A Fable in a Students Journal

Last blog I wrote that I had to go grade Creative Writing papers and so that is what I did. I hate to do this. Most of the students here plagiarize like its the latest fashion trend.

Ok, when you are given an assignment to write your own thoughts and opinions on an article you've read or to write your own story what should you do? Well, to ensure that you fit in with all the rest of your fellow chinese students, who you'll undoubtably talk to and get encouragement from, then make sure you don't have an original idea or create a thought for yourself! Just go onto Google and search for other students essays or stories written by writers better than your teacher! Don't worry they'll think you're so smart! How great! Now, make sure to copy it down in your journal so that you'll give the impression that you wrote it yourself, and then just turn it into class the very next day. Bam! Instant A+! How amazing! "Someone should really write something up on this," your probably telling yourself... oh wait, no, that would require you to think for yourself wouldn't it.

Let me let you in on a little secret about the system here, and please, keep this to yourself, and do not, I repeat, do not tell anyone I told you this as it is probably the best kept state secret here. What is it? Societial conformity to institutionalized rules gives the appearance of the harmony most valued as a societal quality while limiting the potential of the individual, and thereby creating a prison, not of the body, but of the mind. Harmony, most people I meet here believe it sets China above the rest. Me, I believe it restricts the individual's potential, and this in turn, limits the growth and development of the society as a whole.

An example of this is the way students are educated here. It's all about examinations and passing examinations. Their senior school years (high school for us) are spent cramming for the university entrance exams; from 6:30am till 11pm, with a four hour break in between, they go to school. I can't be sure, but from what students have told me I can imagine it's what hell must be like: painful, repetitive, boring. Sisyphus eat your heart out.

So when the students finally enter university they are ill-prepared to handle the level of creativity, thinking, and imagination that comes from independence and that is required of most foriegn educational institutions (western for sure). The only thing they are ready to tackle is standard social interactions such as dating (which their not allowed to do in senior school and until last year they were not allowed to do this in university either) and hopefully being taught how to think for themselves by foriegn teachers.

Here is an example of the best quality plagiarized work so far from one of my students; I found it online here. I have to admit this fable really blows me away; I just wish one the student would have written it his/herself.

A little fable about love

Once upon a time, there was an island where all the feelings lived : Happiness, Sadness, and all of the others including Love.

One day it was announced to the feelings that the island would sink, so all of the feelings prepared their boats and left. Love was the only one who stayed. Love wanted to persevere until the last possible moment.

When the island was almost sinking. Love decided to ask for help.

Wealth was passing by Love in a grand boat. Love said, "Wealth, can you take me with you?" Wealth answered, "No I can't. There is a lot of gold and silver in my boat. There is no place for you here."

Love decided to ask Vanity who was also passing by in a beautiful vessel, "Vanity, please help me!" "I can't help you Love. You are all wet and might damage my boat," Vanity answered.

Sadness was close by so Love asked for help, "Sadness let me go with you." "Oh... Love, I am so sad that I need to be by myself!"

Happiness passed by Love too, but she was so happy that she did not even hear when Love called her!

Suddenly, there was a voice, "Come Love, I will take you." It was an elder. Love felt so blessed and overjoyed that he even forgot to ask the elder her name.

When they arrived on dry land, the elder went her own way. Love, realizing how much he owed the elder, asked Knowledge, another elder, "Who helped me?"

"It was Time," Knowledge answered. "Time?" asked Love. "But why did Time help me?"

Knowledge smiled with deep wisdom and answered, "Because only Time is capable of understanding how great Love is."