Other Rivers Quotes

“The system also maximized parental support while minimizing input to effectively zero. Parents were discouraged from entering the front gate, with the occasional exception of photographers or others with special business. On WeChat, Mamas and Babas busily engaged in fee collecting and other administrative duties, and they exchanged thousands of messages about homework, uniforms, and virtually every other topic under the sun. But I never saw a parent post advice for Teacher Zhang. There were no suggestions, no complaints, and no criticisms. The school’s message was clear: We are in charge.”
― Peter Hessler, Other Rivers: A Chinese Education

“Freedom wasn't only the right to say and write things without fear of repercussions. It was also the ability to determine your own relationship to your country, your identity, and your past.”
― Peter Hessler, Other Rivers: A Chinese Education

“Students countered by covering the gooey bars with paper or cloth, and sometimes they wore cheap disposable gloves that were ordered online and delivered by the robots.”
― Peter Hessler, Other Rivers: A Chinese Education