Say “Chinese students” and our minds quickly go to the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. Some people in the West seem to expect such an uprising to happen again soon, but that is unlikely. The students in China have a different origin and way of thinking than is necessary for an uprising and the government is doing everything it can to suppress opposing voices as quickly as possible, for example by blocking websites or removing posts on social media.
- Influence of the (grand)parents
- Influence of previous education
- Way of thinking
- Conclusion
- About the author
Chinese students who enter universities are extremely wealthy. Sometimes literally, but mainly figuratively. National Geographic reports in its May 2008 special China issue that only 11% of Chinese student-age youth attend tertiary education (college or university), compared to 64% in America. They ended up there after an eternal competition.
Influence of the (grand)parents
The parents and grandparents push the child; they put all their hope in that one child. That reality should not be underestimated. The adults around the child want nothing more than for the child to excel. Not every child has this naturally, so conflicts arise. Because of the absolute and unconditional obedience to the parents, the children cannot break away from their parents or reprimand them for their pushing behavior. It is only when they go to college that they are away from their parents physically, but not mentally. Most call home every day and some even two or three times a day. Students see no harm in this. In conversations they indicate that they want a similar relationship with their own children. Every holiday the campus is deserted (all students live on campus), because every opportunity is taken to go home.
Influence of previous education
The children are drilled during primary and secondary school. There is no room for free expression. In some schools, classes start at six in the morning. There is only a break at lunchtime, but then a long siesta. In the afternoon it continues until dinner time. Homework has to be done in the evening. School ends early on Fridays, but homework awaits all weekend. High school students don’t have time for hobbies or friends. In some secondary schools, entering into a relationship is even prohibited. In fact, personal development comes to a standstill during these years.
Way of thinking
When the students enter the university, they are very inward-oriented. China is the best country in the world, but at the same time a developing country. Economic growth is the ultimate, but there are still many poor farmers. Western media with their reporting that shows both sides is false and offers a distorted picture. The accusation that something is ,fake news, has existed in China for much longer than since President Trump took office. Students only have confidence in the Chinese media, even though they know very well that everything is in the hands of the Party. They don’t see a problem with that. With 22 to 26 hours of lessons per week and a curfew at 11 p.m., they feel freer than ever.
Critical thinking and plagiarism
Students have not been taught critical thinking in all these years. They may have their own opinion, but only one that fits within what is considered normal in China. When they read something, they accept it at face value unless someone points out the errors or omissions. Because asking questions is not encouraged and making mistakes is embarrassing, students commit massive plagiarism. They simply copy an expert’s view. Within Chinese culture, this means having respect and reverence for the knowledge of he or she who knows more about it. Taking over has nothing to do with a lack of intelligence or language skills. Chinese teachers encourage these practices.
A typical English Writing teacher taught the texts from the book every lesson and sometimes provided additional texts. These were discussed as a class, after which the teacher pointed out to the students particularly good sentences in terms of grammar and vocabulary. The next lesson they were given an quiz to test whether they could write these sentences down word by word.
Writing lessons do not consist of writing, it consists of typing good sentences into your head. Students who can write well get top marks for the subject, but the question is whether they can put something on paper themselves. Some do, because they are naturally good at language, but the weaker students obviously don’t learn anything from this. If they have to produce something themselves at a later time, they fall back on the familiar method of copying, especially from the Internet. Chinese students who study abroad are therefore not aware of Western methods. They cannot be blamed for this: they were not taught otherwise.
Critical thinking and the media
Anyone who reads a standard message from a Chinese newspaper will immediately see all kinds of problems. Where does the information come from? Where is the evidence for the facts and statements? How will the government tackle the problem? Chinese media often provide little or no evidence and the government does not feel the urge to explain how they will achieve their goals. The story is exposed one-sidedly without hearing either side.
Chinese students have not learned to ask critical questions about media reports or other expressions. If a message says something, it is the truth and should be followed. Other views are not discussed or tolerated. This repression starts with the government, but is maintained through social pressure. That is why you get massive uproar about the picture painted in the Western media about Chinese affairs, such as in Tibet. In China, the focus was on the suffering among the Chinese and no information was released about the actions of the police. The Chinese messages become the absolute truth. The thought that their own government responded to violence with violence and intimidation simply does not occur to people. Western media that report something like this are making it up or are based on lies by the violent and secessionist Dalai Lama. It is therefore easy for the Chinese government to portray Western reporting as fake news. The government maintains an iron grip on the population through the media. Critical thinking is not encouraged anywhere and people therefore have no doubts about the information they receive. It is not without reason that propaganda is translated in a Chinese dictionary as spreading information.
Conclusion
The current generation of Chinese students cannot be compared to that of 1989. Beijing University, where the protests started, is the most prestigious university in the country and only the super smart get in there. For that reason they are very special. More ordinary students in the rest of the country are less able to look outside the standard framework. Furthermore, the generation of 1989 had experienced the change to a more capitalist system and they wanted more. Today’s students grew up with the current system and its glorification. This system has made their parents rich and brought them everything they have. That does not put you aside for vague values such as freedom and democracy, which remains to be seen whether they work.
An uprising among Chinese students and therefore all Chinese is far away. Only when critical thinking and a free press reach China will people see the unfairness of the current system. Until then, millions of Chinese will continue to grow up with a dormant aversion to the West, a uniform political opinion and highly nationalistic sentiments.
About the author
I lived and worked in China from 2007 to 2011. I have taught adults in three different places: Yong Kang (Zhejiang province), Guangzhou (Guangdong province) and Xiamen (Fujian province).