UNREACHABLE AND UNTEACHABLE STUDENTS
Every Chinese college and university has them, from top tier down to the bottom 4th tier.Usually every class has at least one and the unlucky teacher may be saddled with several. Occasionally, an entire class may be beyond reach.
No matter what the pedagogy, the methodology, the materials; there are some students who have decided that higher education is only an endurance requirement. In America there is an educational philosophy that no child shall be left behind. China has a slightly different bent – no college student shall fail to receive a diploma so long as the tuition has been paid.
Nationally, 5% of Chinese university students are unreachable and unteachable. At Zongshan University 1.6% of the post-graduate non-English majors are unreachable and unteachable.
Chinese students know full well that they will not be failed even if they never attend classes. They are allowed to retake a final exam, with a different teacher each time, until a teacher is found who will pass them. Failing grades issued by foreign teachers are administratively changes rather regularly. The Chinese educational system deprives the teacher of a major external motivational tool and the students take advantage of this situation.
These students are not too hard to identify. They sit in the back row and try to blend into the back wall. Some sit up front, arms crossed with a scowl on their face that says a D-8 bulldozer isn’t going to move them.
Some give themselves away by telling the foreign teacher “you do not understand China” or “you do not understand Chinese students” or “you do not teach like a Chinese teacher.”
Others will declare their open contempt for English due to some misguided nationalistic pride. Some will state that they do not need English now or in the future. A Shanghai University student declared that his father was a very high Shanghai Government party official and that his father would always take care of his future, both politically and financially. This boy was well connected and his future was assured. Within months his father was caught up in the political purge and power shift that saw all of Shanghai’s political leaders replaced. His father was imprisoned and made to forfeit all of his money and property. The boy was weeks away from graduation and would receive a useless degree.
A young man in Guangzhou insisted that he would never need English because his father was Chairman of the Board and majority Shareholder of a major Chinese company. This boy wasted his educational opportunity in reliance on his father’s position and wealth. Within two months of the boy’s graduation his father was imprisoned for economic crimes and sentenced to death and forfeiture of all money and property.
It is sad indeed to watch any misguided student pursue a path of self-destruction. But no matter what you say or do, they are determined to serve their time at university without earning an education because they know an education (Diploma) will be handed to them as long as their tuition is paid. Educated idiots!
In fact，there are some students that waste time in college and university . As far as I know,
most of the students are eager to grasp the opportunity. Only few people want to take advantage
of their father’s money and power to get the diploma.We all know the importance of the knowledge.
The students go to play in the college and university is unwise and stupid. How time flies!We should try our best to study. In modern society, we must study and study, otherwise we will fall behind and cannot develop.
This article reveals some realities at some level.And I believe it’ll take a quite long time to solve them.China has opened its door to the rest of the world for just only 30 years.So, it’s common that something immature occurs in the education system.
As for me,a guy from a poor family of a poor province in north China,I cherish a lot the opportunity to study here.And I deeply belive that it’s my duty to work hard and make my life better in the future.
As much as I’m sure that I’m not the member of UNREACHABLE AND UNTEACHABLE STUDENTS, I don’t think I’m diligent enough. Thank you for everything special that you have taught us, it is really out of the ordinary in China, I got your back.
To be reluctant to admit, it is true indeed that unreachable and unteachable students in every Chinese college. However, at the same time that we blame these Educated Idiots, should we think about the essential under the facade? Awareness of the cause of the effect is the critical step toward the solution. In my opinion, the unreasonable education system is first reason counting for this phenomenon. Just as what mentioned in the passage, strict mechanism of reward and punishment are not in place. We have a perfected system, but we do not have a good environment to implement it. How can a seed in the desert sprout? Only when all the rules have been executed with absolute strictness and students realize their responsibility can this problem be solved.
The students mentioned in this article are somewhat short-sighted. Everyone should cherish the opportunity to get a good education to enrich him or herself. Only what you’v learned in heart can not be deprived of.
It’s the educational mechanism that causes such issue. Chinese students study under high pressure even since they were in elementary school. After nearly 12 years torture, emotion gets exploded in college where nobody cares his study anymore. In my opinion, it is necessary to make some stricter criteria for assessing a student’s quality of getting a diploma. Meanwhile, the burden on middle school students should be released accordingly.
“Survival of the fittest” fits all. The fact that the son of the wealthy father choose not to study hard is a choice made by a rational person. However, I think it is a tragedy of rich second-generation. They could have more opportunities than poor second generation to live a more wonderful life. Sadly, they just want to sit back and enjoy. Some of rich second-generation have no dreams. As a result they lack the motivation to learn. It is a pity that they never know that it is the most pleasant thing in the world to struggle for a noble ideal.
Yes,there are actually many problems in Chinese education system.Not only we but also the governments are thinking it over ,and some measures have been taken to refine the problems. But the system has been so ingrain that the result seems not to be that satisfied.There is still a long way to go.
In my opinion,education system is intended to urge you to study hard. But it is just an external factor .Some students make use of the loopholes of the education system,allowing themselves not to study hard. It is an irresponsible act on their own.They are just wasting their lives.Remember that bright future depends on your own efforts.So,work hard.
There are several students who would like to rely on their families,but most of the students in china prefer to working hard and owning their own lives in the future. Some students waste their time and give up the opportuinity of learning,that they can’t be more stupid. Learning English is very important to all of us, we all must make great effort to do it well.
I don’t think Chinese students are unteachable.They don’t want to speak english not because they don’t want to learn english well,but because they are afriad of being make mistakes.They love face very much.Acctually china’s educational system have many problems,and I can’t deny that there are some one has the previlige to have not to learn hard because their parents can help the in the future.But i do believe that all of the student want to use english freely,the only problem is the didn’t find a proper way.
The students, who are misguided, choose a path of self-destruction, just like you say in the essay. I believe that what they did is a waste of educational resources. They attain the opportunity of education, but they did not appreciate it. This guys would get nothing because they forget the old saying, “no pains, no gain.” However, the situation is going worse and we can’t do nothing to try to make a change. We could appreciate the opportunity. That’s the only thing in control of ourselves, I belive.
I can’t agree with wang’s perspective. He did not catch the point that we learn English because we would use this language. I think the best way to master it is to use it as much. English is a global language. Most people take it as a first or second foreign language. It cannot be in conflict with our own language. Maybe wang should try to enjoy it. To experience the pleasure when we are learning.
It’s a typical tragedy that a bunch of Chinese students are wasting their opportunities to receive knowledge, what they have done is receiving higher education only. Is it so unbelievable that so many smart students who have triumph in the fierce competition of college Entrance Examination are making such mistakes that they think the hard-working time is over and their career life will be successful just because they get college diploma? Maybe the root of this tragedy is the rule of competition in college. when we were studying in the senior high school, all the knowledge in the textbook was useful for get a high score in exam so that we tried our best to understand it. But after entering the college, we found the situation changed. The knowledge in the text book seemed to be useless and some students who were always missing the lesson wouldn’t be punished and sometimes they got high scores. At the same time, companies declare they want to hire somebody who has intern experience and social skill, not silent bookish people. It’s unfair, but it’s true. So it’s not strange that Chinese students seem to be idiots who take care a piece of paper only. I hope one day the most diligent student can get the highest reward.
I am so in favor of your opinion. Every time I walk into a class, I always remind myself that I have paid for this class. Therefore I should try my best to finish my homework and learn what the teacher teaches me. I know that what I have paid for is the education, which the teacher has offered me responsibly. Whether I can get a high score and earn the degree depends on my effort. I have paid for the education, not the diploma. It is ridiculous to think that I should earn the degree as long as I have paid the tuition. This thought is as absurd as that: if I have paid for the dress, I should look good in the dress; if I have paid for the food, I should enjoy the food. What you have paid for are the food and the dress, and you get them. The deal is done. As for the result of use, if the quality has no problem, you are the one who should be responsible for your taste. In a similar way, if you are offered a good education which you have paid for, you have nothing to complain about.
FOLLOW UP TO:
M Wolff
March 16th, 2010 at 7:19 am · Edit
TO: GILL – RUI WANG
This student was given an appointment to meet with Dean Wang and I on Wednesday, March 17 at 9:00 a.m. But like most cowards who hide behind a false name, SHE failed to show up.
What is the author said may be true. It is true that some students from wealthy families only want to get a diploma by going to university. Thanks to their families’ wealth and their parents’ position, they don’t worry to find a good job after graduated. Therefore, they are lazy in learning and they become a unreachable and unteachable student. But this is minority. Most of students are diligent and have strong thirst for knowledge.
It is undeniable that there are a few of students who are unreachable and/or unteachable in Chinese universities. Some of them look like that because of their introverted and dissocial personalities, some of them because of their bad surrounding environment, and the third kind because of their dislike to foreign language learning. As for the second kind, I think we have to pay more attention to them. In some circumstance, bad environment, such as poor and ugliness, make the students feel that they can not compare with other students, and therefore the feel inferior. Let’s concern about this kind of students and show our sincerity to them. At the same time, I hope that these unreachable and/or unteachable students will eventually become reachable and teachable.
As the article mentioned,there are many Chinese students waste their time at university,especially those students whose family is very rich.They think whether or not study hard,all of them can receive a diploma.why do they think so?Because it is very ease to receive a diploma at Chinese university as long as your tuition has been paid as the article said.In fact ,it is sad to Chinese education system.I hope our education system will be changed one day.
I used to hear of some cases indeed that a few students were admitted into universities through some special approaches, and they could get their diplomas smoothly even if they didn’t attend classes. This kind of students usually waste much time on entertainment such as online games and hanging about as a result of lack of motivation and crisis awareness. I don’t know the prospects of them, maybe good, maybe not so ideal. However, what’s most common is that a lot of students work very hard to improve themselves with dreams of getting more opportunities or finding a good job in the future, not just to get the diplomas, after all noboby can deprive of their knowledge which will company them a whole life and everybody should be responsible for their careers. I also hope that those unreachable and unteachable students can realize this point and have a happy end.
For some students, their families are rich or in power. Money, diploma and job, which are achieved through hard working and sweat by others, are all readily available for them. They have nothing to worry about and what they have to do is just to enjoy the life everyday. This is unfair for those students who work hard. They seize every minute to learn and think this is the way that they can compete with others equally in the future. But the reality may disappoint them. In the end they may be denied the opportunities which are early reserved for the rich or powerful students. I think many countries have this kind of problem, but in China it’s getting worse and worse. It results in polarization more and more seriously and makes people lose their eager heart to change the reality.
What Angela has written really boosts my confidence. Mr. Martin instruct us to do many tasks of English .I am not used to think in English, to create an English life is a really challenge .This sentence ”Martin pushed them into the ‘English swimming pool’ to ‘survive’ which made them feel ‘unsafe’” let me deeply understand his teaching method. Only in the real English environment can force us to natural use English.
Actually in my first class this term, Mr. Martin speak most of the time, students do not have much chances to open their mouths. I hope that situation happened only in the first class when Mr. Martin has lots of information to teach us. We are eager to exchange our ideas and correct our wrong pronunciation face to face in Mr. Martin’s class.
I feel lucky to have such a strict, capable, responsible English teacher. We can receive his emails at every minute which fully show his care to our English learning out of class time. Now I write more English than ever before, thanks to you!
When I am a graduate in university, there are several such classmates. They are all boys while their families are not rich or powerful. They just don’t want to learn, no matter specialized course or English. Their daily life is playing computer games, watching TV or other entertainment. Every semester they failed in several courses, which they don’t pay much attention too.
Other classmates have no idea what they are thinking about, and all the teachers are worried about them too. Our mentor talked with them for a lot of time while little effect has been made. I know that two of them don’t get their diplomas, which make them very hard to find a good job.
In my opinion, they are so foolish not to cherish their time and make no preparation for their future.
For me, I do want to cherish my excellent time and lead a colorful and fruitful post-graduate life. However, I am stuck during most of time. I really don’t know who I am and what I want. All I have done and I’m doing now are not my own choices and interest. The only thing I know is that I couldn’t disappoint my families. So, I often study hard and tenderly follow the teachers’ instructions, spending my whole time in listening to lectures, finishing assignments, and taking good remark in exams. Every time I want to escape from my room just for the sweet flowers in the garden or similar beautiful things, eventually I still stay in the room. I often ask myself if the life is what I want, but no answers. Of course I am not an unreachable/unteachable student, but I also not an excellent one. On contrast, among those who are unreachable/unteachable, some students lead an independent and free life which they themselves choose. They have their own thoughts, acting as their own ways. They are simply different from those people described in the upper article. They pursue what they want, at the same time they have to stay in an inappropriate place as classroom for some unaccountable reasons. So, they have to endure something sometimes with doing their own things.
The article reflects current situation about a number of college students in China,it’s very real and very thought-provoking.But as a college student I always believe that our future in the hands of oursleves,we needn’t rely on the strong family or the relationship so-called.When we in the school,our responsibilities are to learn life skill,so the students who weast of time and opportunities would be unwise.Never free lunch and don’t wait,catch every opportunities to improve oursleves.
As the old saying, god will help those who help themselves. No one can pretest you for ever except yourself. Meanwhile, however rich your dad are, they still could not give you the knowledge and ability to you except their money. A tree won’t grow to be a great one if it doesn’t grow in the wind and rain. In a word, we should be strict to ourselves and try to improve ourselves, so that we can live a more meaningful life and do something useful to society
In my undergraduate school, there are about 50 students who graduate from university without bachelor degree, which make up 5%of us. It gives us a signal that actually Chinese universities are placing more and more emphasis on the quality of their graduates. Now in Sun Yat-Sen University, I find that we can seldom get a seat in library whenever we arrive. It shows that actually we Chinese students are more and more hard-working. We are trying our best to enjoy learning, including English and other courses. So believe us, we are making our progress and definitely will do better.
Firstly, I don’t agree with the saying “China has a slightly different bent – no college student shall fail to receive a diploma so long as the tuition has been paid”. Exactly, not all of the college students in China can graduate so long as they pay the tuition, at least they can’t get the degree easily. For example, if the student cheat in an exams in San Yat-sen Univesity they can graduate but not get the degree. And there are many different regulations in other universities.
Secondly, In my opinion the educational philosophy “no child shall be left behind” in America is reasonable. In china, always we have a “so–so ” attitude, so certain students are left behind sometimes.
Thirdly, I agree that the young men have a thinking to rely on their parents and give up earn an education at university is misguided. Only you master something by yourself you can survive in the world alone and free, or else you may feel isolated and helpless at any time.
EDITOR’S NOTE: THE ONE CHILD POLICY IS VIEWED BY WESTERNERS AS CREATING A GENERATION OF LITTLE EMPERORS
I think one cause of the phenomenon is that nowadays power and money mean at least a lot of things if not everything. Under the aura of power, you earn flattery, you earn all kinds of benefits from those who want you to help them by your power, and your children can go to top schools without an excellent result in the entrance exams and graduate quite easily.
Another cause is the industrialization of education in China. Chinese universities are merging other colleges to make themselves a “super university”, enrolling more and more students in order to promote their ranking in the list of national universities. If they fail a great proportion of students, the amount of new students they could enroll next year will be cut by the National Education Sector, and their ranking may fall.
The last cause is the conventional teaching attitude towards children. In China, many parents cherish their children so much that they’ll try their best to give everything to their children; they’ll never let their children suffer from anything. So their children are spoiled. They think they could live a good life in the future without efforts because of their wealthy or powerful parents.
As a matter of fact, this article points out some problems that really calls for our deep thought. Chinese culture is so different from western culture, so we have to make every effort to understand each other and respect cultural tradition of each other. On that basis, we can communicate with each other and promote common development well. In modern times, we Chinese can’t close our door to seek self-sufficient. Return to our subject, we college students should try our best to improve our English for English has become more and more important in the modern world. Accordingly, it’s pleasant to obtain the opportunity to communicate with each other in English in so comfortable circumstance and to listen to our foreign teacher. Anyone insisting to study English will definitely have to eat his own bitter fruit.
In China, education is a competitive good. We are ranked by our exam grades since we receive education. Students with worse marks have little chances to go to college. In other words, those who are able to study in this university have good remarks (who are called good students) or have a good father. I believe those who can study in this university through his own effort are reachable and teachable.
I remember Bill Gates once said that the best way to change the situation of poverty was to ensure everyone’s chance of education. I cannot agree with him any more not only because education can bring with us better job but also because it can change our perspective of this world. It enables us more power to change our living circumstances. I think this is the most important. If our spirits is still inanition, No matter how much money we possess, we will not live a quality life. So that we are the lucky ones to be here, we have no excuse to refuse study.
Unfortunately, the phenomenon told in the article is one of the matters exits in our universities. I have seen many students did very well in the high school, but when they become university students they behaved in a completely way: Usually, in the nighttime they played games on the internet or watched flims till very late even all-night and in the daytime they slept in class when they were considered to be attaching themselves to the class actively. They never care about the marks and whether they have acquired some knowledge or other abilities. Their only goal is getting a diploma because they think their parents have arrange everything for them and promise them a bright future. In my opinion, this is their tragedy, and the universities’ and the society’s tragedy, too. To change that, the most important thing is to change their attitudes and guide them to embark on a correct way, but it’s really hard!
The stories told in this article are so sad. I don’t want to be that kind of students. There are so many frustrations in life, but I don’t want to be a loser. Being depressed only make things worse. We have to make our own choice and take responsibility.
It is normal that there are some unreachable and unteachable students in class, I think. We can not require everyone to follow in the same orientation. As mention in this article, someone has a powerful father, and he doesn’t want to study. Maybe he is wrong in our eyes, but it is his choice.
However, English is and will always be important, I can’t agree more. And I will catch every opportunity to improve it.
That reveals some of the problems of the present education system,which has come under careful scrutiny.Many Chinese families are constantly making every effort to choose a excellent school for the children.It was common to see anxious parents taking their children to schools for the entrance examinations.Subsequently,it seems the parents that choose the school, but not the students.
Chinese parents send the children to the school for the puppose of seeing them succeed in life. But the majority of the students aim at entering the the schools that are widely approved by society,without awaring of cultivating themselves to be qualified personnel.The equation of attending a excellent university with being educatied well can be dangerous.
A diploma of a university doesn’t mean everything. From my personal view of point, the essence of education lies not only within the classroom, but also outside the campus. On one hand, to pass all the examinations set for the student is a respond to the tuition fee as well as the time spent in the university. On the other hand, to experience a life away from family in the campus is more important. We need an education (Diploma) to knock the door of our career, but it doesn’t mean all of us have deep affection for academic studying. I would like to look on this kind of education as a duty. I finish the education because I want to be a responsible guy not because I want to be the outstanding person. However, although I show a loose attitude towards university education, I do reject those who are lazing away his life in the campus. That’s what really educated idiots!
When some of my classmates go abroad for studying, they have the mutual feeling that the foreign universities are easy to be admitted but relatively hard to obtain the diploma. Strict rules but loose environment .but in China, more and more college student fined it is difficult to get a job after graduation, why? In my opinion, first, it dues to the expanding policy to relief the stress of the unemployment, second, it is the college student who should review himself what he have done during college years.
Firstly,The persons above are persatic.Not to mention that the importance of english.They have no idea about responsibility and autonomy.
Secondly,in my opinion,The whole Chinese educational system is totally wrong,including college and highschool.What is the most importance of the education.Good job,high paid,getting into the goverment and so on.
These are not the correct answer.The basic skill of living is just a part of the education.
Thirdly,i believe beyond any doubt that the power of english is huge.I could not say a man without english would live worse,but english would absolutely benefit your future!
I think it is their lost. To me, I always think it is my honor to be a student in ZHONGSHAN university. I take a whole year to enter this university. I will not so stupid to waste such a good opportunity and my youth. But sometimes, we may make a mistake. At that moment, we want to be forgive by others. We don’t want to find excuse for us, but we need a chance to make an apology. I will do my best to learn English, not for others but myself.
Yes ,It is sad indeed to watch any misguided student pursue a path of self-destruction.In China, Education model is difficultly to enter universities,but easily to graduate,which contrary to the education mode of western countries. This mode of education leads to many excellent students become very degenerate in the universities. Because these students know that whether they study carefully or not can get a diploma. Therefore, in some degree, it can be said that study in universities destroys some people’s lifes
There are many students count on their parents. Our education system do have many flaws. Because when you enter a college, teacher will try their best to give a diploma. If you don’t make a great mistake , you will receive the paper. But for people who really care their future or grass-root, they try their best to absorb the knowledge. And take advantage of the education resource.
I know that there are a lot of college student lack of self-discipline after they enter into the college. They don’t go to class and don’t care about their future. They can get a government job after gtaduation because of their families’ network. A lot of Chinese students lack of ambitions and don’t do effort to realize their dreams. This isn’t a good thing to China.
If you’ve done your best to change their attitude and save their lives, you don’t need to blame yourself. Nobody can save one person but himself. The one who gives up his life is not worth being saved. They won’t be the country’s future and will definitely be abandoned by the society.
I agree that some students are not willing to attend class, but the number is little. Most of us are willing to attend class. Some subjects are finished in short time, I can’t understand them well. Many of us choose to study hard when the final examination season is coming. Some universities don’t provide the second exam for passing. I feel that our students are too impatient. Some of us may treat the university as place to receive a certificate for job but not a place for studying.