A Tiger vs a Cat
-Difference between Chinese and Western Education-

Yu Kang
Pace University
Fall 2011
ELI 084A
Midterm Research Paper
Tara Vassallo
November 9, 2011

Abstract
According to A cultural perspective for the differences between Chinese education and Western education, there are considerable differences between Chinese and Western education due to the influence of culture and history. What’s more, the article- Views on differences between Chinese and Western education from quality education and Analysis of the differences between Chinese education and Western -show the differences on school and family education specifically and separately. Chinese education is characterized by setting diversified strict rules and regulations on students; Whereas, Western students get more freedom and chances to choose and develop what they really interested in. Generally speaking, Chinese students usually are good law-keeper and possess solid basic foundation but lacking creative spirit. Western kids are more independently and do good jobs on innovation. However, they don not stress too much on discipline and hard working. Zhao and Bai said in Draw inspiration from comparing that Chinese and Western education should learn from each other (1999, p. 46). Therefore, integrating the essence of these two education systems will come up with a better one.

Tiger VS Cat
Difference between Chinese education and Western Education
At the beginning of 2011, a book named “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother” set off a storm in United States. Amy Chua, the author and Chinese American professor at Yale Law School, is known as “Tiger mother” because of her strike demands on her children’s education. Although her hash parental discipline is filled with overworking, Chua cultivates two excellent daughters. Later, an article-“Why Chinese mothers are superior” puts the Chinese and Western education pattern on PK potentially. American mothers are beginning to question whether the strike parenting techniques of Chinese mothers are more effective. While, Chinese mothers begin to wonder whether a loose control are better to intrigue children’s creativity (Du, 2011). And this is exactly what Zhitao Chang, a Chinese father from Shanghai, does. He uses his own experience to state that parent can choice a democratic and gentle way to communicate with children (Du, 2011). Chang, called “Cat father”, sent his daughter into Harvard University as well. So, both of these two education system must have its own magic weapons to cultivate an excellent child.
The Tiger Teacher and Cat Teacher at School
Confucianism has influenced Chinese education for thousands years, permeating every part of Chinese education system. It stresses the obedience to authority and rules, advocating to honor the teachers and to respect their teachings (Yang, 2007, p.11). Teachers are considered to be the person who transmit wisdom, impart knowledge and solve doubts, and portrayed, as well, to be the one who is superior to the students. Therefore, in most Chinese classes, teachers are the leading roles, deciding what to teach and how to teach. And in many cases, the only thing Chinese students have to do is to follow them, write them down and memorize them. This educational pattern is not conducive to the cultivation of critical thinking and the ability of independent studying; but on the other hand, Xu (2007) said, because Chinese school and teachers always set strict management and rules, Chinese students usually have a solid foundation of knowledge and a good awareness of discipline, increasing their competitive ability (p.38).
Western culture seeks equality, making western education a sharp contrast to that of China. The idea of education in West propagates that teachers and student are equal, and teachers enact the part of guides and friends of students (Yang, 2007, p.11). That is to say the students are the host of the classroom. Li (2010) points out that teachers will provide students a suitable environment, such as case study and group work, to study, participate and contribute to the class efficiently (p.21). Instead of pumping something into student’s head, western teachers try to train students to ask questions and challenge the facts. Therefore, western students usually characterized with independent thinking and innovative ability, which help them to meet the demand of current society paid highly attention on creation. However, students in West obtain fully freedom so that lots of them behave disorderly conduct, are lack of basic knowledge and lax in discipline.
The Tiger Mother and Cat Father at Home
In West, it is universally acknowledged that each child is a unique individual with his/ her own personality and wish. No one has the privilege to limit and control his/her life. Parents usually encourage children themselves to make their own decision, reminding kids that they are the master of themselves. They never force their kids to do something because they worry that it will destroy kids’ innovation and interests. In other words, children are given complete choice and respect. Therefore, western students are more independently than Chinese kids, but sometimes too much freedom will led students make a wrong decision and blunder away a good chance.
Most Chinese parents run the opposite ways. Many of them will set rules and involve their children’s life, just like the way Chua do. In the mind of Chinese parents, kids do not have enough capability to make an accurate judgment for which thing is more helpful for their future. What’s more, children usually have sloth so that parents should give them a little pressure to spur them do their best. “So many American kids will choose drunks to learn because it is cool, but I want my daughters to learn very difficult instruments …Children will often only chose the most fun thing and it’s not always the best thing for them,” said Chua in a Chinese TV show(Tang & Geng,2011). However, over-regulation results that some Chinese kids depend too much upon their parents and lose the capacity to act or think independently, which is considerable important for their future social life.
Kids of Tigers and Cats
Tiger’s way trains Chinese students to be a person who is an excellent law keeper with a solid basic knowledge, but lacking a creative awareness and the capacity of posing question. Shouhua Hu states that she really agrees that the current criterion of success for Chinese education is to clear students’ doubt, therefore, students has fewer and fewer questions with age in China; Whereas, the western education encourages students to identify problems and challenge the facts, so western students are usually full of innovations in their mind(2010, p.192). Cat pays more attention to cultivate student’s ability to innovation, work and live independently. Western students will not submit to any authority, so that they dare to think, dare to speak, dare to act and dare to challenge authority. What’s more, Western kids possess strong creative consciousness and critical spirit. However, because western kids are given too much freedom and little limitation, they don’t possess strong sense of duty and discipline. What’s more, students cannot stand hard work and don not own self-motivated, resulting from lose control of parents and schools, said Xu (2007, p.38).
Tiger + Cat= Excellent Couple! Now, we can easily conclude that traditional Chinese education highlights on imparting knowledge, whereas western education shines a light on cultivation of the self-ability. There are considerable things that the Western and Chinese education system can use for reference each other. Zhao and Bai said that strict management, stern discipline and Firm foundation knowledge etc. (1999, p.46). are what the Western education system should make a reference from Chinese education. However, Chinese education system should pay more attention on the innovatory education, cultivating the students' innovational ability (Zhao & Bai, 1999, p.46). The children of who inherited the specialty from both Tiger and Cat must be a standing out person who will achieve their own great success at last.

References
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