China's Higher Education Lacks Higher Learning

Abstract

Two teams of five Chinese college students face off in an English debate over the effectiveness of China's college entrance examination, the gaokao. Their claims are borderline weak but well-articulated. discussion carries on smoothly until the pro-gaokao group poses the inevitable question: If we get rid of the exams, how will we determine who should go to college? Without hesitation, the opposing side replies, The government will figure it out. That is their job, not ours. debate stalemates with the students satisfied that this is the proper ending for any debate. frustrated foreign English teacher encourages the students to rethink the argument more thoroughly. Ultimately, the debate proves to be a successful English exercise but a rather poor activity in argument. Such an experience is typical for American teachers in Chinese college classrooms. Class discussions are limited by students' low analytical abilities rather than their English skills. Most students have expansive vocabularies that go unused. Teachers struggle to get students to use all the words stored in their memory banks in something more constructive than a vocabulary test. While Chinese college students may not be able to brainstorm alternatives to China's university entrance exam, many share a vague awareness that their education system needs to move away from its overemphasis on this high-stakes exam. Due to the education structure and culturally based learning environment, graduating high school seniors lack skills generally considered essential to success, including critical thinking, creativity, and curiosity, which the university system then fails to foster in its own system of education. Preparing for gaokao Chinese high schools' sole purpose is preparing students to pass the gaokao, not preparing them to learn at advanced levels in college. Passing the exam is the primary objective of secondary education because it's the sole criteria for college admittance. gaokao is not just a test but the beginning or end of a student's future. Teachers prepare students for the test using the Confucian values of high respect for authority figures, communal harmony, and dependence. Rote learning is the only strategy that teachers use to help their students pass the gaokao. teacher-oriented Chinese classrooms don't encourage participation or dissecting answers. Rather, repetition and memorization defines the teacher-student relationship. Teachers never pose open-ended questions or establish a need for further inquiry. Consequently, Chinese students lack fundamental reasoning and problem-solving skills. Even at the university level, fostering classroom participation or intellectual debate is a challenging task. This top-down teaching approach not only stunts critical thinking but also creativity. When students are never individually engaged or encouraged to think 'outside the box,' they're denied opportunities to use their imagination or explore further possibilities. Moreover, the gaokao-focused system draws attention away from the liberal and fine arts, further limiting students' opportunities for conceptualization and artistic development. Without opportunities for extracurricular activities while undergoing such intensive schooling, Chinese students seem to lack a genuine interest in learning and personal growth. Students endure an exhausting high school experience because preparing for the gaokao consumes all their time academically and socially. Once in college, many admit being overwhelmed with their newly available free time, never having developed any hobbies or interests beyond studying. Xu Zhong, a senior at Yangtze University in Jingzhou, Hubei, said, We are always told what to do and how to do it. Once at university, I often over-studied because I didn't know what else to do. College learning Unfortunately, for Chinese students, going to college doesn't necessarily open doors to a new world of academia and self-discovery as it does for many of their Western counterparts. …