year of cramming.” The
Larmer says Yang's dad is a peach farmer and her mom is a factory
worker. This means that their family is not very wealthy. And because
they are not wealthy they have to live in a small but expensive house
because it would make it easier for Yang to get to school. But Yang's
parents aren't the only one that has to struggle because of money.
The author explains that Yang goes to school to study for 16 hours
and 30 minutes a day without coming back home until the end of the
last class. Since he isn't wealthy, he cant afford a tutor that can
teach him at home. That is why he had to stay in school for more than
half the day, everyday of the week, for three years just because of
this one test. For Yang, there was no other option but to take the
test. But in the other hand, the Larmer explains how wealthy students
experience the Gaokao test saying, “Many wealthy families are
simply opting out of the system, placing their children in private
international schools in china or sending them aboard for an
educations.” The students that are in the wealthy families don't
have to go through what Yang and his family had to do. They don't
have to live in small rooms so they can get to school faster. They
also don't have to study really hard, everyday for years. Their
parents also don’t have to do hard labor in factories or farms.
Because they are wealthy they don't even have to take the test. Their
money can buy them into private international schools or put them in
schools in other countries with less strictness in their education.
Therefore, the Gaokao test is not fair because out of the millions
students, there are wealthy kids that can easily avoid this one test
while the less wealthy kids and their parents have to struggle,stress
and make sacrifices for it.
The
students that are taking the test are also living in different
locations and living environments that can also effect the fairness
of the Gaokao test. As Larmer talks about villages in the article, he
explains, “Rural student are at a severe disadvantage. Villages
like Yuejin, where Yang is from, have poor schools and few well
trained teachers.” Rural students are from places in the
countryside and people work in farms there. The people and the
location is not very wealthy. Which means the schools are also very
poor and they only have a few good teachers. They also probably don't
have the supplies the teachers need to teach accurately because of
the poor wealth. And because the schools lack good teachers and
supplies, the students are not learning the material, that is needed
for the Gaokao test, so well. Some kids can try to learn in better
locations like Yang Wei but based on his experience, him and his
parents had to struggle for that chance. But then the author goes on
to explain city students saying, “Wealthy urban families can hire
private tutors, pay for test prep courses, or bribe their way into
the best city schools.” Since there are wealthy students living in
the urban locations, or cities, the location is also very wealthy.
And because of the wealthy location, it has very good tutors that
the rich students can get. The wealthy city also has good teachers
and supplies that can be used in test prep courses that the students
can also pay for. The author explains that the students can bribe
there way into schools. If they are trying to bribe into the schools,
the school in the city must be really good ones. In conclusion, the
Gaokao test is not fair because the rural students taking the test
have less resources for education than the kids living in the city.
But besides the unfairness of wealth and location, there are schools, and even the government, that really help their students for the Gaokao test. Larmer explains some school rules saying, “Maotanchang stepped in to fill this need. Located in Anhui province, two hours from the nearest city, the school prides itself on eliminating the distractions of modern life. Cellphones and laptops are forbidden. The dorms, where half the students live, have no electrical outlets. Dating is banded. In town, where the rest of the students lived, mostly with their mothers in tiny partitioned rooms, the local government has shut down all forms of entertainment.” Larmer informs that the school is a away from a city so it must be a rural area. And we know rural areas don't have all the right supplies to educate students. But even though, the schools still tries to help the students focus on their studies. As the author continues to say, the school bans any source of entertainment like anything that has to do with electricity and even social events like dating. Even the local government would help to keep the students focused by shutting down any form of entertainment outside the school and dorm. But even though these strict bans are there to help all students, they can lead to problems. Larmer explains the stress of students because of the Gaokao test saying, “Despite it's importance, the exam is coming under fire in China. It's critics say it stifles creativity and puts excessive pressure on students. Teenage suicide rates tend to rise as the gaokao nears. Two years ago, a student posted a shocking photograph online; a classroom full of students hooked up to intravenous drips to give them the strength to keep studying” The students know that the Gaokao is an really important exam and already think about it a lot. But when the schools and local government take away all forms of entertainment, that makes the students worry about the test even more. And yes, it keeps them focused but it also over stresses them because all they can do is study and over think the exam. This stress and pressure is a serious matter because it led to high rates of teen suicide. It also makes they students do extreme study techniques as Larmer explains in his article The ban of entertainment also effects the students mentally because since they are studying a lot, the students are not expressing any creativity as they would have if they had a source of entertainment. To sum this all up, the Gaokao test can be fair because all schools help their student try to focus on the exam but this can also cause a lot of pressure and stress on them.
How much money the students have and where they live is all different which makes the Gaokao a unfair test. The Gaokao is similar to tests in America like the SAT but the Gaokao test is much more important. The students in China and SAT both study hard for the test but almost all schools in America have a lot of good teachers and the right curriculum. In China there are many rural areas compared to America which don't have the right teachers for education. This is why the students in China are more dependent on themselves than the students in America.
But besides the unfairness of wealth and location, there are schools, and even the government, that really help their students for the Gaokao test. Larmer explains some school rules saying, “Maotanchang stepped in to fill this need. Located in Anhui province, two hours from the nearest city, the school prides itself on eliminating the distractions of modern life. Cellphones and laptops are forbidden. The dorms, where half the students live, have no electrical outlets. Dating is banded. In town, where the rest of the students lived, mostly with their mothers in tiny partitioned rooms, the local government has shut down all forms of entertainment.” Larmer informs that the school is a away from a city so it must be a rural area. And we know rural areas don't have all the right supplies to educate students. But even though, the schools still tries to help the students focus on their studies. As the author continues to say, the school bans any source of entertainment like anything that has to do with electricity and even social events like dating. Even the local government would help to keep the students focused by shutting down any form of entertainment outside the school and dorm. But even though these strict bans are there to help all students, they can lead to problems. Larmer explains the stress of students because of the Gaokao test saying, “Despite it's importance, the exam is coming under fire in China. It's critics say it stifles creativity and puts excessive pressure on students. Teenage suicide rates tend to rise as the gaokao nears. Two years ago, a student posted a shocking photograph online; a classroom full of students hooked up to intravenous drips to give them the strength to keep studying” The students know that the Gaokao is an really important exam and already think about it a lot. But when the schools and local government take away all forms of entertainment, that makes the students worry about the test even more. And yes, it keeps them focused but it also over stresses them because all they can do is study and over think the exam. This stress and pressure is a serious matter because it led to high rates of teen suicide. It also makes they students do extreme study techniques as Larmer explains in his article The ban of entertainment also effects the students mentally because since they are studying a lot, the students are not expressing any creativity as they would have if they had a source of entertainment. To sum this all up, the Gaokao test can be fair because all schools help their student try to focus on the exam but this can also cause a lot of pressure and stress on them.
How much money the students have and where they live is all different which makes the Gaokao a unfair test. The Gaokao is similar to tests in America like the SAT but the Gaokao test is much more important. The students in China and SAT both study hard for the test but almost all schools in America have a lot of good teachers and the right curriculum. In China there are many rural areas compared to America which don't have the right teachers for education. This is why the students in China are more dependent on themselves than the students in America.
No comments:
Post a Comment