Fall 2001Vol. 3 No. 3

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Private Educationin China . . . . 5

Foreign Teachersin China . . . . 7

Getting Out ofThe Mud . . . . 10

China and the Olympics:Prospects for Change . . . . 13Inside:

Gary Waldron

The Marketizationof Education in China

CBy the mid-90s, adult literacy stood at 74 percent.National college entrance exams once againopened the door to the nation’s universities. Stu-dents who passed the test were assigned to univer-sities, guaranteed a free education and, followinggraduation, assigned jobs.

At the turn of the century, the buzzword foreducation is sushi jiaoyu or quality education. Thismeans education that focuses on producing

people with high morals, creativity and criticalthinking skills. However, a national debate aboutthe efficacy of the Chinese educational systemcontinues. Recent reforms have led to the market-ization of education in China making more educa-tional options available at all levels, at least in theurban areas, but at a steep cost. This educationalsystem continues to make lurching advances to-ward meeting the social and economic needs ofan emerging global power.

At the turn of the century,the buzzword for education issushi jiaoyu or quality education.

hina has a long history of valu-ing education. During imperialtimes, examinations were ameritorious path to civil service.These examinations favored

rote learning of Confucian classics and pro-duced an intellectual elite. In Maoist China,great strides were made in literacy and basiceducation. The emphasis was on politicaleducation over academic as it was better tobe “red” than “expert.” Higher education fol-lowed a Soviet model that focused on techni-cal studies over liberal arts. Later, the Cul-tural Revolution led to the closing of manyschools, persecution of teachers, and stu-dents being sent to the countryside to learnfrom the peasants.

In the 1980s, Deng Xiaoping’s policy of mod-ernization and opening China to the world led todramatic reforms in education. The goal of edu-cation became serving China’s national modern-ization and an economy undergoing market re-forms. Nine-year compulsory education wasinstituted in the 1986 Compulsory Education Act.

Graham

Cousens

2

Disparity and Lack of FundsThe Chinese educational system

faces great challenges. Educational at-tainment and funding show widespreaddisparity with the average educationalattainment in China today being 5.6years. The rate of enrollment in highereducation is below the average forAsian nations and low-income coun-tries worldwide. Per-pupil expendituresare disproportionately higher in richprovinces compared to those in poorerprovinces. Urban children and thosefrom wealthy provinces are much morelikely to attend secondary school(about 2.2 times) compared to chil-dren from rural areas and low-incomeprovinces.1 While differentiations indropout rates between boys and girlsare modest in primary school, they varysharply in secondary schools. In ruralareas more females drop out of second-ary school than males. Excessive schoolfees have driven out many poorer stu-dents.2 Higher educational institutionscapture only one fifth of secondaryschool graduates indicating that alter-native methods of financing highereducation, such as scholarships, stu-dent loans and work-study programs,need to be further developed.

The condition of Chinese educationin many remote regions and rural areasis deplorable and deteriorating further.According to the United Nations Edu-cational Scientific and Cultural Organi-zation (UNESCO), China ranks 145thout of 153 nations in per capita educa-tional spending. Educational expendi-tures in China have remained at lessthan 2.4 percent of the GDP through-out the 1990s, one of the lowest ratesin the world—lower than that of mostdeveloping nations and China’s neigh-

boring Asian nations.3 (By contrast,China’s military spending is 14 percentof its GDP.) In many areas, up to onethird of educational funding comesfrom local or provincial sources whilein numerous rural areas a smaller por-tion of the budget is allocated to edu-cation than mandated by the centralgovernment.

Universal nine-year education re-mains an elusive goal and up to onequarter of the Chinese population re-mains illiterate. The official primaryschool enrollment figures often do nottake into account children of illegal mi-grant workers and additional childrenborn to families in violation of the onechild policy. There is over funding ofthe higher grades while only two-fifthsof expenditures goes to elementaryand junior high levels. In some rural

areas the actual per pupil expenditureis less than 10 yuan (US$1.20) peryear.4 Rural parents are beginning toquestion whether schooling is a wayout of poverty in modern China.5 Evenhard working students often have littlehope of continuing past sixth grade asmiddle school fees skyrocket. In addi-tion, there is inequality in Chinese edu-cation between the majority Hanpeople and China’s ethnic minorities.The minority illiteracy rate is almostdouble that of the Han majority.6

To counter the continued erosion inpublic education, new initiatives, suchas the China Youth DevelopmentFoundation’s Project Hope, have beenestablished to raise much neededfunds for the improvement of educa-tional conditions in China’s poorer ar-eas. Project Hope has provided drop-

Copyright © 2001 by ChinaSource. ChinaSource is published quarterly by ChinaSource, a cooperativeeffort of Evangelical Fellowship of Mission Agencies, the Interdenominational Foreign Mission Associa-tion, World Evangelical Fellowship, and the Billy Graham Center, Wheaton College. Its purpose is toprovide up-to-date and accurate analysis of the issues and opportunities facing Christians involved inChina service and to provide a forum for exchanging viewpoints and discussing strategies. The viewsexpressed herein do not necessarily reflect those of ChinaSource or its cooperating agencies.

Brent Fulton, Editor ● Julia Grosser, Managing Editor ● Dona Diehl, Layout and Design

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Wheaton CollegeWheaton CollegeBILLYILLY G GRAHAMRAHAM C CENTERENTER

Even hard working students often have little hope ofcontinuing past sixth grade as middle school fees skyrocket.

Graham Cousens

3Fall, 2001

outs the opportunity to return toschool, built 5,256 Hope elementaryschools and conferred scholarships.Similar projects include New Yorkbased Support Education in RuralChina (SERC) and Rural Education As-sistance and Development (READ)both of which seek to improve schoolconditions in rural China.7

The Marketization of EducationChina has been aggressively encour-

aging a diversity of educational options.The government is allowing the estab-lishment of minban, or “people-run,” in-stitutions and shehui liliang, or institu-tions run by social forces that areadopting funding strategies that rely onmultiple channels. Universities are set-ting up their own businesses includingcommissioned courses, adult educationand consultant services.8 In the mid-90s, tuition was being charged for a spe-cial class of self-paying students who of-ten did not have test scores highenough to enter the university the tra-ditional way. By the year 2000, every stu-dent was being charged tuition andcosts were increasing rapidly.9

China moved from a centralized andstandardized curriculum to one inwhich the State Education Commissionsets curriculum guidelines and institu-tions are then free to adapt it to theneeds of the local economy. The col-lege entrance exam is being replacedby provincial level and, in some cases,city level exams. Students now have agreater say in what schools they wish toattend and this has injected an elementof competition into the educational sys-tem that had hitherto been non-exis-tent.

Teacher CrisisChina faces a crisis in the teaching

profession. Receding central govern-ment funding for education has led tochronically low and, in many cases, un-paid salaries. A study conducted by theEducational Worker’s Trade Union in2000, found that two-thirds of theteachers in 125 regions were owed $85million in back pay.10 The average an-nual income per capita for teachers is2,724 yuan or roughly US$330. The

State Education Commission has re-ported that only 13 percent of primaryschool teachers had attained highereducation qualifications at sub-degreelevel. Current Normal School enroll-ments show a gender imbalance withsome schools having as low as 12 per-cent enrollment of male students pre-paring for the teaching profession.11 Ef-forts to increase the level of teachertraining have often backfired. Manyteachers who come from rural areasinto cities for a year or two of addi-tional training fail to return. A newteacher education curriculum is beingtested in the fall of 2001 and the StateEducation Commission hopes that allnew primary teachers by 2010 will be atleast graduates of three-year teachereducation programs.

Focus on Higher EducationChinese leaders theorize that in or-

der to modernize the country, Chinaneeds more highly trained party offi-cials, business managers and military

officers. The quality of human re-sources will be important in determin-ing China’s market competitiveness.Therefore, they have made decisionsthat favor the expansion of universityeducation over that of basic lowergrade education. This has led to de-crees for increased enrollment and thebuilding of new schools. In the fall of2000, colleges and universities weretold to enroll 20-30 percent morefreshmen. Private universities are open-ing, as are branch campuses of estab-lished institutions.

In 1993, the Chinese government re-iterated its commitment to actively en-courage and support individuals andsocial institutions to establish schools.In the mid-90s, the State EducationCommission launched Project 221whose purpose was to raise 100 key uni-versities to world-class status.12 By theyear 2000, two hundred eleven Project221 institutions had received a total in-vestment of 15 billion yuan and nowtake up 72 percent of research fund-

Universalize nine-year com-pulsory education, accelerate thedevelopment of secondary educa-tion and continue to expand highereducation.

Adjust the educational structureto meet the demand of national de-velopment and the development ofthe west.

Develop quality educationand quality teacher education.

Emphasize innovation in edu-cational management, deepen thereform of educational administra-tion and employ laws and regula-tions for school management.

Speed up the construction ofinformation technology educationand build up the system of life-longeducation.

Source: China Education Daily, Jan 15, 2001. TheMinistry of Education changed its name to theState Education Commission several years ago.The older name is still used on occassion.

Ensure the development ofworld-class, high-level universities,encourage university participationin the “Tenth Five-year Plan,” andestablish 15 National UniversityHigh-tech Parks.

Strive to increase thegovernment’s educational invest-ment and improve working and liv-ing conditions for schoolteachers.

Implement the National Lan-guage Law and reinforce informa-tion management of oral and writ-ten languages.

Reinforce the Party’s construc-tion for “thought and politicalwork” in higher education institu-tions and correct unhealthy ten-dencies.

Ministry of Education goals for 2001

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ing, 54 percent of the value of researchand instruction facilities and equip-ment, and 31 percent of library stockbooks.13

The remaining universities face se-vere cuts in central government fund-ing. The State Education Commissionrepositioned itself to no longer runschools and direct curriculum but to setgeneral policies and regulations and al-low individual institutions more admin-istrative autonomy. Many universitypresidents and leaders were unpre-pared for this shift in authority. Untilthen, they had largely been responsiblefor implementing central governmentinstructions; suddenly they were re-sponsible for governing the institution.The State Education Commissionfound itself providing additional train-ing for university leaders while universi-ties were forced to look for provincialand local funding sources and newpartnerships with companies. They be-gan running businesses and chargingstudents tuition to continue operatingwhile professors found outside jobs tomake up for low pay. Often, the instruc-tors spent more time at these jobs thanin the classroom.

By the mid-90s there were over 1200private colleges.14 About half weretrade schools while the remainder wereacademic institutions. There are threetypes of private schools. The first type isfunded and owned by private investorswho run the school like a business. Thesecond type involves Chinese businessfirms or individuals in collaborationwith overseas investors. These are jointventure schools oriented toward mak-ing a profit. The third type is ownedand operated by Chinese enterprises ornon-governmental departments, institu-tions or communities. Many schoolshave retired government officials ormilitary men on their boards, whichhelps to overcome strict governmentregulations. Critics, however, contendthat private schools contribute to socialinequality and exacerbate regional dif-ferences and social stratification.

ConclusionEducation experts offer a host of rec-

ommendations for improving China’s

educational system.15 These include in-creasing student retention in primaryand secondary schools, relocatingschools, recruiting more teachers andreforming curriculum. Necessary fund-ing reforms include eliminating tuitionand fees and the introduction ofvouchers and subsidies to remove ob-stacles to basic education. Teacher edu-cation and compensation need to beimproved. Overall government supportfor education needs to be increased aswell as more flexible regulations forprivate schools. Partnerships betweenbusinesses and academic communitiesneed to be strengthened for educationto be more responsive to the labor mar-ket. Scholarship programs need to becreated to foster the development ofpoor, but qualified, students.

In the new century, China’s educa-tional system faces even more funda-mental changes. There is an emergingmarket that creates educational ser-vices as commodities provided by com-petitive suppliers. Government regula-tions now allow for more flexibility toestablish various schools and universi-ties. With the reduction of state subsi-dies, there are multiple channels ofeducational financing, most of whichare coming directly from consumers,and this makes the educational institu-tions more responsive to the demandsof the marketplace. With school fund-ing more directly related to student en-rollment, the educational market will

heighten competition and lead to effi-ciency and effectiveness. Parents whoare willing to spend money on theirchildren’s education have morechoices for quality educational services.This reflects the changing values ofChina’s people as decentralization re-sults in greater reliance on individualsand market forces.

Endnotes1. Xue Lan Rong and Tianjian Shi, “In-

equality in Chinese Education,” Journal of Con-temporary China, 10 (26), 2001, p. 113.

2. Ibid. p. 113.3. Ibid. p. 120.4. Antoaneta Bezlova, “Education yet to

make the grade in rural China,” Asia TimesOnline, January 13, 2001.

5. Hannah Beech, “Lesson Unlearned,”Time Asia Online, 155 (10), March 13, 2000.

6. Xue Lan Rong and Tianjian Shi, “In-equality in Chinese Education,” Journal of Con-temporary China, 10 (26), 2001, p. 115.

7. Say Teow Boon, “Basic Education in theRural Areas of China,” (SIAAPS) online pa-per.

8. Chengzhi Wang, “The Revival of PrivateEducation in Reforming China,” online pa-per.

9. Antoaneta Bezlova, “Education yet tomake the grade in rural China,” Asia TimesOnline, January 13, 2001.

10. Hannah Beech, “Lesson Unlearned,”Time Asia Online, 155 (10), March 13, 2000.

11. Wenhui Daily, March 1, 2001.12. Yin Zhili, “Project 211, Biggest

Investiment in Higher Education in China,”People’s Daily Online.

13. China Education Daily, February 8, 2001.14. Chengzhi Wang, “The Revival of Pri-

vate Education in Reforming China,” onlinepaper.

15. David Chan and Ka-Ho Mok, “Educa-

Per-pupil expenditures are disproporionately higherin rich provinces compared to those in poorer provinces.

Continued on page 12

Don PIcker

5Fall, 2001

Lisa Nagle

hengdu is a city of nine millionpeople located in Sichuan Prov-ince deep in the interior of the

People’s Republic of China. It is theclosest city to the home of what manyAmericans regard as the most famousimage of China—the panda. ButChengdu is also the home to some-thing that is much more surprising—aprivate school that looks like a movieset. Private schools are a new phenom-enon in a country where the govern-ment has long assumed exclusive con-trol for education. Today, though,private schools are flourishing. Thefirst private school established inChina in over forty years is found inChengdu. Guangya School was estab-lished in June, 1992 by Mr. QingGuangya, who modeled the school af-ter sets that he had designed for mov-ies in his previous career.

I visited the Guangya School in De-cember of 1996 and met with Mr. Qing,its founder and owner, to explore thepossibility of some of his students com-ing to visit the United States. As a neworganization, Pacific Link InternationalExchange Students (PLIES) was work-ing to partner with private schools inChina whose students wanted the op-portunity to study English and learnmore about American culture. I couldtell right away that the Guangya Schoolwas unlike any school I had ever seen

C

paddies an hour west of Chengdu city.The development of private educa-

tion in China has important conse-quences for both its economy and cul-ture. The rapidly growing economy hasencouraged many non-governmentalagencies as well as individuals to devotethemselves to new private schools. Fol-lowing the economic reform of 1978,more than 50,000 private schools havebeen founded, ranging from pre-schools to colleges. Approximately 10million students now study in privateschools staffed by 400,000 teachers andsupport personnel.

The senior high schools in Chinaare divided into three groups: key pub-lic schools, common public schools,and private schools. The best studentsoften attend the key public schools,which are famous for sending morethan 90 percent of their students to en-roll in colleges or universities in China.The common public schools, by con-trast, are not quite as prestigious, andthe students there are not as likely toattend college. The third group is pri-vate schools. The teachers working at

these schools are retired from thekey public schools, so they possessexceptional experience and skills.

in ChinaP r i v a t e education

in China. Most Chinese public schoolsare drab looking with dusty chalk-boards as the only teaching tool in theclassroom. By contrast, the GuangyaSchool amazed me with its brightly col-ored classrooms, a library buildingbuilt like a country lodge and a beauti-ful lake in the middle of the schoolcampus. Inside the classrooms, stu-dents and faculty enjoyed access to thelatest computer technology. The stu-dents had come from all over China totake advantage of the opportunitiesand resources that only such an eliteprivate school could offer them—andall of this located in the midst of rice

Guangya School in Chengdu, China.

Jr. High students at Guangya School.

Photos courtesy Lisa Nagle

6

Many of the students who attend pri-vate schools dream of attending collegein the United States. Since they did notperform well enough on the exam toenter a key public school, they are pur-suing the alternative route of attendingan elite private school. They hope thatsuch a school will prepare them for col-lege in the United States or to begin alucrative career with a foreign com-pany in China.

There are three different types ofprivate schools in terms of their owner-ship, financing and management. Thefirst type is funded and owned by pri-vate investors. Some of them areformer educational professionals, butmost are successful businessmen. Forthem, running schools is running busi-nesses. The second type of privateschool is owned by Chinese businessfirms or individuals in collaborationwith foreign investors. These schoolsare joint ventures between Chinese andoverseas partners with the goal of mak-ing profits. The third type is ownedand administered by Chinese enter-prises or non-governmental depart-ments, institutions or communities.

Private schools are subject to the au-thority of the local educational authori-ties. With few exceptions, all privateschools have to fulfill the core curricu-lum set for any public school by theState Education Commission (Ministryof Education). Usually, the local mu-nicipal education commission ensuresthat private schools are politically cor-rect and monitors their educationalrevenues and expenditures.

Private schools in China are very ex-pensive. The tuition at the best privateschools is greater than two years wagesfor an average Chinese worker. How-ever, private schools are within reach ofChina’s rapidly emerging middle classand business elite. Many of these suc-cessful entrepreneurs did not receive aformal education because they werechildren during the Cultural Revolu-tion of the 1960s and early 1970s whenschools were closed so that Chineseyouth could further their nation’s revo-lution. The combination of the lack ofopportunity to have received an educa-tion themselves, and the economic re-

sources they enjoy today, impels manyof these new Chinese business leadersto spend whatever it takes to providethe best possible education for theirown children—or often their onlychild—at a private school.

The very idea of private educationseems incompatible with the nature ofthe government of the People’s Repub-lic of China. But private education hasbeen endorsed by the central govern-ment in Beijing as a means of easingthe state’s financial burden. The gov-ernment sees other benefits as well.The Ninth People’s Congress empha-sized the importance of education andscience for China’s prosperity and de-velopment in the 21st century. The offi-cial “China’s Educational Reform andDevelopment Scheme for the 21st Cen-tury” explicitly “welcomes and encour-ages,” “gives full support to” and“strengthens regulations” regardingprivate institutions. The Chinese gov-ernment envisions an integrated educa-tional system with public schools play-ing the leading role and private schools

directed by his teacher and be-gins his homework assignmentsin his classroom. This has beenWei’s life at the Country GardenSchool for the past seven years.

Wei Cheng has now had theopportunity to visit the UnitedStates. He is studying English atthe PLIES Intensive EnglishSchool, living with an Americanhost family and touring Los An-geles, Washington, Chicago andNew York City.

Wei is just like many Ameri-can teenagers. He likes to playNintendo games and basketball,listen to rock music, and play thedrums in his band. The demandsplaced upon him at a privateschool in China have preparedhim well for the challenges ofstudying in the United States.

The life of a student

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providing the same services to a differ-ent clientele of students and parents.

In order to control and guide pri-vate schools, in 1997 the State Educa-tion Committee issued “RegulationsGoverning Private Education.” Theseregulations officially legalized privateeducation so that all registered privateschools are licensed as government-runeducational institutions. Private schoolsare still controlled by the central gov-ernment in Beijing as they must meetrequirements for faculty quality, schoolmanagement, facilities and curriculumto obtain a registration certificate fromthe government.

The story of the Country Gardenschool in Guangzhou is typical. Itopened in September 1994 with 1,700students in kindergarten throughtwelfth grade. The student body morethan doubled within six years. CountryGarden now offers 102 classes taughtby 960 faculty members. It is one of thelargest private schools in GuangdongProvince, where Guangzhou (previ-

Continued on page 12

his morning exercises in a linewith a few hundred other class-mates in school uniform. Then heeats breakfast, showers, dressesand dashes off to morning read-ing from 7:30 to 8:00 a.m. Aftertwo class periods, Wei goes out-side for another stretching exer-cise and a snack. He attends twomore classes before going tolunch and taking a one-hour rest.At 2:30 p.m., Wei marches out ofhis dormitory room for threemore classes and then a sportsactivity before going to dinner.From 7:00 to 7:30 p.m., he readsthe international newspaper as

ei Cheng is a studentat Country GardenSchool. He rolls out ofbed at 6:20 a.m. to do

The life of a studentLisa Nagle

7Fall, 2001

In teaching Chinese students, an ex-patriate teacher contributes to a well-rounded, valuable educational experi-ence and may therefore gain respectand influence among the Chinesepeople. The personal influence of a re-spected expatriate teacher can have aconsiderable effect on the values andbeliefs of students. Such teachers alsoinfluence the general education ofschool administrators, colleagues, mer-chants and others as they help the Chi-nese people increase their understand-ing of “Western ways.” This isbecoming more important to the Chi-nese as Western influences increase intheir once closed society. This articlepresents a brief analysis of an expat-riate’s impact upon education whileteaching in China and also gives insightinto life as a foreign teacher.

The Role of the “Foreign Teacher”The teacher-student relationship is

very important in China. In Chinese

culture, students have been taught torespect their teachers and work hardto please them; Chinese students lookup to their teachers. At a young age,they learn that education itself is aprivilege, and studies should be takenseriously. Therefore, if the expatriateteacher does not educate well, the stu-dents will lament and wish for a betterinstructor. This means that expatriateteachers need to continually strive toteach well. Since teaching is a job with-out much supervision, they must keepa check on themselves so that they donot become lazy. They should workhard to put forth their best efforts ineducating their students so that theywill not do a disservice to them.

The encouragement and enthusi-asm of expatriate teachers is very im-portant for their students. This is obvi-ous to the foreign teachers becausemost of them are “students” of the Chi-nese language themselves—at least atsome level. Whether expatriates are

learning “survival Chinese” or addingto the foundation of their Chineseknowledge, they know that encourage-ment is important in their learningprocess. When the “foreign experts”offer encouragement to their Chinesestudents, the effects can be profoundresulting in highly motivated studentsof English.

In my experience in China, I wasamazed at the strength of the expatri-ate teaching force. Even though manyof them were not formally trained ineducation, I found that most did an ex-cellent job. In order to ensure qualityeducation, the experienced ones oftenshared materials as well as tips andtechniques with their peers. They dis-cussed what worked in their classroomsand the teaching methods that seemedbest for the Chinese culture. Theyshared the best ways to teach specificconcepts as well as outstanding assess-ment and testing methods. This infor-mation sharing between expatriate

hinese education is impacted by expatriate teachers who choose to teach English as well as othercourses in China. The opportunity to be a “foreign teacher,” as expatriate teachers are often re-ferred to in China, allows one to make a difference in the education of individuals in numerousways. While teachers in general have the opportunity to impact students’ lives through enhancing

their education, in China quite often expatriate teachers can offer strong education in disciplines that mightotherwise have had weaker teachers. For example, native speaking English teachers are strong “English Listeningand Speaking” teachers, often replacing Chinese teachers with weaker English speaking skills.

Don Picker

“Foreign Teachers”

CCMichelle Moore

“Foreign Teachers”in China

8

English teachers was oftenbroadened to include Chi-nese English teachers.

Many expatriates work at“teacher colleges” whereChinese English teachersare trained for their publiceducation system. The expa-triate teachers have the op-portunity to influence theChinese public educators inhow they can more effec-tively teach English in theirclassrooms. Since Westernmethods of teaching aremore interactive and muchless “rote” than Chinesemethods, expatriate teach-ers are often perceived ascharismatic in their style.The Chinese instructors be-come excited about beingtaught by native speakersand emulate their teachingmethods and style. With encourage-ment from a foreign teacher, they be-come very motivated about teaching intheir public school positions.

Personal Influence ThroughRelationships

As stated earlier, Chinese studentsare generally very respectful, treat theirteachers with honor and consider it aprivilege to spend time with them.They have a welcoming spirit, are verygenerous in their hospitality and loveto help their teachers go sightseeing,make purchases and settle into Chineselife. Chinese students are often quickto come to the aid of their foreignteachers when asked to be an inter-preter.

Expatriate teachers often try to be-friend their students and form relation-ships with them. Many teachers enter-tain students in their homes so thatthey can get to know them better. Stu-dents enjoy this and often respond inkind with invitations to their homes tomeet their families. Many schools have“English Corner,” which is a gatheringof Chinese people who want to practiceEnglish with each other. Foreign teach-ers are welcomed and encouraged toparticipate in these and frequently are

the ones responsible for organizing“English Corner” at their university.

Clubs provide another opportunityfor teachers to get to know their stu-dents. During my time as a foreignteacher in China, I sponsored a FutureBusiness Leaders Club for students. Anew and different experience for myChinese students, the club periodicallyorganized lectures by guest speakersfrom the business community. Some ofthese speakers were alumni who couldshare helpful advice about the businessworld. Others were important business-men and women who shared informa-tion about various local industries andcompanies. In the spring, the clubsponsored a special week of speakersduring the long lunch/break time be-fore afternoon classes. Throughout theyear, the club members organizedfundraisers gaining hands-on businessexperience while at the same time ob-taining financial support for the club.While my students enjoyed this experi-ence, meeting and working with themon committees within this “club atmo-sphere” allowed me the opportunity toreally get to know them and form closerelationships with them.

Foreign teachers often sponsor dra-matic productions and other types of

activities. As teachers andChinese students work to-gether toward a commongoal, camaraderie developsand these activities allow re-lationships to grow deeperthan the normal student-teacher relationship. Manyteachers find these opportu-nities to be the most reward-ing part of their job.

“Celebrity” StatusAnother part of teaching

in China may involve some-what of a “celebrity status.”A foreign teacher may beone of only a handful of for-eigners in a geographical lo-cale. Teachers can use the at-tention that being aforeigner brings to furthertheir opportunities for rela-tionships with the Chinese

people. Often they are invited to din-ners, plays and performances in placesof honor because they are foreigners.Television cameras appear when theyenter the performance hall or movetheir way when the audience is shown.Attention such as this allows the expa-triate teacher to show good mannersand respect to Chinese people of posi-tion and influence. The end result maybe that the teacher can form influen-tial relationships with people of power.

Some expatriates may feel uncom-fortable about the attention they re-ceive. Although it may be difficult forthem to enjoy it, it is best if they canembrace their “celebrity status.” By try-ing to hide foreign looks, they may re-main frustrated and ruin their time inChina by fighting the undeniable posi-tion as a “foreign face.” They shouldremain humble and yet hospitable inaddressing their status as a foreigner.This prevents alienation from societyand allows the teacher greater impactamong students. However, this “celeb-rity status” may begin to wane as Chinabecomes more Western.

Providing “Western” UnderstandingToday, China remains vastly differ-

ent from the West in most areas, but it

Don Picker

A foreign teacher may be A foreign teacher may beone of only a handful of foreigners in a

geographical locale.

9Fall, 2001

is quickly gaining Western influences inthe large cities. As Western influencesbecome more prevalent, the contribu-tion of the expatriate teacher also ex-pands. Since many English studentswill have opportunities to work withWestern companies, students benefitfrom expatriate teachers because it al-lows them to have face-to-face contactwith Westerners. An understanding ofWestern manners and culture is benefi-cial to them while strong English skillsgive them an advantage in theworkforce. The skills and experiencethat expatriate teachers can providetheir students makes the entire processof dealing with foreigners far less in-timidating for them when they enterthe marketplace.

Chinese people are also gainingmore opportunities for travel into En-glish speaking areas. Today, it is fareasier for Chinese people to travel out-side of China than it was only a fewyears ago. After students graduate,whether they travel for business pur-poses or for personal enjoyment,strong English skills enable them totake advantage of opportunities thatcome their way.

English skills also allow Chinesepeople to better understand and com-municate with those outside of China.Solid English skills allow them to ar-ticulate their positions on issues with-out the hindrance of an interpreter.Via the Internet, they are able to com-municate with other English speakersall over the world. They can read bookswritten in English that will broadentheir horizons. The contributions thatthe expatriate teacher brings are veryvaluable to the Chinese educational sys-tem.

The Survival of the Expatriate TeacherBecause of their appreciation of ex-

patriate teachers, Chinese universitieshave an administrator assigned to takegood care of them. Generally, these ad-ministrators are a very important partof the support system for the foreignteacher. When the foreign teacher firstarrives, the administrator is the liaisonbetween society and the expatriate inimportant matters such as work permits

and travel documents.The first days and weeks in China

can be a very difficult time of adjust-ment for many expatriates. The Chi-nese understand that Westerners needextensive support and in many in-stances make special provisions fortheir needs. Foreign teachers may haveair conditioning while Chinese teach-ers around them simply endure theheat. In addition, they are generous in

understanding the adjustment of out-siders who are unaccustomed to theirsystem of water supply, sewage disposaland transportation.

Maintaining a Christian PerspectiveDifficulties in adjustment may catch

the foreign teacher by surprise. Manyexpatriates have the misperception thatbecause God led them in a special wayto an unusual land they will be an ex-ceptional Christian. In reality, peoplecontinue to struggle abroad just as theystruggle in America. Satan is not onsabbatical. Expatriates must keep a per-spective on reality and their human-ness. The culture shock of living in anew land is challenging and it can be a“hostile environment” which can lenditself to discouragement and despair.

There is a great temptation for theexpatriate teacher to blame China forall the woes of life. It is tempting to

blame China for marriage and relation-ship difficulties and for health prob-lems. It is tempting to forget that life inAmerica has its very real hardships. It istempting to forget that it is not China,but God who controls all that is al-lowed to enter one’s life.

Expatriates must keep their perspec-tive and maintain their vision whileguarding their spiritual health. Foreignteachers in China go through great gy-

rations in order to make sure that theymaintain their physical health. Theyboil their water, peel their fruit andavoid eating raw vegetables. Yet manyChristians struggle to maintain theirspiritual health, which is vital for themto thrive in China. Christians should bevery careful to guard their quiet timeof Bible study and prayer each day.They should be looking for ways theycan be fed and edified spiritually withthe same vigilance they use to maintaintheir physical health. In this way, Chris-tian “foreign experts” in China canmaintain their spiritual health that theymight fulfill their desire of servingChina and contributing to the countryand its people.

Michelle Moore, M.B.A. lived and taughtin China for four years and continues to beactive in China service.

Don Picker

Chinese students learn thatChinese students learn thateducation itself is a priviledge and studies

should be taken seriously.

10

Getting Out of the Muds China’s rapidly changing market reform en-ters the 21st century, China’s educational re-form, in contrast, seems to experience little

change. Nevertheless, changes in education are occur-ring. While these changes have not caught the atten-tion of many people, nonetheless, their meaning ismore far-reaching than most realize.

Wandering in a Dead End StreetSince the beginning of their civilization, the Chinese have

always held education in very high regard. Their old saying,“Every pursuit in life is inferior to obtaining knowledge” ex-pressed this attitude. A person with great learning, by pass-ing examinations, could, step bystep, climb all the way up to ahigh position in the imperialcourt. The examinations startedat the local level, gradually movedup to the provincial level, and fi-nally, the emperor himself wouldadminister the examination at thehighest, national level. This an-cient system created numerousopportunities for many but, at thesame time, fostered the attitudeamong the Chinese people thatbecoming an expert in ancientChinese literature was the onlyway to a good, prosperous andhonorable life.

In those days, studying was a static event and memoriza-tion was the key to success. Consequently, becoming a “bookworm” and memorizing everything became the only optionin education. This feudal educational system was abolishedwhen the Qing dynasty was overthrown and China became arepublic. Western style education was introduced in China.However, the old way of education—memorization—wouldnot die easily. Parents, teachers and school officials todaystill regard test scores as the most important aspect of educa-tion and memorization is still the key for doing well onthose tests.

After the 1949 revolution, the new government central-ized the educational system in China; however, the methodsand styles of teaching, learning and testing were basicallyunchanged. In 1964, chairman Mao spoke out against thethen existing educational system as “treating the students aswe would have treated our enemies.” Mao believed the stu-dents were completely out of touch with society and realityand were not learning anything worthwhile. He said the ex-isting educational system produced only the “counter-revolu-tionary” element in students and was seen as the classic op-pression that “capitalists” imposed on peasants. Therefore,in 1966 the “Cultural Revolution” began which virtually shut

Adown all colleges and universities in China. Then, starting in1968 and for the next nine years, more than twelve millionmiddle school students were sent to rural farms to be “re-educated.” All university teachers and professors were alsosent to farmlands or factories for the same purpose. From1966 until 1977 when Mao died, China went through twelveyears of an educational vacuum. During this time there wasno elementary education, no higher education and no ex-ams. This was Mao’s way of resolving China’s educationalproblem, and he called this China’s “revolutionary period”of education.

Deng Xiaoping reinstituted college entrance examina-tions at the end of 1977. By that time, virtually all Chinesefelt that it was one of the most urgent and important tasksfor the country’s post Mao era. People once again regainedhope in their educational system. In 1978, China’s educa-

tional system began a gradual res-toration, returning to the old sys-tem.

As population increases, thedemand for educational institu-tions also increases—especially forcolleges and universities. The cen-tral government in Beijing had to-tal control over education inChina and allocated all funding.However, since Beijing was notable to provide adequate financ-ing, education in China fell far be-hind the country’s need. Chinacurrently ranks about number 145in the world for per person educa-tional spending. This is less than

many third world countries and far less than the UnitedStates and most European countries.

Almost all families in China want their children to go tocollege, but there is just not enough room in Chinese uni-versities to absorb all the students. As a result, pressure be-gins to build on students early on—even while they are stillin elementary school. In order to enter a good school, stu-dents must work hard memorizing material to the best oftheir ability in hopes of doing well on tests. Attending col-lege means a good opportunity for a decent job after gradu-ation, which ultimately brings honor to the family. On theother hand, not to get into college brings a high likelihoodof being stuck in an undesirable job with no future. There-fore, there is much pressure on the students to do well inthe annual national college entrance examination.

The cruel reality of “only the best survive” has resulted innumerous family tragedies. Students are forced to becomememorization machines while creativity and pro-active learn-ing are completely killed off. Students begin college with theknowledge they have memorized, but they cannot be cre-ative in developing new ways of thinking and research. Aftertheir graduation, they simply cannot meet the needs of arapidly developing China. Without healthy economic devel-

from the WallView

By Huo Shui

View

11Fall, 2001

opment, the government does not havethe financial resources to build univer-sities or train more qualified teachers.Thus, it becomes a never-ending circle.As time goes by, more and more teach-ers, parents and students have come torealize that this vicious cycle hasbrought the entire na-tional educational systemto a dead end street. With-out reform, Chinese chil-dren cannot look forwardto a bright future and fullmodernization can neverbecome a reality in China.

A Non-political Approachto Education

Many attempts havebeen made by various edu-cational institutions to im-prove and reform China’sexisting educational sys-tem. Starting in the early1990s, many universitiesbegan to recognize thatthe major need of the mar-ket was for people withpractical skills in technology and busi-ness. Although universities were unableto supply this need of the business com-munity, by efficiently utilizing the re-sources they already had available, sepa-rate vocational training programs werestarted for non-college students. Theseprograms now meet that need and alsohelp the university and teachers to earnextra income. Suddenly, like wild flow-ers, all kinds of vocational training cen-ters started to bloom throughout thecountry. Non-college students are nowable to obtain nationally recognizedcertificates or diplomas by passing ex-aminations after completing requiredcourses acquired via the classroom orself-instruction. The popularity of TValso makes learning through televisededucational programs a reality. Open-ing to the outside world helped Englishlanguage learning become an emphasisamong the youth. All of this is shapingup to what can be called an “adult edu-cation” or “self-instructional” fever inthe entire country. Every evening, class-rooms in middle or grade schoolsthroughout China are full of adult stu-

dents participating in educationalclasses. For the first time in Chinesehistory, education is being driven bymarket demands.

However, even with the new empha-sis on market driven education, andeven though this has created opportu-nities for college professors to earn ad-

ditional income, it still has notchanged the fact that the existing edu-cation puts more emphasizes on testscores than it does on true abilities. Formost students, the goal is still to getinto traditional colleges and universi-ties that have very limited space. Manypeople have suggested that the govern-ment relax the requirements for estab-lishing new institutions of higher edu-cation and allow civilians—and evenforeign capital—to build new universi-ties. Reform will come, they believe, bybuilding more universities, raising theeducational quality of middle andgrade schools and reducing theworkload of students. This proposalwas elevated all the way to the People’sCongress where it received overwhelm-ing support and also caught the atten-tion of China’s top leaders. In order toarrive at a common understanding ofthe issue and to end the cycle of wan-dering in the existing dead end educa-tional street, a national meeting oneducational reform was called for inBeijing in 1999.

During this meeting, what surprised

Pressure begins to build on students early on—even while they are still in elementary school.

Don PIcker

people was that most of the currentMinistry of Education leadership wasnot interested in allowing civilians tobuild new universities. Fierce argu-ments broke out regarding “control ofeducation.” It was then that the publicfinally began to understand why the

Chinese government would al-low civilian owned businessesand private enterprises, butwould not allow civilians tostart new universities. By al-lowing the private sector toopen private universities, thegovernment feared that pri-vate university administrationsmight not follow its directionin educational matters andpolitics. The Communist partymust maintain full control ofChina’s education—especiallyon the college level. If thiswere not so, would studentsbe willing to submit to partyauthority? Obviously, thescope of this meeting had be-come very political and ex-ceeded the original intent of

improving the existing educational sys-tem.

As this national conference on edu-cation was about to end without havingachieved any concrete results, PremierZhu Rongji gave a speech to the at-tendees. He made two points regardingthe future of education. First, the Min-istry of Education should guaranteethat all students in China have accessto schools. Second, education in Chinamust adopt a multi-pronged approachto building new schools. Educationmust be treated as an investment orbusiness, not as the duty of the Com-munist party. With this speech, Zhushed new light on the direction of edu-cational reform in China.

Allowing for Educational PrivatizationFor the first time in over 2000 years,

the educational system in China is ex-periencing real changes, including thefollowing.

1. The central government elimi-nated all educational agencies or bu-reaus other than the Ministry of Educa-tion. All previous authorities were

12

transferred to the Ministry of Educa-tion or local educational bureaus.

2. Enrollment in colleges and uni-versities was expanded and civilians areallowed to run and manage dormito-ries and cafeterias as businesses.

3. Teaching materials and the evalu-ation system were improved.

4. Students are allowed to transfer,take time off, audit classes and gradu-ate as they complete all the requiredcourses.

5. Last, but most importantly, thegovernment no longer subsidizes stu-dents’ tuition and no longer distributesjobs to new college graduates. Thismeans that higher education in Chinawill be market driven and not depen-dent on government funding for sur-vival. When students go to college, itwill be their own personal decision andinvestment. They will no longer rely onthe party to provide for them.

At the same time, various privateand joint venture colleges officially en-tered the educational arena. There areincreasing numbers of private and jointventure kindergartens, elementaryschools and middle schools. Many col-leges are now concerned with theirability to attract sufficient numbers ofstudents. In 2001, the national collegeentrance examination will be heldtwice during the year, once in the sum-mer and once in the winter. Studentstoday worry less about whether theycan get into college, but more aboutwhich college they should attend andthe kind of jobs they can find aftergraduation. The subject of “politicaleducation,” that had been a require-ment for many years, has been elimi-nated from the examination. The edu-cational slogan has shifted from“examination based education” to“quality based education.” Finally, edu-cation in China, has evolved from be-ing politically driven to being marketdriven.

Measuring Up to InternationalStandards

Although education in China hasjust gone through exciting transforma-tions, it still has a long way to go tomeasure up to international standards.

China has just reached the goal of of-fering nine years of government spon-sored education to every citizen. How-ever, tenth to twelfth grade education isstill not available to all. It is only re-cently that the Chinese have begun toaccept the idea of vocational and spe-cial education. In colleges, the nationhas just begun to allow different kindsof higher education and improvementin teaching materials. It is still unclearhow private and public schools will beable to conduct a uniform evaluationof students. Will foreign investment beallowed in to build new schools withoutChinese partners? Above all, what is thetrue nature of education? If it is not forpolitical purposes, might it be formoney? At present, Chinese educatorshave no clear answers to any of thesequestions; nevertheless, these are ques-tions China must face. Education is aninvestment. How should it be devel-oped in the context of ethics and vir-tues? How should the next generationbe raised? These issues urgently re-quire responses. Although no one mayhave all the answer, there is one thingwe know for sure: education in Chinacan no longer afford to go back to theold days of the dead end street.

Huo Shui is a former government politicalanalyst who writes from outside China.Translation is by Tian Hui.

tion Reforms and Coping Strategies under theTidal Wave of Marketisation: a comparativestudy of Hong Kong and the mainland,” Com-parative Education, 37 (10), 2001, pp. 21-41.

SourcesBeech, Hannah. “Lesson Unlearned.” Time

Asia Online 155 (10) March 13, 2000:www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/2000/0313/china.education.html

Bezlova, Antoaneta. “Education yet to makethe grade in rural China.” Asia Times OnlineJanuary 13, 2001: www.atimes.com/china/BA13Ado1.html

Boon, Say Teow. “Basic Education in the Ru-ral Areas of China.” (SIAAPS): www.geocities.com/Capitol Hill/ Senate/1630/ar-ticles/boon1.htm

Chan, David and Mok, Ka-Ho. “Education Re-forms and Coping Strategies under the

ously known to Westerners as Canton)thrives as home to much of the rapiddevelopment of the Chinese economy.The school emphasizes the importanceof moral education, patriotism, teach-ing “life’s ideals” and encouraging ser-vice. All of the students live at theschool, sometimes far from their par-ents, thus making the school respon-sible for much more than academicprogress.

Private schools in China do differfrom schools in America. Even in pri-vate schools, students are required toattend political training meetings andmoral education classes that are regu-lated by the central government inBeijing. Chinese students are much lesslikely to be exposed to any teachingsabout religion, especially Christianity.Nevertheless, one school that I visitedin China demonstrated that such ideasare taking root there. As I toured theschool’s campus, I noticed three wordspainted in English in large letters onthe outside of one of the classroombuildings: faith, hope and love. Thosewords point toward the best hope forthe future of China, its private schoolsand its students.

Lisa Nagle holds a masters degree in AsianStudies and International Business and ispresident of Pacific Link International Ex-change Students (PLIES).

Tidal Wave of Marketisation: a comparativestudy of Hong Kong and the mainland.”Comparative Education 37 (1): 21-41 (2001).

China Education Daily, February 8, 2001.China Education Daily, March 24, 2001.Rong, Xue Lan and Shi, Tianjian. “Inequality

in Chinese Education.” Journal of Contempo-rary China 10 (26): 107-124 (2001).

Wang, Chengzhi. “The Revival of Private Edu-cation in Reforming China.” Online paperat http://lrs.ed.uiuc.edustudents.cwang2/pepaper.html

Wenhui Daily, March 1, 2001.Zhili, Yin. “Project 211, Biggest Investiment in

Higher Education in China.” People’s DailyOnline at http:/English.peopledaily.com.cnl

Gary Waldron, Ph.D. has been in China minis-try for 17 years. He is currently an associate pro-fessor of missions at Faith Seminary in Tacomaand serves on the ChinaSource staff.

Private EducationContinued from page 6

The Marketization of China’s EducationContinued from page 4

13Fall, 2001

he fundamental questionunderlying much publicdiscussion regardingChina always seems to be,What is the best way to

changes, visits, and joint projects inmany fields. All of China knows thatsignificant changes are required to hostsuccessful games, and public expecta-tions will grow for more openness. TheOlympics will accelerate that pace ofopenness.

Many critics highlight China’s na-tionalistic response, and some Chineseare emphasizing China’s return to itsrightful place in the world as a greatpower, which tends to make outsiders

nervous. However, the views of otherChinese citizens show a positive ef-fect: “This proves that if Chinalearns the rules of the game andabides by the international rules, itcan win respect and influence.”

The Olympics decision encouragesthe blend of nationalism and patrio-tism that has an internationalist com-

ponent to it, something we should en-courage. In the opinion of a graduatestudent in Beijing, “Ninety per cent ofChinese young people aren’t rabid anti-Western nationalists, but are patriotswho want a strong but constitutional,democratic China.” The Olympics deci-sion reinforces those in the system whowould argue that it pays off to continueto pursue the goal of being a “respon-sible world power” within the existingworld system. It also provides a strongincentive for Beijing to avoid threaten-ing Taiwan, while using the Olympics asa reconciliation mechanism.

There is a related point that hasbeen overlooked by most commenta-tors: the decision is primarily a win forBeijing City—at potential economiccost for the rest of China. One reportcited the crowd in the capital as shout-ing “Bei-jing, Bei-jing!” They were notshouting “Long Live the CommunistParty.” It is fair to assume that the ex-citement and pride felt by Beijingers isnot necessarily shared (at least to thesame degree) by the people of Shang-

hai or Harbin. When Beijing lost thebid to host the 2000 games (chosen in1993) the people of Shanghai quietlycelebrated, fearing they would neverget their subway finished. The centralleadership will have to work hard tocontinue meeting the needs of theprovinces.

So where do we as American Chris-tians (especially those who live in Chinaor have close ties to China) fit or playinto all of this? Is there a “correct” re-sponse? Should we intensify our criti-cism and decry the decision? There aresome obvious practical alternatives.Beijing City will be looking for foreigninvestment in its infrastructure projectsand foreign expertise in many relatedfields from real estate to sports medi-cine, so opportunities for positive en-gagement and influence will increase

throughout the decade.But wouldn’t we be even better off

thinking in more incarnational terms,particularly as we relate to our Chinesefriends and colleagues. A group ofAmericans found themselves in down-town Beijing on the night of the an-nouncement and subsequent celebra-tion, joining with the Beijingers inhigh-fives and cheering, and weremoved by the response: “The Chinesewere so thrilled that foreigners werecelebrating with them and for them....They soaked up every word of congratu-lations and rejoiced in every sign of en-couragement and thanked us deeplyfor the support.... As goodwill ambassa-dors, we made this celebration extraspecial for several thousand Beijingerson this clear, warm evening that theywill never forget.” Does that not seemto be a tilling of the soil for the plant-ing of the gospel?

Carol Hamrin, Ph.D. is a senior associatewith ChinaSource. Kay Danielson does cross-cultural training and consulting.

China and the Olympics:Carol Lee Hamrinand Kay Danielson

T

Prospects For Change

change China? Can we facilitate changeby engagement or by punishment? Thediscussion surrounding selectingBeijing to host the 2008 Olympics is nodifferent, yet it ignores the fact thatChina is already rapidly changing dueto internal dynamics, and that exter-nal actors have important but dis-tinctly secondary roles in thedrama of China’s ongoingtransformation.

Much opposition to aBeijing Olympics is rootedin out-dated notions ofChina as a communistmonolith. Some see theOlympics as merely a plat-form for the Party to trum-pet its ideology andachievements. To besure, the Party willtry to use theOlympics to en-hance its weak le-gitimacy, but other levelsof society are celebrating the decisionfor different reasons. All sectors of a dy-namic society will be actively seeking togain advantage. As Zbigniew Brzezinskiwrote in the New York Times (7/14/2001), “...there is a growing sense thatChinese Communism has become a fa-cade for a society that no longer oper-ates according to Marxist tenets.... TheOlympics in Bei-jing may be a triumphfor China, but by intensifying the pres-sures for change the games are quiteunlikely to be a triumph for China’swaning Communism.”

It is important to distinguish be-tween social change and opening up(which is certain) and political transfor-mation in the near future (which ishighly unlikely). The main impact ofhosting the Olympics will not be theevent itself, but the process set in trainby key deadlines. Investment, trade,and tourism are driving incentives, butthe resulting dynamics will include thefurther opening up of Chinese societyto the outside world, with two-way ex-

14

Book ReviewBook Review

A review by Kay Danielson

n the introduction to this book,the authors set out their hope ofgetting the reader to set aside theI

over-worn cliché of describing the Chi-nese as “inscrutable.” I applaud that at-tempt and think the authors havelargely been successful. In addition,there is another over-worn cliché thatis set aside as the result of this book—the one that describes mainland Chi-nese as “Communist” or “Marxist,” atleast down at the level of the soul.

An attempt to describe the soul of apeople numbering 1.3 billion is adaunting task and may seem a bit pre-sumptuous to some. Quite rightly, theauthors acknowledge this. However,they have done a superb job of taking

this large subject, researching it andpackaging the results in a way that I be-lieve accurately reflects the prevailingmood and worldview of the people ofthe PRC at the century’s end. As theauthors put it, it is an attempt at cap-turing “some of the soul-oriented in-sights that may impact how we relate toor communicate with Chinese” (p 2).

The book is based on an extensiveresearch project conducted in China inthe mid-1990s. The methodology in-cluded using visual images that allowedChinese to provide a “cultural transla-tion” of how they view themselves, theircountry, and their living conditions as

An Introduction to the Mainland Chinese Soul, LEAD Consulting, PO Box 32026, Raleigh, NC27622, 2001, 66 pages. Cost: (paperback) $5.50, volume discounts available. To order, contactLEAD Consulting, Ph: 919.783.0354.

Peeking Beneath the Surface

well as surveys conducted in a variety oflocations. These were followed by per-sonal interviews with Chinese and for-eigners with extensive experience withChina.

The format is crisp, with each sec-tion broken down into four or fivequestions followed by several clear andconcise responses to each question. In-terspersed among the questions and re-sponses are first person narrative sto-ries of Chinese lives that illustrate andilluminate the points being made.These are extremely helpful in “givingflesh” to the concepts, and anyone whohas spent time working in China or

with Chinese people will find much thatis familiar in them.

The book is divided into three majorsections: The Chinese Context, TheChinese Viewpoint, and The ChineseSpiritual Orientation.

In section one, the authors start byasking where to begin in thinking aboutministering in the Chinese culture. Theanswers to this question generally focuson the Chinese pre-occupation withand orientation to the past. Chinesepeople in 2001 are keenly aware of theglories of their past. When Europe wasa collection of barbaric tribes, Chinawas the world leader in technology,education and social development. Yet,at the same time they are burdenedwith their more recent history of de-cline, foreign domination and eco-nomic weakness.

The authors also wisely point out theparadoxes and contradictions of theChinese context. In China nothing is asit seems and those of us who engageChina do well to keep this uppermostin our minds.

The writers then raise the questionof how the past affects the Chinese to-day and go on to highlight some keyfeatures of Chinese culture such as itsresilience, its long-standing authoritar-ian nature and its emphasis on socialrelationships. These are particularly im-portant because they help us to see thatmany of those cultural characteristicsthat we in the West might want to lay atthe feet of Communism have, in fact,been present in Chinese culture longbefore Marxism appeared on the scene.

In the final part of section one, theyexplore the rapid change taking placein modern Chinese society and look atsome of the key longings of today’s Chi-nese. I find it interesting to note thatthe longings mentioned—national res-toration, family harmony and prosper-ity, personal success and inner satisfac-tion—are not vastly different from thelongings and aspirations of most peopleof most cultures.

Section two raises the questions ofhow today’s mainland Chinese processlife, how they learn and how they viewforeigners. The issues raised about howthey process life are particularly helpful

The freshness of this book lies in the fact that it gives us a peek beneaththe surface of China, beyond the socialist structures and rhetoric

to the actual belief system and aspirations of the people.

15Fall, 2001

because it is at these points that themost serious “culture clashes” occurwhen Chinese and foreigners interact.China’s arbitrary and mysterious powerstructure leads Chinese to acceptunpredictability, pursue the path ofleast resistance and defer to authoritymuch more easily and quickly thanwould most Westerners. Because it is arelational, or more communal culture,greater emphasis is placed on strivingfor the common good of the group.

Section three takes up the issue ofChinese spiritual orientation, looking athow Chinese view God, sin, salvationand how they might respond to Jesus.The descriptions of Buddhism, folk reli-gions, Daoism, Qigong, and Science arebrief and accurate. They can be helpfultools in aiding us to understand howChinese might hear the gospel.

I am particularly pleased that the au-thors raise the question of what we canlearn from the Chinese. Unfortunately,it is not a question commonly asked byforeigners working with Chinese. Yet,the Chinese have many lessons to teachus individual Westerners about caringfor in-group and family members, re-specting authority and persevering inadversity.

As one who is involved professionallyin preparing people for their sojourns(short and long term) in China, I amglad to see this book added to the con-versation. It is a needed voice. Its con-ciseness and accuracy make it a valuabletool for anyone working in China orwith Chinese. It makes Chinese culturemore accessible.

So, I return to where I started. Thefreshness of this book lies in the factthat it gives us a peek beneath the sur-face of China, beyond the socialiststructures and rhetoric to the actual be-lief system and aspirations of thepeople. I like to think of Chinese cul-ture and society as a language, wherethe vocabulary is socialist, but the gram-mar is still essentially traditional. Thisbook is a wonderful look at the gram-mar.

Kay Danielson has lived in China for 13years and currently works in the field ofcross-cultural training and consulting.

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Education: For Whom? And Why?

ed or expert?” hasbeen the centralquestion in the on-

volved. China’s leaders can potentiallyhave their cake and eat it too by bal-ancing the need to extend basic edu-cational opportunity to as manypeople as possible with the desire tofocus resources on the developmentof highly trained “experts.” “Red” be-comes less of a concern as the govern-

ment loosens its grip oneducation and allows oth-ers to play a role. Mean-while the proliferation ofeducational institutionsand programs opens up ahost of new opportunitiesfor those seeking to serveChina through the avenueof education.

However, allowing themarket to direct the course

of education in China has a negativeside as well. The most obvious prob-lem is the growing gap between those,primarily in the cities, who have bothaccess to education and the means topay for it, and those, often found inthe rural areas, who have neither.Groups that have traditionally beenon the fringes of society, such as mi-norities and students with disabilities,are particularly hard-hit.

Given this growing gap, the ques-tion that Huo Shui asks in this issueof ChinaSource is critical: What is thetrue nature of education? Who is tobe educated? Why? How we choose

going debate over Chinese educa-tion for the past 50 years. “Red-ness” was a recurring theme inChina under Mao, who, in addi-tion to favoring political correct-ness over educational ex-cellence, also promotededucation for the massesand opposed programsaimed at raising up aneducated elite. DengXiaoping’s policies dur-ing the 1980s signaled aradical shift, as“keypoint” schools werereopened and thousandsof the finest studentssent abroad for study.

With the dawn of the new mil-lennium comes a third alterna-tive—market-driven education.The marketization of educationconveniently answers both thegovernment’s desire to cease be-ing the sole underwriter of educa-tion in China and the growing de-mand of a new class of consumerswilling to pay for educational al-ternatives outside those providedby the traditional government-mo-nopolized system.

This market approach appearsto be a win-win solution for all in-

“R to become involved in addressingChina’s educational challenges willoffer clues to our answer, even if wedo not state it explicitly.

Certainly a strong case can bemade for the strategic importanceof investing in the “experts,” themost promising students who willpotentially shape their nation’s fu-ture. Yet we need to guard againstsending the message that we are in-terested only in the elites of societyand thus unconcerned about thegreat majority outside this privi-leged sphere. By providing the dis-enfranchised with education thatcontains a transforming spiritualelement, we are perhaps morelikely to be seen as having a positiveimpact on China’s rapidly changingsociety.

Granted, different ones will becalled to make their contributionsin different areas. However, as weconfront the marketization of edu-cation and its ramifications for ourinvolvement, we would do well tothink through the “who?” and the“why?” of education and to pursue abalanced approach in both these di-mensions.

Brent Fulton, Ph.D., is the president ofChinaSource and the editor of theChinaSource journal.

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