Rote Learning

By 9am on a typical Monday morning at Beijing No. 80 Middle School, the students sitting in neat rows with school uniforms perfectly ironed have already learned their nine times tables and recited a poem or two.

Now repeat after me… But only if you want to. Photo: Peter Matthews

Meanwhile at Carlton Public in Melbourne, Australia the last of the class is just straggling in, weekend homework’s not done and the teacher is struggling to take control of the classroom.

In terms of day to day experience the two could not be further apart. Yet the ideal education borrows from both.

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  • marley says:

    04:56pm | 11/07/12

    @Stephen - I agree, we need to find our own way.  But the focus here has been on learning from Asia, and I’m just suggesting there are other models we could have a look at. Maybe some of what they’re doing would gel with what we’re doing and add to… Read more »

  • chopper knows says:

    09:34pm | 10/07/12

    There is a lot to learn from our asian future fathers as they have mastered discipline, something western countries have still to attain, otherwise the children are brought up to bash other children in the back of their heads and cause death as in another story here on the Punch.… Read more »

 

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@jennijenni a few companies are known to do that - ask for story ideas from job applicants so they can steal them later

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