#schoolinchina

[quatrus]

Students in China studying for the all-important civil service exam for anyone who wanted to work in government. I think this is Song Dynasty, 1100s AD. #backtoschool #backtoschool2017 #teachersofinstagram #medievalchina #songdynasty #schoolinchina

[joliejessi]

School Dayz In China (public elementary)

I work at a public school in Changchun, Jilin province China. The school is so big, that there are multiple building where each building holds only two grade levels, but houses more than 2,000 students per building. I teach first grade and sixth grade classes, of which each class holds about 50-60 students. In one week, I teach thirty classes, which means over 1,000 students.

First

all students are expected to exercise. Twice a day, the students file outside into their courtyard, line up and perform a series of choreographed exercises and jump rope for about ten minutes. This is to help wake up the students, and keep down the obesity rate.

This routine is taken very seriously, and students are not allowed to frantic nor fool around. Each child knows their designated spot, and are forced to remember and perform the routine in synchronization. Usually, one or two students are randomly selected from the field to lead all the students in the front.

After this routine,the children file back inside to their classrooms. They then have another class period.

First they have a quick snack. To my shock, not ONE student pulled out a bag of chips. Each child had small bowls of fruit and small pieces of bread to eat. The school also provides them with a light beverage, which is a soy milk that each student MUST drink. This soy milk has a small fruit flavor but is LOADED with lots of essential vitamins and nutrients. Students drink the entire beverage, no questions asked. Now I understand. In America, for snack my father would always give me crackers, or a fruit bowl. I was rarely allowed to bring fruit roll ups or Doritos to class. In fact, I was very jealous of other students who got to bring popcorn and high fructose drinks like High C and even Nesquik. In China, even at the age of six, not one child pulled out a bag of chips or a salty snack. They knew how to properly peel each orange, and pulled out forks or chopsticks to eat their mixture of fruit or grain.

After another class period, the students engage in some form of therapeutic ritual. I believe this to help soothe away the troubles of being a Chinese student and provide them some temporary relief. It begins with a calm sound music playing over the loud speaker. Two students walk to the front of the class and stand facing the students, they have been selected as leaders. Then the voice over the loudspeaker, which sounds like a cross between nice flight attendant, and some hypnotizing automated voice mail, instructs the students on which position to assume. The first one is something about closing their eyes and rubbing their temples. The voice over the loud speaker then begins counting in a series of numbers, that usually lasts about 20 seconds while some merry yet mellow music plays in the background. There are about 6 different positions and the students must use their fingertips to massage the designated areas while the voice counts.

While it's the cutest thing ever, it is a very intelligent way to get the students under control. In my eyes it's a trick, because if Chinese students knew what American students did every day at school, they would rebel against the government. At least Chinese children are more obedient, healthier and thinner than Americans.