CHINA

Mike McCagg
ccSCOOP News

11-27-11 - Construction cranes dot the landscape like mile posts on the road to a bright future. Uniformed-clad youths fill classrooms and respectfully listen to their teachers with no outbursts or side conversations. Smiling adults and youth alike greet strangers of different races and from different cultures, asking to pose for pictures and willingly answering questions – even those they don’t understand because of a language barrier.

Such is the setting in today’s China, a stark contrast to the depressed state of affairs that all-too-often dominates the headlines in Columbia County and the United States.

Six-decades removed from the Cultural Revolution, China’s urban streets are filled with stores advertising all of the latest western goods and foods. Pizza Hut, Volvo, Seven Eleven and Starbucks, Gucci, Subway and even Budweiser signs are the norm rather than the anomaly. Cranes fill the country’s skyline from the Communist Party’s headquarters in Beijing to the ancient burial grounds of the Terra Cotta Warriors. There is little that can be left to doubt - China is booming at a time when the United States and Columbia County is reeling from a four-year-old economic downturn.

Politics, of course, plays a huge part in the dynamics – both abroad and at home. The following observations from my 10-day journey to China as part of a delegation of educators will not address the obvious issues that arise with the Chinese government, its handling of freedoms and its alleged toying with the world financial market. Rather, the observations are a blunt look at where China is and where it is heading from the viewpoint of a lifelong Columbia County resident.

New construction is everywhere in China. From Beijing to Tianjin to Xi’an and Guanghou, construction cranes dot the landscape, fueling an unprecedented growth in urban areas. While America’s cities have seen a steady stream of outward mobility, China’s population centers are reeling from unprecedented growth. In Tianjin alone, the city’s population has soared by 2 million residents in the last decade, bringing it up to 9 million residents, according to our hosts. And the new construction looks every part that of a westernized city, with the skyscrapers and apartment complexes easily being mistaken for those in New York City, Chicago or Las Vegas.

Of course, there has been much written about the safety and quality of construction in China. Since I did not personally tour any of these sites and since my background has nothing to do with engineering, I will leave those judgments to others more qualified.

Education is a huge focus of the parents, grandparents and community in China

The one-child law has resulted in multiple generations all focusing on one goal – to ensure their child/grandchild excels - and they all view education as key to success. Schools are huge and new. Every school we toured - and we toured about a dozen – was built within the last decade. The entranceways to these schools often look more like malls, with marble floors and large pieces of artwork. Educators showed a pride not only in the facilities and their students, but the individual school’s history. Every school has a museum room or rooms that showcases where the schools have evolved from.

This support of school easily fuels the widespread economic development. Despite all of the money though, the computer labs were filled with old computers and technology.

The way education is delivered is also vastly different.

Education is compulsory through ninth grade and public education can begin as young as age two. Placement tests are given after sixth and ninth grades to see where students will be placed.

High schools – which start in grade 10 – come with tuition in most of China, although officials in Guangzhou told the education delegation that after 2010 they now offer a free education to students through 12th grade. At the same time, class sizes are huge by American standards, with 40 to 60 youth in every class.

Of course the observations pertain to the city schools that the delegation visited. The situation in China’s countryside is likely much different. A testament to that is the willingness of parents to routinely send students to the city to live in dorms at the middle and high schools.

“The small apple”

For those of us raised in New York State, New York City is viewed as a sprawling metropolis. In China, New York City would barely place on the demographic map.

The cities we toured - Tianjin, Xi’an and Beijing, the latter with a population of 27 million people – all far exceed New York City’s population, according to our hosts. Although the numbers provided by the World Atlas might differ from those provided by our hosts, no one can doubt the size and scope of the cities in which the outer boundaries are not visible and the populations are bursting at the seams.

One example of the size – the cities use senior citizen volunteers to push people onto the subways and buses to make sure every inch of space is used.

All is not a panacea

While China is skyrocketing into a new era, it still has issues that need to be addressed.

Aside from the “pushers” that ensure packed buses and subway cars, pollution is omnipresent in the cities. Dust and dirt cover the nicest cars and the skylines are in states of perpetual haze. Additionally, the water cannot be consumed – even from the taps of restaurants and nice hotels.

At the same time, a major division exists between the haves and the have-nots in China. BMWs and Volvos fill the streets alongside 30-year-old bicycles that have been made into handyman trucks carrying conduit to construction sites.

Many of the middle aged residents question the changes taking place, concerned that too much emphasis is being placed in the culture on material items.

While teens can be seen texting on buses and city streets, WiFi connections are hard to come by. Even in top-of-the-line hotels, guests must assemble in the lobby to access a WiFi connection.

The changes are monumental within China and on a global scale. There is no doubt that China is emerging as a major player in the global world and America’s grasp upon the top rung of the super-power ladder may be challenged. What that will mean long-term for the U.S. and China remains to be seen.

I can, however, say that my initial concerns about visiting China were quickly dismissed by the warm and welcoming people and my curiosity about their culture and history was piqued as the days in China went by. Just as my interest was fostered, so has the Chinese peoples’ interest in the U.S. The mutual interest should result on stronger ties, even if the governments continue to posture for all of the world to see.

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In addition to reporting for ccSCOOP, Mike McCagg is Communications Coordinator for Tech Valley High School in East Greenbush, NY.

TVHS was part of an education contingent that visited China in early November.