I've seen this documentary twice. The first time I saw it, I felt really ashamed. I felt like such a slacker but when I watched it again today, I realized that this was not the point the film maker was trying to get across. The point of the documentary was even though the education systems in India and China are much more competitive and stressful, the students there may not always succeed.
When I moved here from Singapore, 4 years ago, I was really shocked at what the students in my math class were learning. They were learning how to multiply fractions and learning how to calculate percentages while in the school that I came from, we were just already learning algebra. It really showed me how different the math systems were.
In the video, the teenagers from China and India were saying how laid back it would be if they came to America but I don't think that't the case. Yes, we do have a slower math system. Yes, our parents do not really stress on education as much as theirs. The reason why I think we have a better system is because we're taking our students through a less rigorous math system in middle school trying to build and firm up their math foundation so that they can take harder courses in high school. This helps the students learn better in a less stressful environment. It's like the story of the rabbit and the tortoise. The slow and steady will win the race.
:) Sarah Mia Sham
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