Tuesday 15 May
We are in Urumqi, China. Outside our hostel room window is a huge school playground. Yesterday, we watched at various intervals during the day, while (to us) fascinating things happened. The school appears to cater for pupils aged from about 7 to 18.
Late morning, we suddenly hear a loud tannoy, with bright music and a calm woman's voice. All the children, and teachers (mostly women) file out into the playground in lines, military fashion. Each class of children knows exactly where to go in the playground, and while the music and soft instructions continue, the whole school, all in uniform (though the older children have a different uniform) end up in rows and rows of children all facing towards the school. On a balcony, 2 older girls are leading the school in various exercises, which all the children and teachers take part in - a bit like an adult keep-fit class in the UK. This continues for about 20 minutes. At the end of the exercise period, the children gather in their classes at various points in the playground, and file back into school in lines, in orderly fashion.
Some while later we hear the soothing voice and tinkling music on the tannoy again. The children file out again, and this time some of them have flags, and they are practising marching. After a while they file back into school. The whole atmosphere is one of regimentation, but also, I guess, a sense of teamwork.
At another time in the school day, the children have free play, some on skateboards, some skipping through a long rope, while 2 pupils hold the rope ends. Even in the free play period, there's a feeling of co-operation and teamwork.
In my own senior school days (over 40 years ago!) I remember lining up in our classes before walking into school in an orderly fashion - but never whole school co-ordinated exercises or marching practice with flags. The school day is from 9 am to 6 pm we are told. At the end of the school day, we see several pupils sweeping up the playground - which must instil in the children a sense of pride and responsibility for their school.
No doubt psychologists would have a field day (and probably have had) analysing all this, and what effect it has on the children as they grow up. A sense of teamwork, no doubt; there are apparently no behaviour problems in Chinese schools. Children are happy and proud to go to school, and they go to learn. Within school, our university student guide Frances tells us, the pupils do regular facial exercises to relax and calm them. The pupils are not unhappy or discontented about any of this -in fact I gather that the opposite is the case.
The teaching of any religion is banned in schools, but once children leave school at 18, they are free to pursue a religious belief if they so desire. All of the 3 university students we meet during our stay in Urumqi describe themselves as non-religious.
There is a sense of "orderliness" in the way Chinese people live their lives. Car drivers don't exceed the speed limit, they rarely seem to get annoyed, or beep their horns at each other.
I'm aware that I've only been in China for 3 days as I write this - thus my impression is a superficial one. The students we've met seem happy and proud of their country. Their attitude towards us has been extremely helpful, kind and respectful. They are all English students and tell us they have studied English culture and literature in simpler form - Uncle Tom's Cabin and Pride and Prejudice for example. I'm not sure if they have studied George Orwell's "Animal Farm"; but they all enjoy watching Desperate Housewives on the TV.
We are in Urumqi, China. Outside our hostel room window is a huge school playground. Yesterday, we watched at various intervals during the day, while (to us) fascinating things happened. The school appears to cater for pupils aged from about 7 to 18.
Late morning, we suddenly hear a loud tannoy, with bright music and a calm woman's voice. All the children, and teachers (mostly women) file out into the playground in lines, military fashion. Each class of children knows exactly where to go in the playground, and while the music and soft instructions continue, the whole school, all in uniform (though the older children have a different uniform) end up in rows and rows of children all facing towards the school. On a balcony, 2 older girls are leading the school in various exercises, which all the children and teachers take part in - a bit like an adult keep-fit class in the UK. This continues for about 20 minutes. At the end of the exercise period, the children gather in their classes at various points in the playground, and file back into school in lines, in orderly fashion.
Some while later we hear the soothing voice and tinkling music on the tannoy again. The children file out again, and this time some of them have flags, and they are practising marching. After a while they file back into school. The whole atmosphere is one of regimentation, but also, I guess, a sense of teamwork.
At another time in the school day, the children have free play, some on skateboards, some skipping through a long rope, while 2 pupils hold the rope ends. Even in the free play period, there's a feeling of co-operation and teamwork.
In my own senior school days (over 40 years ago!) I remember lining up in our classes before walking into school in an orderly fashion - but never whole school co-ordinated exercises or marching practice with flags. The school day is from 9 am to 6 pm we are told. At the end of the school day, we see several pupils sweeping up the playground - which must instil in the children a sense of pride and responsibility for their school.
No doubt psychologists would have a field day (and probably have had) analysing all this, and what effect it has on the children as they grow up. A sense of teamwork, no doubt; there are apparently no behaviour problems in Chinese schools. Children are happy and proud to go to school, and they go to learn. Within school, our university student guide Frances tells us, the pupils do regular facial exercises to relax and calm them. The pupils are not unhappy or discontented about any of this -in fact I gather that the opposite is the case.
The teaching of any religion is banned in schools, but once children leave school at 18, they are free to pursue a religious belief if they so desire. All of the 3 university students we meet during our stay in Urumqi describe themselves as non-religious.
There is a sense of "orderliness" in the way Chinese people live their lives. Car drivers don't exceed the speed limit, they rarely seem to get annoyed, or beep their horns at each other.
I'm aware that I've only been in China for 3 days as I write this - thus my impression is a superficial one. The students we've met seem happy and proud of their country. Their attitude towards us has been extremely helpful, kind and respectful. They are all English students and tell us they have studied English culture and literature in simpler form - Uncle Tom's Cabin and Pride and Prejudice for example. I'm not sure if they have studied George Orwell's "Animal Farm"; but they all enjoy watching Desperate Housewives on the TV.
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