Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon?: Why China Has the Best (and Worst) Education System in the World

by Yong Zhao

The secrets behind China's extraordinary educational system – good, bad, and ugly Chinese students' consistently stunning performance on the international PISA exams― where they outscore students of all other nations in math, reading, and science―have positioned China as a world education leader. American educators and pundits have declared this a "Sputnik Moment," saying that we must learn from China's education system in order to maintain our status as an education leader and global superpower. Indeed, many of the reforms taking hold in United States schools, such as a greater emphasis on standardized testing and the increasing importance of core subjects like reading and math, echo the Chinese system. We're following in China's footsteps―but is this the direction we should take? Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon? by award-winning writer Yong Zhao offers an entertaining, provocative insider's account of the Chinese school system, revealing the secrets that make it both "the best and worst" in the world. Born and raised in China's Sichuan province and a teacher in China for many years, Zhao has a unique perspective on Chinese culture and education. He explains in vivid detail how China turns out the world's highest-achieving students in reading, math, and science―yet by all accounts Chinese educators, parents, and political leaders hate the system and long to send their kids to western schools. Filled with fascinating stories and compelling data, Who's Afraid of the Big Bad Dragon? offers a nuanced and sobering tour of education in China.

Genres: Education, China, Nonfiction, Politics, Cultural, Sociology

272 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Yong Zhao is a Foundation Distinguished Professor in the School of Education, with a courtesy appointment in the School of Business, at the University of Kansas. He is also a global chair in education at East China Normal University. He previously served as the presidential chair and director of the Institute for Global and Online Education in the College of Education, University of Oregon, where he was also a professor in the Department of Educational Measurement, Policy, and Leadership. Prior to Oregon, Yong Zhao was University Distinguished Professor at the College of Education, Michigan State University, where he also served as the founding director of the Center for Teaching and Technology and executive director of the Confucius Institute as well as the US-China Center for Research on Educational Excellence. His works focus on the implications of globalization and technology on education. He has published over 100 articles and 30 books.

Reviews

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of standardized testing and I know that China scores well on tests. I know the United States does not score as high and we have implemented standardized testing in our schools. (I am so glad I'm not in school anymore and so glad I don't have kids in school right now.)

With that limited bit of knowledge, I read this book. The author - Yong Zhao - definitely has an agenda. Throughout this book, over and over again, he reiterates that standardized testing is the result of an authoritarian regime which fosters obedience and rote memorization but stifles creativity and independent thought. He argues against the testing we have in the US as the beginning of a WORSE educational system, fearing that our future generations will lose the passion, drive, creative thinking, and improvisation necessary to succeed in our modern world.

There were definitely some good points brought up here; however, I felt like he was hammering this opinion over and and over and over again relentlessly. It was very much like a thesis - here is my stand and here are the important reasons my stand is correct. He dislikes PISA and the people involved in PISA but as I don't have any children I really don't understand our testing system completely and it was never fully explained.

I'm wiser for having read the book, but I have so many unanswered questions about the Chinese educational system still and our own educational system that it can't be a be-all end-all book for me. (It was a very quick, very easy read that seemed to just touch the surface of the subject.)

[Ellie Dottie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was super interesting, it changed my mind on education and the ways to cultivate creativity!

[Gemma · Rating 5 out of 5]

An interesting consideration of how history, culture, economic growth, politics and policy impact education, education systems and student learning and skill acquisition. Definitely an insight into the thoughts and approaches to education in a China, which is very helpful and useful for international school teachers teaching here.

I'd be interested in reading alternative view points and extensions of these views on Chinese education systems. Any recommendations?

[Lyndsae Benton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Had it not been for a class assignment, I certainly would never have chosen to read this book. But I really feel like I learned some important history, and the book made me ask myself questions that I am still grappling with. I suppose that is the mark of good nonfiction — it makes us think and continue thinking long after the book is back on the shelf.

[Jonna Higgins-Freese · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting case study about what happens when you use standardized testing as a gatekeeper for access to power and privilege: not much good. The books helps to reframe the often-adulatory tone of writing about China's educational system: "The belief that the Chinese attach high values to education is widespread in the United States . . . [this is] an illusion at best and a cruel glorification of authoritarianism at worst. The Chinese people were deprived of any other means to succeed in life, both spiritually and materially. Their only option was to pass the exams dictated by the absolute authority -- emperors in the past and the government today. When people are convinced that there are no worthy options to pursue in life except the narrow path prescribed by an authoritarian government, they are forced to comply, accept indoctrination, and be homogenized. " (8)

Zhao argues that China had developed compasses and many of the other technologies that supported the industrial revolution as early as the 14th century, yet they did not create the industrial revolution, Zhao argues, due to the testing system, which "[diverted] curious geniuses from learning mathematics and conducting controllable experiments" (36-37).

Zhao further argues that the testing system allowed the emperor to find functionaries who could help administer the empire without unduly promoting those from rival families -- decisions were made on merit versus heredity, preventing rivals from building up power over generations (38).

Zhao raises a lot of concerns about the PISA data and argues that China produces students who are good at solving set problems in predetermined ways, but not at solving complex or unbounded problems. He also argues that the Chinese education system is all about social control -- but completely misses the fact that every education system is about social control.

[Shannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic read and it really affirmed my beliefs as a teacher and our approach to learning in the IB.
Zhao does a really good job at explaining why the PISA scores are meaningless in determining the effectiveness of an education system.

I was shocked to realise that with China's huge population, they have never, not even once received a Nobel prize!

I was also surprised to learn that The Chinese government has tried to reform the education system. Apparently it is illegal for there to be homework in primary school, that there should be only two tests given to student per term and many other excellent initiatives. The problem is, no one follows them. The parents don't want the reform, schools want to please the parents, the inspectors want their children at the best schools so they bribe the schools to have their children attend in exchange for a positive inspection. The corruption is rampant.

[T.l. Harris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zhao provides an at times compelling, at times simplistic, analysis of the Chinese education system and the lessons it provides for the west. In short, Zhao argues that the incentive structure of the Chinese education system dis-incentivizes the sort of innovative thinking needed for a 21st century society and economy while incentivizing cheating, corruption, and submission to authority. It's a thesis that goes against the grain of modern American thinking about education, and one I have a lot of sympathy with. That said, his causal analysis and research of evidence is at times quite weak, often citing sources without fully detailing them and their links to his argument. A worthwhile topic to study, but one in need of a more definitive text.

[J.M. Varner · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for understanding and assessing the non-Western origins of the 'Standards' movement and associated Testing that has overtaken American K-12 schooling in the past 2 decades, especially since NCLB ("No Child Left Behind").

[William · Rating 4 out of 5]

While the book is too short to really prove it's point, the point is a good one. Actually, two points: testing is fraught with peril, and China's history has a strong grip on the present culture.

High-stakes testing seems to mesmerize the public, many governments, and consequently many people who manage educational systems. I agree with Zhao on the deficiencies of the PISA testing. It only evaluates a few areas, and seems to not include the same questions for each group of students tested. The problem with high stakes testing most often lies in the construction of the tests themselves, and I have yet to see a test of comparative learning outcomes (including the SAT) which is convincing.

The second point is new to me and convincing. China apparently has always been a top-down society with particular rigidity, and at least to some extent, being a citizen under the communist regime has a lot of similarities to having lived under any of the emperors. China is, as Zhou points out, particularly obsessed with ranking things (I work in college admissions, and this is certainly visible there), which makes a plausible explanation for the national obsession with prestige brands.

I also tend to agree with Zhou that authoritarian control of educational systems brings less good results, and inevitably places a premium on rote memory. After centuries of experience, no one really knows what works best in education, but the answer is clearly not rigidity.

I work with a number of Chinese students in the college admission process, and certainly do not see the lack of originality and creativity which Zhao describes. However, most of these students are in schools with access to a Western curriculum, so they are not typical of students in China. Their families typically decide early in the child's life that they need to abandon the Chinese public system, which the parents almost always remember with distaste.

While I enjoyed reading this and found it worthwhile, i agree with other readers that Zhou's case is more often stated than proved, though perhaps it cannot be proved. The book is a bit shrill and repetitious, but it's case is well worth making. I agree with the readers who say that fans of outcome testing should read it. High-stakes testing and college rankings have done a lot of harm, and undercut the consideration of education in terms of a broader range of values.

[Muhammad Algifari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Buku ini membahas bagaimana julukan China sebagai raksasa ekonomi atau "the next superpower" sangat kontradiktif jika kita sandingkan dengan sejarah politik, budaya hingga sistem pendidikan yang mereka jalani sekarang, yaitu: masih bergaya Otoriterisme

Saya kurang menyukai 3 bab pertama karena membahas sejarah politik China dari Dinasti Qing hingga menjadi seperti sekarang. Namun, saya rasa inti menarik dari buku ini adalah bagaimana gaya Otoriterisme China di bidang pendidikan sebenarnya sangat menghambat perkembangan sains dan inovasi China kedepan.

Iya, China (spesifiknya Shanghai) menduduki peringkat pertama sebagai negara dengan sistem pendidikan "terbaik" menurut PISA. NAmun, Zhong juga membahas mengapa PISA tidak cocok dijadikan standar untuk mengukur sistem pendidikan negara, berikut dengan kontroversi metode statistik yang digunakan PISA hingga relevansi katagori ujian PISA (Sains Literasi dan Matematika) yang dinilai terlalu ketinggalan untuk dijadikan standar kesusksesan pendidikan suatu negara.

Zhong beralasan 3 hal mengapa realitas pendidikan China tidak seindah julukan "superpower" maupun "pendidikan terbaik"-nya:

1) Sistem pendidikan terbaik China (menurut PISA), hanya ilusi semata. Tidak bisa hanya diukur di Shanghai saja. Lagi pula, Shanghai berada di psosisi top hanya pada tahun 2009 plus kontroversi pengambilan data PISA menjadikan sistem pendidikan terbaik China dipertanyakan

2) Dibawah sistem pendidikan bergaya otokrasi, China gagal memerdekakan siswa dan sekolahnya untuk menghasilkan inovasi dan perubahan nyata bagi China. Ini dibuktikan dengan kualitas inovasi dan paten sains yang minim hingga kurangnya enterpreuneur yang membawa china pada perubahan yang masif.

3) Ilusi pendidikan ini, semata dihasilkan dari kuatnya budaya kerja keras di China. Siswa memiliki jam belajar yang padat, stress dan hanya berorientasi pada ujian/nilai. Ini diperparah dengan budaya parenting dan masyarakat China yang sangat menyuburkan skema: kerja keraslah (belajar) maka kamu akan diterima di universitas bagus, mendapat jabatan kerja yang bagus, dan dihormati di mata masyarakat.

Sistem ini tampak baik2 saja, tapi menurut Zhong, sejarah China telah membuktikan bagaimana sistem pendidikan otokrasi China ini nyatanya telah membunuh kreativitas dan kebebasan yang merupakan roh dari inovasi.

Zhong seolah mengakhiri, di era sekarang dan MAsa depan, Siapa takut dengan Naga yang gagah perkasa (who's afraid of big dragon?--yaitu China)? Tidak ada, karena naga tersebut, nyatanya, hanya sebatas DULU pernah sangar di atas lembar sejarah Kuno. Hanya sangar dalam bayangan, tapi tidak benar2 nyata.


Rating asli: 8.1/10

[Jean Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book, Zhao traces the history, successes, and failures of the Chinese educational system and issues a warning that the United States should NOT emulate the Chinese system. The author works up to the present and shares his thoughts about the deficiencies of the PISA test (and the overapplication of its results) in the final chapter. If you are specifically interested in the Chinese system, read this book. If you’d like to examine U.S. educational policy through a broader lens, I recommend reading another book by Zhao, What works may hurt, in which he describes Asian educational systems but also presents summaries of research on several other educational paradigms and initiatives.

“Chinese education produces excellent test scores, a short-term outcome that can be achieved by rote memorization and hard work, but…it does not produce a citizenry of diverse, creative, and innovative talent…If Western countries successfully adopt China’s education model and abandon their own tradition of education, they may see their standing rise on international tests, but they will lose what has made them modern: creativity, entrepreneurship, and a genuine diversity of talents” (28).
“To cultivate new talents, we need an education that enhances individual strengths, follows children’s passions, and fosters their social-emotional development. We do not need an authoritarian education that aims to fix children’s deficits according to externally prescribed standards” (10).
“In no way can China serve as the model for the future. In fact, we don’t yet have a model that will meet the needs of a global future.
We will have to invent one” (189).

[Summer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an interesting book with intriguing thesis. Easy to read but not long enough to elaborate on more related points. I feel like the author is trying a little bit too hard to shovel the idea that “Chinese education system is closely related to the authoritarian ruling system” into the reader’s face.

Being a person who has experienced typical Chinese education until high school, I barely agree with many points the author makes. I am not unaware of the serious issues of Chinese education system, yet I think that the author only includes the arguments favor his opinions. I wish the author can mention that the currently Chinese education system is probably the most “fair” education system. As he mentions, “everyone is equal before the scores.” With the huge population and limited education resources (China only had a few decades to improve its education quality), gaokao is still the best and the most widely acceptable way for Chinese students, at least in my opinion.

This is still a worth-reading book if you are looking for books that can give you a taste of the Chinese education system. I found the author’s analysis extremely intriguing. However, this book should never be one’s sole resource while learning about China.

[Isaiah Ledesma · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book follows China's authoritarian culture and how it affects the education system and its values. It explores government and education starting from 600 AD to modern day. This book closely follows the government because government reforms also lead to education reforms. The book discusses how the top school in China functions and how it affects the area around the school. The book explores various problems with the education system including homogenization, fraud and westernization. I really found this book interesting and I definitely learned a lot about Chinese culture. I thought the book would explain more about how the education system works and facts about it, but I found that in when more in depth in describing how education is in China. I would recommend this book to those who are interested in learning about other cultures and education.

[Deydra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall, great insight into the strengths and struggles of China's educational system.

The author argues that Confucian values and authoritarianism have led Chinese students to score the highest in international standardized testing (PISA), but that these same values have crushed innovation/creativity in Chinese students, and consequently, in Chinese society.

I would have liked some comparison between Japanese and Chinese educational systems. Japan (also a top scorer on PISA) shares China's Confucian values and has an authoritative/imperialist history, but has achieved a great deal of innovation post-war.

Ultimately, it's a cautionary tale for the U.S. about the dangers of obsessing over standardized testing results, and even further, over a recent obsession with STEM.

[Frank Calberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Takeaways from reading the book:

How is the way, which education is done in China, developing?
- Location 300: In education in China, much effort is devoted to memorization of information as well as preparing for and doing tests. Strong focus is put on homogeneous thinking, discipline, obedience and compliance.
- Locations 1850 and 2100: As part of opening up and learning from people around the world, Deng Xiaoping encouraged, in 1978, Chinese people to study overseas. It was also around this time that Chinese leaders began to acknowledge the power of science and technology. In 2006, China replaced the United Kingdom as the 2nd largest producer of scientific papers published in English.
- Location 2600: The most damaging effect of Chinese education is its effectiveness in eliminating individual differences, suppressing intrinsic motivation, and imposing conformity.
- Location 3400: Chinese education was designed to select servants for the emperor. The emperor demanded obedient individuals with homogeneous knowledge and skills. A role of educational institutions was to suppress creativity and diversity. Today, the Communist party has replaced the emperor, and education still serves the same basic purpose: To prepare and select workers for the party and the state.
- Location 3850: The author contrasts employee-oriented education with entrepreneur-oriented education and indicates that more entrepreneur-oriented education is needed in China. In other words, more needs to be done to maximize individual differences, to listen to the passions and interests that each person / student has, and work for variation, diversity, tolerance, autonomy, and student-driven education. Education needs to support individual talents to a larger degree, the author writes. In this regard, personalized education, which promotes diversity and creativity, is needed. More needs to done to engage children in global interactions, foster their social-emotional development and inspire innovation.

How did the keju system in China strengthen hierarchy in China?
- Location 900: In the Tang dynasty and in the Song dynasty, which lasted until 1279, the keju system - an exam administration system - was responsible for the continuity and antiquity of Chinese civilization. More than 2,000 years ago, government officials in the Han dynasty were selected through the keju system. In the keju system, exams were open to all male residents, regardless of family background, age, or years of studying. Any male person, who was good at performing at tests, could become a part of the ruling elite. Thereby, the keju system became an effective measure for social mobility in an otherwise hierarchical, dictatorial society. Because of its apparent fairness, objectivity, and openness, the keju system gave birth to the idea of meritocracy, a core value in China and other Eastern countries such as Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. The keju system is said to be the 5th great invention of China - along with gunpowder, the compass, paper, and movable type.
- Location 1000: As the population was diverted from pursuing anything that would challenge the Confucian orthodoxy and, hence, the imperial order, curious individuals were diverted from learning, for example, mathematics and conducting controlled experiments. This blocked new discoveries.
- Location 2400: Due to the hierarchically organized society, which has developed in China over many years, government officials hoping to be promoted work hard to please their superiors. In addition, the Confucian tradition of piety and loyalty, which is deeply rooted in Chinese culture, dictates absolute obedience to authority - be it the father, government official or emperor. When a higher level official expresses a desire, lower level officials adopt it as an order and pass it on to their subordinates. Few people have the courage to question an order commanded by a person, who is placed higher in a hierarchy.
- Location 2650: For thousands of years, government jobs have been valued as the only respectable jobs in China. There is a tremendous pressure and competition for people to do the tests so well that they get these government jobs. In 2013, 1.5 million people competed for approximately 20,000 government positions. The strongly authoritarian society organized around the Confucian philosophy means that value in China is always positional - established by comparison to other persons, places, or things. The hierarchy is used to distribute everything from power, authority, and compensation to the location of one's seat at a dinner table.

Where were experiments first done to test private enterprise in China?
Location 1350: Wenzhou in the southeastern Zhejiang province was among the first hotbeds of private enterprise in China. Wenzhou became a model and experiment field for the new economy. Experiments were done first by farmers. Then people in professions started trying new things out.

The creative work by people was supported by Deng Xiaoping, a reform minded leader. This allowed people to be more free and try out their own ideas. For example, farmers started setting up shops - selling what they produced and producing what people needed. Farmers also began venturing into new markets - making and selling other things that people needed. For example, farmers started making and selling clothes, shoes, as well as household supplies.

The result: The GDP of Wenzhou grew 200 times from 1978 to 2009.

[Lifelong Reader - Lifelong Learner · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this book is a bit redundant with the main argument ("standardized testing is bad"), the historical overview of Chinese education and political systems provides fascinating insights for someone who is interested in understanding a bit more of how Chinese culture and history impact current educational norms and trends. Of particular interest was the history of the "keju" test over 1300 years as well as the chapter (3?) on the economy.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fine thesis, but kind of disappointing because I didn't see much that was new to me. It would have been fine as just an article. The middle section is a superficial history of China, with a detour about China's bad patent system.

I actually agree with everything that's here, but since I didn't learn anything new, and I can't think of how this book would convince anyone who is encountering the material for the first time, it's hard to recommend.

[Jackie Becher · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book that outlines the history of education in China and explains the culture surrounding the importance of education. Provides insight and recommendations for Western, English speaking countries to carefully reflect before adopting ideals and practices of China, as to how they fit into world views and the future of the education.
Highly recommend for anyone living and working in China!

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is written from the perspective of a Chinese educator which makes it all the more interesting to read how honestly critical they are. However, all of what they say is backed up with historical and current evidence and reasoning. I’ve taught in China for 6 years and this book still surprised me with some of what it described

[Yury Lyandres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Интересно читать сравнение китайской и "западной" моделей образования, имея представление о модели российской.

[Tamara26 · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good education must go beyond just score a lot.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Efficient evisceration of the modernn Chinese education system and the PISA scoring system, with a good bit of history.

[Vi]

More popular history books should be like this. (instead of just a chronology of things that happened)
I also enjoyed the narrator doing a British accent when reading quotes.

[petey pablo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I'm currently coaching debate to high schoolers in Shanghai. In addition to critical thinking, logic, and speaking skills, I stress creativity and let the students decide what arguments they want to run and try not to stifle their imagination.

The jist of this book is: Authoritarianism stifles creativity and diversity. This seems self-evident but the implications in American education and Chinese education are really important though.

The two thousand year old history of imperial China remains in the modern Chinese education system. The 'keju' examination system is at the crux of China's problem. It builds obedience when innovation is needed.

Hu Jintao called for "harmony and innovation" but these two are at odds with each other. When you stress harmony, you prefer static peace. True innovation necessarily has a big impact on the status quo.

This book is about the history of Chinese education and why it's bad for the modern world. If you're interested in Chinese education, read this book.

China has tried (off and on) for the past century to utilize the lessons of Western education and recently (mainly due to PISA scores), many Western politicians and educators (including Obama and the Secretary of Education) want to follow some models of what Shanghai China is doing. The author exhorts the US to absolutely not follow the lead of China in this.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another important book my Goodreads friends should try.

China and especially Shanghai are being lauded as a model for US education. The test scores of select Chinese schools are awesome, but their education system still sucks. The author gives a brief rundown of Chinese politics for 2000 years and how those philosophies led to their current education system.

The single person doing the most damage to education in Utah, State Senator Howard Stephenson, visited Shanghai in recent months. He praised their system multiple times during the 2015 legislative session. This book explains why imitating Chinese education is damaging to students and will actually damage our economy and culture.

The writing does get a bit repetitive in places, but the ideas and information are very important. For a shorter, more focused read, you could read the first chapter, and then skip 2/3 of the book about the history of the "merit" testing system over millenia in China. You could read the last few chapters about how misunderstanding of how and why China scores well on standardized tests is leading American so-called reformers to damaging conclusions.

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's unfortunate that the people that should be reading this book are our politicians and policy makers and they will most likely never even see a reference to its existence. Why would anyone in the position of power want to acknowledge the content of the real facts that are laid out in this work when they can align themselves with the corporate interests that are destroying the U.S. Educational system. The points that are made in this book are spot on, but they are going to reverberate through the echo chamber of anti educational progress and die on the vine. Real facts and real data are reserved for educators that know the difference but will never have the chance to voice their opinions on a stage where the public will actually listen. No doubt this book is what people need to hear, but it's not going to make an impact on what really is the problem in education. I might be cynical here but I have been teaching for 25 years and I do not see any meaningful changes on the horizon in the immediate future.

[Sean Kottke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zhao provides good historical context for understanding why the Chinese education system is the way it is, as well as an overview of efforts to reform it. The book lays out an ironic international shift: Western nations romanticizing and emulating core elements of an authoritarian educational system while China struggles (mostly unsuccessfully) to rid itself of some of those very elements by emulating Western education ideals. There are some ivory tower generalizations of American education that are overly simplistic (and occasionally mistaken) that may call into question the veracity of the book's generalizations about China, and I think Zhao conflates "surpassing Shanghai" with "mimicking Shanghai" a bit much. Still, there are some critiques of PISA that should give one pause and other serious observations on the (un?)intended consequences of the accountability movement that make it a worthwhile addition to the ed reform literature.

[Jerry M · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a short and easy to read book. I felt title and the description were misleading. This book is more about China and the Chinese people than Chinese education. I don't know if we really needed to know as much about the Chinese emperors and the imperial system. The author seems to blame the problems with Chinese education on the old system of tests. Still to an American reader who reads all sorts of praises about Shanghai, this books gives a good counter-argument. We cannot judge Chinese education on the basis of a few PISA tests, and we cannot use the carrot and stick approach of high stakes testing to improve American education.

After reading this I get a very sad feeling about the rigidity of Chinese thinking. China is both ready for the future in that it has a large class of educated young people and not ready because those people have been trained to view education as a series of check boxes and not as a lifelong goal.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very important read for any educator! It should be required. As an international educator in China I have been very interested in the PISA results, not because Chinese people talk about them, but because the Western education seems use it as an indicator to change. Which is such an odd statement for a country with no Nobel prizes in math or chemistry, and no world changing Steve Jobs(s). They have FANTASTIC test takers. That's about it right now. Zhao does an excellent job of telling us why, and sort of leaves it as obvious that what we need is creative, entrepreneurial, and innovative students. Not rote learners.

[Phil Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating insight into the history of the Chinese educational system. Zhao warns the West against the idolization of China's perceived educational successes, and illustrates the paradox of a nation that understands the need for change, but is unable or unwilling enact it.