Peterson: China’s One Child Policy Requires that Voters Should Pass School Referendum

Well, well… Mark Peterson, the far Left professor at UWWC and occasional commenter, has been picked up by the West Bend Daily News to write a weekly column.  Here’s the story on Mark’s background.  I welcome Mark to the pages of the dead tree media and wish him the best.

His first column out of the gate is about education and his support for West Bend’s impending school referenda.  His logic comes up… well… let’s take a look.  Mark starts out by praising China’s education system. 

With all that noise it took me nearly two years to notice the most important detail: most of the 18-year-olds I met can speak English and do calculus. Now, despite the carnival fireworks of a Six Flags over Asia Olympics and the addictive spending that goes with low low Made-in-China prices, all I can think about are those 18-year-old kids.

   Here’s why:

   How many kids graduating from West Bend district schools can speak Mandarin Chinese and do calculus?

   Answer: not most of them – and that’s going to be a problem.

He then goes on to explain why China’s education system is churning out 18-year-olds who can speak English and do calculus.

How does China produce so many 18-year-olds who can speak English and do calculus? One explanation is China’s “One Child Policy.”

   In order to cope with their catastrophic population explosion China legislated that couples would be allowed one child. Most people are immediately sidetracked by the ethical implications of this policy, so we miss the key educational and economic side effect: each only-child in China usually has two parents, four grandparents and no cousins. The grandparents are retired, on pensions and have nothing to do all day but look after the educational interests of their grandchild.

   Can you imagine if each American kid had four grandparents who did nothing all day but help them with homework? The Chinese aren’t imagining it, they’ve done it and, as a consequence, these Chinese kids speak English better than I do and can do calculus by the time they leave high school.

On the one hand, Peterson is right.  Family makes a difference and if every person had two parents and four grandparents helping them succeed, it would undoubtedly lead to better educational outcomes.  But is that what we want here in America?  Government restricting us to a single offspring?  Is that a price worth paying for 18-year-olds who can do calculus?  Apparently, it is to Peterson.

On the other hand, Peterson leaves out some important details.  For example, here are some comments from Pat Herdrich, the Superintendent of West Bend Public Schools:

For example, students in China have to pass an exam after every year to proceed to the next level. If they don’t pass one exam they are done with school and start their long life of working in a factory. “The students know education is their only chance at a good life so they take school very seriously,” said Herdrich.

[...]

“They all wear uniforms. Every morning at the start of every school day they line up and do exercises together. They also do eye exercises at 10 am in every class room,” said Herdrich.

Making sure they stay focused on their studies, Chinese students aren’t as involved in other activities as we are in the United States. Children under the age of 18 are not allowed to be employed while still in school. The only way they could get a job is if they didn’t pass an exam and dropped out of getting an education. Also, there aren’t as many school sports. Though ping pong, basketball, and baseball are big in China, there isn’t much going on within the high school level.

According to Herdrich, most students do not own cell phones or keep up web pages such as myspace or facebook, as their parents feel that owning these items will distract them in school.

Now, I support some of these things, like limiting cell phones and school uniforms, but the rest?  Mark Peterson saw some 18-year-olds who can speak English and do calculus.  Did he see the millions who washed out and are slaving away in the fields and in the factories?  Does Peterson support a “one attempt” testing structure where if you fail, you head over to UWWC to clean the gum off of the desks?  Sure seems like it. 

Then Peterson goes on to slam the free market. 

The market has already “taken care of us.” The market is what got us here. Our relationship with China, or the rest of the world for that matter, is not merely economic – it’s also political.

Nevermind that the free market has given America the largest, strongest, most vibrant economy in world history and that it is STILL larger than China’s economy with a quarter of the population and that American’s enjoy a standard of living that is better than anyone in the world has ever seen.  (Sorry for the run-on.)  China is just catching up with America now.  Why?  Because they loosened their grip on their economy a bit and allowed the marketplace to work - a little.  

Finally, Peterson takes all of this and turns it into support for West Bend’s School Referenda.

So, ask yourself this question: “How much should we invest to make sure our kids can compete in a world where 300 million Chinese can speak English and do calculus?”

   Answer: We have to invest enough.

   That’s why we need to pass this referendum and fully fund our schools. If we can’t compete with China in the schoolhouse, then we won’t stand a prayer in the marketplace.

But wait?  I thought that China’s educational success was because of the One Child Policy?  Nowhere did Peterson compare how much per pupil China spends compared to America.  If we need to emulate China in order to be successful, shouldn’t we emulate their One Child Policy instead of pouring more money into education?  Shouldn’t we implement a “pass the test or you’re out” policy?  Peterson gave one reason for China’s educational success and then offered up a completely different initiative for improving West Bend’s educational system. 

Perhaps Peterson is thinking that more money is needed for more Mandarin and calculus classes.  But that’s not what the referenda are for.  They are for more buildings and renovations.  They have nothing to do with the curriculum.  Did Peterson look into how much China spends on school buildings compared to West Bend?  Is it relevant? 

If Peterson keeps writing columns like this, it’s going to be fun.

Posted by Owen at 1111 hrs
Foreign Affairs + Politics + Politics - Wisconsin