Asian Cram Schools
Academy Of Global Studies Grace Mallory
Image courtesy of IORemix
Contents
Parents wait anxiously for their kids to finish the Chinese college entrance exam known as gaokao. Image courtesy of Ernie.
1. Introduction......4 2. History................6 3. Cram School Education......8 Takato Marui
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China.........8 Korea.........9 Japan..........11 Taiwan.......12 India...........13
5. Cram Schools as the Cause of Stressful School Environments.....14 6. The Mental and Physical Effects of Cram Schools.....16 7. Conclusion........20
Bryce Adams
Introduction
D
uring the past two decades, cram school education has restructured most school curriculums, their instructional materials, and administrative practices in Asian countries such as China, South Korea, and Japan. In some instances, Asian education adopts pedagogy along Western lines (in an attempt to succeed at the U.S. college acceptance process). But cram school methods are overwhelmingly endorsed in Asia as the only way to satisfy the Asian college application process. Although a book such as, The Changing Role of Schools in Asian Societies, by Kerry J. Kennedy and John Chi-Kin Lee, raises concerns about the high-pressure nature of cram schooling practiced in Asia, its authors also admit that cram schools replicate the social, economic and political requirements of Asian societies. Kennedy and Lee argue against the cram school model, while also recognizing that the global ‘knowledge economy’ has added extra importance to the need of being
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familiar with a vast amount of broadly outlined information. For this reason alone it appears that the cram methodology has a strong hold over the manner in which the purpose of education and the nature of learning is viewed in Asia. In the United States, cram education is viewed by some as an alternative to the Western system. For those who no longer truly value the worth of critical thinking and individualistic learning,
"For those who no longer truly value the worth of critical thinking and individualistic learning, Cram learning makes sense."
Cram learning makes sense. Parents who wish to push their children beyond the Western focus of nurturing a child’s self-esteem and individuality send their children to cram schools. It is also seen by some parents as a necessity for meeting goals such as achieving good marks or passing entrance exams. Despite the problems, the global phenomenon of cram schools rises in popularity. Heightened levels of student stress and anxiety often damage peer
trust and student self-confidence. Some students form friendships with the intention of securing academic help. The level of competition reinforces a system of grade grubbing that denies intellectual curiosity and other skills of scholarship associated with creativity. Students do not have the incentive or the time to investigate more thoroughly a subject they find interesting or exciting. Cram schools are particularly guilty for enforcing social, psychological and organizational norms that drive imagination out from the learning experience. Here, three important questions can be raised: Why are cram schools spreading into countries like the U.S., where creative thinking is valued as a learning asset? How do cram schools affect adolescent mental health? Should knowledge of facts or experiences be encouraged?
Image courtesy of Ginko Maps
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In China, prayers to Confucious are tied on a wooden fra is wishing that his or her child will get a gold medal honor
History Behind Cram Schools Siyuant
China, Korea, and Taiwan
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n the Continent of East Asia, much of the beginnings of the education system was rooted in the people’s desire to move up in social status. Scholastic aptitude has been prized in China, Korea, and Taiwan since as far as 500 B.C.E. According to Mr. Chi-hou Chan’s Historical and cultural background of education in China, the heart of China’s education system is based on the civil service exam known as the keju first introduced by the Tang Dynasty in 618-896 A.D with little changes over the years. The reward for pasing the exam was status as state official or placement in a governmental position; a practice continued until the years of the Qing Dynasty. The exam iteslf was
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presented at three levels in which there is the xiucai, juern, and jinshi, in which jinshi was the highest. The exam was based on the Chinese classics and Confucious teachings with a guaranteed passing rate of two percent. Candidates often suffered through stress and some even commited suicide as they were view as a disgrace of the family when having failed. Many men repeatedly took the exam even until agedness in an effort to pass. From the Economist’s report, The other arms race, Korea’s education roots can be traced back to the years of the Choson dynasty. Koreans, as well, took a civil service examination to gain entry to the privileged yangban class, or the scholarly airstocracy. The pursuit of education was strengthened during the Japanese colonial rule and after the Korean War in 1950-1953 many people wanted to succeed. With governmental encouragement, Koreas attending
ame beside the shrine. One r roll on the 2015 gaokao. private university reached 84 percent n 2008.
Qiu Ying
Like Korea, Taiwan’s cultural emphasis on education was enforced by Japanese colonialization. Changes in political political power, left Taiwanese people to struggle with their national identity when given examinations by foreign rulers. Evolving social ideas, eventually, led the Taiwanese to reject other educational idealologies and create its own education system discussed in Tu Cheng-sheng’s Taiwan’s Educational Reform and the Future of Taiwan.
Japan Under Colombia University, Education of Japan: Past and Present discusses the modern education system of Japan which is founded in Western models. During the 250 years before the Edo period, the country was isolated and had public education for the samurai warrior class, private academies for all social classes, learning houses for commoners, and apprenticships for merchant and technician workers. Education in Japan as been largely secular and for the benefit of national unity and consciousness.
India From a Brief History of Education in India by V.A. Ponmelil, the beginnings of India’s education began with Gurukuls, where traditional Hindu residential schools of learning occured in a teacher’s house or monastery. Due to British rule in the 20th century, the traditional education of India, which comprised of arithmetic, theology, law, astronomy, metaphysics, ethics, medical science, and religion was destroyed.
A photo of the Indian Insitute of Technology courtesy of Bryn Pinzgauer.
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The Variety of Cram School Education in East Asia Cram Schools in China
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ecause achievement is decidedly autocratic in Chinese schools, pressure to succeed and cut-throat competition are major causes of cram school popularity. Due to the difficulty of the exams, some parents send their children as young as 6 years old to attend classes that prepare them for the National Higher Education Entrance Examination, also known as, gaokao.
With so much importance placed on these exams, students who do not pass can be left without a chance to attend university and a jobless future. The family disappointment of such unfortunate students can be compared to receiving the news of a catastrophic illness or the sudden death of a loved one.
In 2006, 9 million students took the exam, with only 5 million being accepted to college. Recently, many Chinese students are pursuing higher education abroad. Due to the high rates of stress and failure, a large percentage of students seek education abroad in the hope of finding an acceptable university to attend and job after graduation. According to Brook Larmer, writer for the New York Times, there are two versions of the exam: science and humanities. But the actual gaokao is a modern version of the keju, which is the world’s first standardized test dating back 1,300 years ago
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Reuters
A billboard stands promoting ‘star tutors’ , which are cram school teachers who are idolized as celebrities. Image courtesy of Ohconfucious
Korean Model
Hagwons'
Business
In 2011, the South Korean government passed laws forbidding students from attending classes past 10 p.m (see image to the right). But pressure to achieve and score above the average may not be enough in Korea. The culture of Korean education is determined by the expectation of securing the highest paying jobs. Bryce Adams’ experience as a hagwon teacher challenged my perspective of cram schools, but also confirmed much of my research. Seen from his view, family culture is a main factor that influences the student’s choice of attending hagwons. According to Mr. Adams, Korean Reuters
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Main Cat
students who do not study at hagwons will have fewer economic prospects than those who enroll and score well. The difference is, according to him, much greater than a student in the United States who scores high on the SAT. There is virtually no chance for a Korean student to go to a university and work at a high-paying job, if they do not first attend hagwons. The competition is just too great. The “testing and achievement culture� Mr. Adams believes derives from the poverty Korea experienced 35 years ago. Hagwons are viewed as the key to success because Korea has emerged as a major global supplier of advanced technology. Characteristics that made the hagwon that Mr. Adams worked at different from the majority was that some of his classes prioritized critical
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thinking, debate, and extracurricular activities, such as music and sports for the younger students. These differences are in stark contrast to other hagwon that emphasize test preparation for
"The 'testing and achievement' culture Mr. Adams believes derives from the poverty Korea experienced 35 years ago."
Shingaku Juku Shingaku juku is private tutoring to teach higher level students material that cannot be covered in an average paced high school class. Hoshujuku is a more relaxed version of shingaku with pacing of the curriculum at a slower rate. Doriru juku is even more relaxed than shingaku with self-study that is not included in hoshujuku. Due to the difficulty of the examinations, high school graduates (r么nins), enroll in shingaku for a year, or more, to study. Test preparation for gaining admittance into college can take up to two years of practice.Although shingaku students have mastered the high school curriculum, often demonstrated by very high grade point averages, they are required to take a whole different course of study to master the information tested by admission exams.
An image of multiple Japanese test exams courtesty of Genppy.
Alexia Holmes
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Taiwan's Unpopular Exam-Free University Admission System National data shows to what extent student problem-solving based on creative thinking is slowly deteriorating. The Taiwan education system is dependent upon Confucian teachings methods, which are highly autocratic. Students must exercise their choice during junior high, which then sets them on a course to take 18 examinations spread across 6 junior high school semesters. It is a system that appears too rigorous and undesirable for many Taiwanese parents. On the other hand, the traditional approach, often used in Taipei, encourages students as young as third and fourth grade to attend cram schools, which does more harm than good to these very young students. These supplementary classes take away sleep and time spent with family.
A statue of Confucious taken by Rob Web.
"The traditional approach, often used in Taipei, encourages students as young as third and fourth grade to attend cram schools." Everlong
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The Popularity of India's Academic Coaching Centers With a greater awareness of the opportunities provided by the global economy, Indian parents, also, are influenced by the desire of academic success for their children and the high-paying jobs that come with it. High-paying jobs include engineers, doctors, and lawyers; and admission to high-ranking universities whose students score top scores on the entrance exams. Many of these entrance exams, such as the CAT (Common Admission Test) are required to attend one of India’s 15 most prestigious IITs (Indian Institute of Technology) with half a million students competing for 9,600 seats, a guaranteed 98% failure rate.
Stefano Ember
A guaranteed 98% failure rate Daniel Prudek
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Cram Schools as the Cause of Stressful School Environments
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n East Asian countries, cram school systems are a form of education designed to separate “successful” from “unsuccessful” students. Standard examination and IQ test scores define the potential of student success. For complex reasons, depending on the country and culture, cram school success validates student IQ. To investigate the main motivation for attending cram school requires an understanding of intelligence to East Asian cultures. It is important to study the power cultural values (expectations for success: parental and individual) and the perceived role student
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Kris Krug
intelligence plays. These cultural preconceptions of education and intelligence create the main suppliers of stressful educational environments for students. Specifically, it is the universal need for struggling students to enroll in crash courses designed to increase their scores on standardized entrance exams that sets the curriculum for many cram school learners. My research further discovered that such a learning environment robs students of any sense of enjoyment from their learning. Rote memorization of “facts” is a laborious and boring enterprise. Learning about a new field, for example, or a new language does require familiarity with
terminology and vocabulary. However necessary rote learning often is entirely devoid of excitement and enjoyment when unaccompanied by the opportunity for creative input. On the other hand, there can be a sense of pride and accomplishment; students feel empowered when a collection of facts has been mastered. Certainly, cram schools have benefits and can drastically improve students’ test scores to make it more likely that they will enter a more advanced college or better respected institution. But for the long term, cram school priorities often deaden a student’s intellectual sense of curiosity. And yet, the proven success of cram schools for raising the level of student academic performance, deemed essential for admission to many elite schools, does make a good point. Without them, many students who are accepted would have been ineligible. Research does show that tutorial schools help many immigrant students succeed in ways, without which they would have been unable.
"...rote learning often is entirely devoid of excitement and enjoyment when unaccompanied by the opportunity for creative input. "
Image courtesy of Aaron Anderer
The Mental and Physical Effects of Cram Schools Asian Students and Study Related Stress
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ast Asian parents are stress and pressure inducers. All stress inducers and negative emotions can be applied to all students of Asian cram school learning. The expectations of these parents push students to secure a place of acceptance in first-rate colleges and successful professional careers that financially supports the whole family In East Asian cultures, parental pressure is common and widely accepted as a proper childraising technique. It often prioritizes the prestige of the family over the happiness of the child. In the Asian family structure, a child’s success is considered the success of the entire family. “Tiger Moms” data shows that one-fourth of stress related self-harm was induced by students trying to fulfill their parents’ expectations. Cram schools reinforce a system of learning that denies the joys of intelligent curiosity
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"In the Asian family structure, a child's success is considered the success of the entire family"
and the loss of enjoyment in activities that are of interest to most ambitious students. Students’ psychological stress will often leads to depression, insomnia, and sometimes suicide. Holding back from stress reliever activities, such as hobbies, art, and sports can be a major infringement on adolescents’ development and health. International surveys that compare the stress percentages of senior high students across the globe with China in the lead at 86 percent, Japan at 74.8 percent, Korea at 69 percent, and American students
at 61.7 percent. Chinese girls are especially stressed. In Chinese culture, boys are more appreciated and thus girls are more determined to be accepted. The relationship between academic success and the pressure to succeed contributes to Chinese adolescent poor mental and physical health. Bryce Adams (the teacher who worked in a Korean hagwon), expressed his concern that even though their cram school was less adamant than others, the cumulative amount of time spent in hawgon was “gruelling, kids falling asleep and 5th graders with us until 10 pm.” According to Mr. Adams’ experience, “the total number of hours was too much and not useful to learning and personal development.”
suicide and Psychological stress Surveys taken in Eastern Asian countries show higher rates where academic achievement is expected. Although incidents of suicide for cram school students are not the majority of suicide victims, the issue needs to be recognized. Especially, in cultures where stress and pressure is constantly on a student’s mind. There are
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many case studies that address school and cram school pressure and state in which ways it may be the catalyst for student suicide and deaths According to “Stress and Suicidal Ideas in Adolescent Students in Chandigarh” Arun, Priti and B. Chavan found, “suicide is considered to be the second most common cause of deaths in adolescents in high industrialized countries.” Conclusions drawn from such data suggests that there is no difference in race, gender, religion, social/economic difference, sibling, age or history of mental illness in families. There was a significant correlation between students who perceive
"... suicide is considered to be the second most common cause of deaths in adolescents in high industrialized countries."
Ernie
life as a burden and the classes they took. Data provided by Priti and Chavan also showed that 1/4 of stress and self-harm victims was related to the expectations of parents. Also in Kota, one of India’s top 10 coaching centers, 50 child suicides were reported because children felt guilty for spending their parent’s money and not being able to achieve a university acceptance score. Addressed by the China Daily, school tests have been a cause for student suicides. Based on data supplied by the Annual Report on China’s Education (2014), or the Blue Book of Education, the majority of student suicides were middle schoolers who were unable to cope with the “heavy pressure of a test-oriented education system”.
Kawing921
Students take studying to the extreme by using oxygen as an aid to concentrate.
Reuters
Conclusion Global Concerns
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ram school learning has become a global controversy. National Departments of Education now question the value of university admissions based standardized testing. The United States is an example of a country influenced by cram learning in an effort to raise student’s standardized testing scores in global education competition between advanced nations. The important skills that go untested have led many students to mistrust the freedom of creativity and personal expression that can be found in learning. The desire for succeeding
at cultivating lifelong learning skill is crushed or avoided when the final result of success is measured by rote learning. Leadership skills, collaborative projects, and goals for future learning are overlooked. Quantitate test scores have been prioritized over the ability of acquiring life-long learning skills. Cram schools induce unnecessary levels of stress along with other negative factors that damage the many lives of the world’s younger generation.
Importance of Learning
The importance of skills associated with the fun of learning is almost always extinguished when leadership, collaboration and project
based learning are eliminated. When these forms of learning are left out, what usually remains leads students to mistrust any form that does not improve “credentialism.”
The overemphasis on “credentialism” signals a danger and threatens the more democratic purpose of education. In democratic countries like the United States, learning the values of good citizenship are indispensable. The inalienable rights as set forth in the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution are essential for a nation whose people believe in liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Awareness of the many ways cram school values depreciate civic practices
should be recognized by all students, parents, and teachers in the United States. What I have intendedto show is in what other ways the limitation of student learning dedicated to only knowledge of facts curtails the student’s acquisition of knowledge.
Image courtesy of Kyle Vaughn