Global Current Event: Shanghai Schools Push Students to Top

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/30/world/asia/30shanghai.html?_r=1&ref=internationaleducation

In December, an international standardized test was taken by students from Shanghai and 1,500 of those students outperformed students from about 65 different countries. American students came in between 15th and 31st place in three categories on the standardized test. These results proved China's progress in their education programs. But the scores really couldn't be represented of China since it was the majority of   students who scored exceptionally high. Their high scores were probably due to their very disciplined classrooms, rote learning, and test preparation that they teach. I think we need to look at these schools that receive such high scores, like Shanghai schools, and take into consideration what their school systems are doing. I think we should try to take the things that make the schools like these work and try to incorporate them into our school systems. I know nothing is as easy as that, but obviously we aren't doing everything right in our schools systems and there is always room for improvement. One of the teachers in the articles mentioned that discipline is rarely ever a problem in their school. You hear of so many schools in the U.S, like inner-city schools, that have problems with discipline day in and day out. I think it would definitely make it easier to teach in classrooms where the kids are respectful and willing to learn, this would create a great learning environment for the students, but it’s not that easy to teach things, such a discipline. The students need to grow up with this and I think all of that has to do with parenting, which we really can’t change.