This was the certificate of merit given out to the top student in my class last semester. It reads: "Arhiehbement Dertificate."
I stumbled upon this Ministry of Tofu post about elementary school discipline codes a few days ago. The original post had garnered so much attention on microblogs in China that it was eventually picked up by Sina. It laid out the contrast as follows:
Disciplines of a U.S. elementary school
1. Always refer to a teacher by title and last name.
2. Get to class on time or a little earlier.
3. Raise your hand when you want to ask a question.
4. You may speak to the teacher from your desk while you are seated.
5. When you are absent, you must make up the work you have missed. Ask either the teacher or a classmate for the work.
6. If you expect to be away from school because of an emergency, tell your teacher in advance and ask for the work you will miss.
7. All assignments you hand in must be your own work.
8. Never cheat on a test.
9. If you are having difficulty with a class, schedule an appointment to see the teacher for help. The teacher will be glad to help you.
10.Students must bring a note for a parent explaining any absence or tardiness.
11.The only acceptable excuse for absence is personal illness, a death in the family, or a religious holiday. It is illegal to stay home from school for any other.
12.When a teacher asks a question and does not name a particular student to answer it, anyone who knows the answer should raise one hand.Chinese disciplines for elementary school students
1, Have deep love for your motherland, for the people, and for the Communist Party of China.2, Abide by laws and rules. Improve understanding of laws. Abide by school rules and disciplines. Act in line with social morality.3, Have passion for sciences. Work hard on study. Think diligently and have a questioning mind. Be fond of exploration. Participate vigorously in activities that build social experience and/or are beneficial.4, Love life. Protect yourself. Do physical exercises. Pay attention to hygiene.5, Respect and love yourself. Be confident and strong. Keep civilized and healthy living habits.6, Engage in labor. Be frugal and pristine. Depend on yourself to do things you are capable of.7, Be filial to your parents. Respect your teacher. Be polite to others.8, Have deep love for the group you are in. United with your classmates. Help one another. Care about others.9, Be honest and trustworthy. Match your words with your deeds. Correct your mistakes once you are aware of it. Be responsible.10, Love nature. Take good care of you living environment.
Code of Conduct for Taiwan Buxibans1. Students should always call the teacher “Teacher”, as in sentences like, “Yesterday, I didn’t see Teacher.”2. If a student knows an answer to a question, scream out for attention, i.e. “Teacher meeeeeeeeeeee!”3. If that student does not get the teacher’s attention, he or she should continue to call out “Teacher… teacher… teacher.. teacherrrrrrr” and so on, forever.4. Food should always be served cold.5. Water should always be hot.6. Tiger balm should be applied to all skin irritations.7. Students cannot receive a grade lower than 80 on any homework, assignment, or test, even if it is unfinished or all wrong.8. If a student doesn’t understand something, move on to the next, more advanced lesson.9. Parents are always the best judge of how smart their child is.10. Test scores are always the best judge of how good the school is.
The contrast is striking … and also flawed. Districts, principals and other administrators and/or classroom teachers add plenty of valuable and appropriate rules/regulations and guidelines, most of which I see reflected in the Chinese list. It is this humble educator’s opinion that Sina and/or you are going for shock value, and you’ve gotten it – but we’re not talking pinguo to pinguo here.
Some additions to the Taiwanese Weeeei:
10.a. Test scores are so inarguably indicative of student and school success, that they should be posted on the window facing the street, for the entire community to gawk at.
11. Cloze, general rote learning and/or strict adherence to ages-old textbooks should never be diverted from. Thinking outside of the box is punishable by administrators smiling and politely reminding the teacher to stick to the old way (whilst interviewing his/her replacement). You know the adage, “It it ain’t broke (but is sputtering figurative blue smoke and coughing sparks and fumes), don’t fix it (drive it to the ground, baby).”
This is obviously a pretty two-dimensional response to an online rant by someone in China. And certainly, in the US, nationalist/Christian/democracy propaganda is illicitly entrenched in most curriculum and textbooks. We grow up reciting the Pledge of Allegiance and singing Our Country Tis of Thee before class. So, education in the US is its own battleground. I suppose my main point in posting this was to highlight the type of reform necessary in education here in China and Taiwan, in a less pedantic way.
When going to the bathroom:
a) simply stand up and walk to the door, just before leaving turn your head and state “I go to the bathroom”
b) after leaving and upon returning, leave the door open so the class can hear all the screaming and singing going on in the other classes
When silence has been acheived in class, like during a test or writing exercise, immediately begin to tap your pencil, hum a tune, tap your foot, or bang on something to make sure that there is still some type of noise being created
Always bring one gigantic cup of sugar loaded bubble milk tea to class. If teacher says you can’t have it, complain to your mom so she can tell the teacher it is ok to have in class. Ten minutes after drinking it, embrace the fuctrose in your blood and do whatever you want with your new freedom