The Head of the Class

A recent international assessment of academic achievement has put China way ahead of the class. As a whole, the East has made tremendous progress, while parts of the West lag far behind.  Anyone remotely linked to the educational process in this neck of the woods will agree that, as time goes by, students are increasingly ignorant and do not have the basic skills that schools are supposed to provide.

Learning is a very personal thing, fueled by self-motivation.  Young people in this part of the world seem to be very distracted by all the latest gadgets and communication technologies.  Virtual reality has become their reality. It's a fantasy world in which it's all play and no work.  They live for the weekend, when they go out to party and just hang out.  School is a chore and an interruption of the life of leisure that they want to lead.  People who are serious about learning are "nerds", to be mocked and ridiculed.

Hence, the state of our education.

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