Hello Vasco, Thanks for your observation regarding the article I posted. I am fully aware of gaps between the Ugandan educations system and education systems else where around the world. Having come from a teaching background, in teachers college, we learn about comparative education in some selected countries. The purpose is to learn about models or elements in the different education systems, look at what works well in one system and what does not work well in another.
Therefore, the article simply states why Chinese students tend to excel in academics. The question is " is there something we can learn from what they do"?. We may may not have the resources as they do, what elements can we copy to our advantage? Some of the "best practices" they use seems to me like things we could emulate. Isn't it? On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 10:46 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Send WestNileNet mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > > To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [email protected] > > You can reach the person managing the list at > [email protected] > > When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific > than "Re: Contents of WestNileNet digest..." > > > Today's Topics: > > 1. Ten reason why Asian students excel in academics (JohnAJackson) > 2. Re: latest information from Entebbe (Vasco Oguzua) > 3. Re: Ten reason why Asian students excel in academics > (Vasco Oguzua) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 09:52:08 -0600 > From: JohnAJackson <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Subject: [WestNileNet] Ten reason why Asian students excel in > academics > Message-ID: > > <[email protected]<oilf%[email protected]> > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Dear friends of West Nile Forum , > I thought you might like to read this info and tune the mind of your > brothers, sisters, sons or duaghters > > Top 10 Ways To Play > China's Obsession With > Academic Excellence > by Tony Sagami > Dear John, > > I was less than two years old when my parents divorced in 1957 > for us in America. Why? > My mother knew that a half-Japanese, half-American child had limited > opportunities in Japan. It wasn't like it is today; the wounds from World > War II were too fresh. I would have never gone to a top university or > landed > a top job. > Even though my mother barely spoke English and seldom had more than two > nickels to rub together, she fiercely held to the idea of the American > dream. "In America, anybody can get rich if they work hard," she told me. > My mother ordered me to sit in the front row right in front of the > teacher's > desk. She gave me almost daily lectures on the importance of education, and > punished me severely if I brought home anything less than an A. My mother > was a big believer in corporal punishment and I got the spankings of my > life > for anything less than straight A's. > For someone who started off as a homeless immigrant, my mother saw all her > children grow up to achieve great professional success. I am sad to say > that > my mother died seven years ago from cancer, but I preach the same lessons > about education to my children to this day. > External Sponsorship > > Guess Who Tops Global Education Performance? > > Students from 65 countries, including the United States, recently took the > Program for International Student Assessment, known as PISA, given by the > Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). > Guess who came in first in reading, math and science? Students in China's > Shanghai Province. To view the OECD's PISA press release, click here. > To jump directly to the PISA data table, click here. > That is very impressive given that this is the first time China had taken > part in the test. > > PISA tests are scored on a scale with 500 as the average. Two-thirds of > students in participating countries score between 400 and 600. > On the math test, the Chinese students beat everybody by a wide margin. > Second-place Singapore, which has been seen as an educational superstar in > recent years, scored 562. Germany was a distant third at 513. > The United States scored 487, a score that was behind 30 other countries. > On the reading test, China had the top score again at 556. South Korea came > in second with 539 and the United States came in 17th with a 500, clustered > around students from the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Germany, France, and > the United Kingdom. > In science, China was first AGAIN with a 575. Finland came in second with a > 554 and the United States came in 23rd with a 502. > What is the secret to China's academic success? Simple; they work their > butts off. Most Chinese students don't finish until 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., watch > little television and play very few video games. Chinese students are > prohibited from working before the age of 16, so they can concentrate on > school. Plus, most students attend tutoring classes after school and on > Saturdays. > "Very rarely do children in other countries receive academic training as > intensive as our children do. So if the test is on math and science, > there's > no doubt Chinese students will win the competition," said Sun Baohong of > the > Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/private/westnilenet/attachments/20110112/b3224a11/attachment-0001.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 2 > Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:04:45 -0500 > From: Vasco Oguzua <[email protected]> > To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] latest information from Entebbe > Message-ID: > > <[email protected]<aanlktimw6yfv-c0h%2b%[email protected]> > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > Christine, > > Thank you again for this update of events concerning the West Niler's > killed > by some police robbers. I still applaud you and the group for the > leadership, resiliency and tenacity in dealing with this tragic issue. > While > I do applaud the Inspector General of Police for the quick response he has > provided to calm the situation, I do not think the pain inflicted on the > families of the deceased and the whole of West Nile community will go away. > Much as the Police have taken the funeral expenses of the deceased, I > believe they have not done us any favour by their offer. They are covering > their back for the blatant wrongs they have done to the citizens they are > supposed to protect. > Personally I do not see any reason and need for the President to be the one > to discuss or get involved in the issues of compensation of the families of > the affected victims. This clearly illustrates Institutional breakdown in > Uganda. If the President has to be the one who determines the compensation > of the victims, then I think the people have a rite to ask the president to > explain why his Policemen have targeted the people of West Nile. The Police > brutality must then equally be associated with the government brutality on > the people of West Nile as the Police are agents of the government. The > sons > of West Nile with legal expertise should please help the team that will be > responsible for the compensation and guide them so that they should get as > mush as possible out of this tragedy. They should also help in following > this case, because the Police could easily hood wink us by saying those > arrested are still in Luzira , yet they are soon released and they same > people could come back and even do more damage to the others still alive > in revenge. > I would suggest that among issues that could be discussed are the children > and widows of the people who died. The children should be provided free > education till University level in very good schools, not those UPE and USE > schools, and the widows be provided a decent living allowance till their > death, for it is the government agents that destroyed the lives of the > people who were responsible for providing for those children and widows. > As Fr. Ruffino suggested, the people should have a peaceful demonstration > to > bring to the attention of the Public about this Police Brutality, > especially > when some of the people involved were not even government agents. Who knows > that might be something the Police have planned as a way to substitute > their > meagre government pay. Otherwise why would a professional and well > facilitated Police personnel get involved in such criminal act? > This bad or tragic incidence could also be turned as an opportunity to > educate our people about their human rights as citizens of Uganda under the > laws of Uganda. It could be used to expose some of the sinister things the > government and its agents have done to our people in general and the issues > of the Barifa Land would easily come handy to illustrate some of the wrongs > done by government agents against the people of West Nile. Especially, I > would think that a peaceful demonstration in Arua, Yumbe and Rhino Camp > would be in order. This issue needs to be discussed and disseminated in the > air waves in Arua. If possible the IGP could be invited in some of the > Radio > stations to clearly explain to the people of West Nile what happened and > how > the people can protect themselves in future if the police go and > harass citizens. I believe such issues should make us think deeper of how > we > can plan ahead to deter such possible future events rather than only deal > with solutions to current events. > > Vasco > On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 5:55 AM, Christine Munduru <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > Dear all, > > I wish thank all of you for the solidarity you have shown and also thank > > all those in Entebbe for the unity and support. members wanted to know if > > the families will be compensated and I wish to give you more information > > about the discussions. > > > > First of all kaihura did a very commendable job. He handled the volatile > > situation very professionally otherwise there was going to be caos > > especially when the culprits were brought to mourners.He blasted the DPC > and > > commanders for allowing such things to happen and he was forced to slap > one > > of them when one of those tortured recently with panga cuts on his head > > came to testify. he came well packed with creats of sodas, and other food > > items for the mourners in Entebbe. It is very sad to note that one of > the > > arrested policemen was our own called Waiga from Moyo. The newspapers > have > > not reported the issue reflecting the gravity but we know which season > we > > are in, reporting exactly what happened could cause a number of things. > > > > The latest information was that the police had beaten, tortured and > thrown > > into water some of the members who had gone to do fishing in the island > and > > taken away their boat. These guys called for rescue from their colleagues > > who immediately jumped into the boat to go and help. it was this group > going > > for rescue whom the police opened fire upon at midday not at night as was > > reported in the papers, and they were 14 in this boat. Many of them were > > beaten and others had minor bullet wounds. The men were all involved, > others > > were badly injured, beaten and those who could run went hiding so women > > around had to take charge of helping those badly injured plus reporting > the > > issue to police. We have been informed that those admitted have high > chances > > of survival but one of them could end up palalysed for life and the one > who > > came to report and was knocked by a car had a broken femur and damaged > ribs > > which the Entebbe health worker's said if not well managed could lead to > > death and they referred him to Mulago hospital. > > > > The agreement with Kaihura was that police will take all funeral expenses > > but compensation will be done by the president himself. The president was > > already aware and will be waiting for feedback from IGP. Yesterday > Kaihura > > went to Arua and he intended to personally visit the families. When he > comes > > back, appointment will be made with him to send a team to do > negotiations > > on the compensation for the families and also discuss the future of these > > fishemen based on the government regulations of fishing in the lake. We > have > > one contact person who will make the appointment and we shall select a > team > > to go and meet the IGP. The IGP also ordered investing into all the cases > > which have been mishandled by the police in this same place and we hope > > justice will prevale at the end.The bodies left for Arua yesterday though > > the police delayed with the trucks, they finally left and we hope that > they > > arrived safely. > > > > Memebers on this forum can give ideas to shape discussions for those who > > will go for the negotiations I will share with the team before they go > for > > the meeting. > > > > My condelences for those we have lost in Moyo, may their soul rest in > > peace. > > > > Christine > > > > -- > > This message has been scanned for viruses and > > dangerous content by *MailScanner* <http://www.mailscanner.info/>, and > is > > believed to be clean. > > _______________________________________________ > > WestNileNet mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > > > WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > > > All Archives can be found at > > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > > attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any > way. > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/private/westnilenet/attachments/20110112/7b51920a/attachment-0001.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 3 > Date: Wed, 12 Jan 2011 11:45:33 -0500 > From: Vasco Oguzua <[email protected]> > To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] Ten reason why Asian students excel in > academics > Message-ID: > > <[email protected]<4wzwmxprzjhg_ntdqje%[email protected]> > > > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > > John, > > I do not think there is really anything much to infer from this reading, > because the comparisons of social , economic, educational infrastructure in > the places in these articles can not be compared with what we have in > Uganda > or West Nile for that matter. While indeed it is important to talk about > encouraging students and parents to work hard, there are certain basic > necessities that really have to be in place. We may think that China is a > third world, but I think China is far developed than a country like Uganda > with almost no basic necessities of economic and social amenities....Is > Uganda not getting aid from China for some of its development projects!!!. > I think the parents and students in Uganda or West Nile can not easily > relate to this article there are no common easily identifiable attributes > they have with people living in these countries listed. The opportunities > and infrastructure for anyone poor person to get rich in America are not > the > same as the opportunities and infrastructure for poor people in Uganda or > West Nile. The poorest person in America could considered a middle class in > Uganda because anyone making less than $20, 000.00 a year in the USA is > considered poor.... and yet in Uganda that would be a lot of money.The > poorest public schools in the US could be considered some of the best > schools in Uganda just in terms of the infrastructure alone. I do not know > how hard work in US and hard work in Uganda or West Nile could be compared, > especially due to the difference in socio-economic amenities available to > the people. It would make sense to compare how a poor person in Sudan, or > DRC or Tanzania or Kenya was able to do better than a poor man in Uganda. > Even then the environments these countries for the poor people where they > would be operating would be different, even though they are neighbouring > countries. Our issues should be how we can foster an understanding of > building or improving the institutions that are supposed to help poor > people > improve their lives and advocacy of empowering our people to use the > available resources improve their situation. > > Vasco > > On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 10:52 AM, JohnAJackson <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Dear friends of West Nile Forum , > > I thought you might like to read this info and tune the mind of your > > brothers, sisters, sons or duaghters > > > > Top 10 Ways To Play > > China's Obsession With > > Academic Excellence > > by Tony Sagami > > Dear John, > > > > I was less than two years old when my parents divorced in 1957 > > for us in America. Why? > > My mother knew that a half-Japanese, half-American child had limited > > opportunities in Japan. It wasn't like it is today; the wounds from World > > War II were too fresh. I would have never gone to a top university or > landed > > a top job. > > Even though my mother barely spoke English and seldom had more than two > > nickels to rub together, she fiercely held to the idea of the American > > dream. "In America, anybody can get rich if they work hard," she told me. > > My mother ordered me to sit in the front row right in front of the > > teacher's desk. She gave me almost daily lectures on the importance of > > education, and punished me severely if I brought home anything less than > an > > A. My mother was a big believer in corporal punishment and I got the > > spankings of my life for anything less than straight A's. > > For someone who started off as a homeless immigrant, my mother saw all > her > > children grow up to achieve great professional success. I am sad to say > that > > my mother died seven years ago from cancer, but I preach the same lessons > > about education to my children to this day. > > External Sponsorship > > > > Guess Who Tops Global Education Performance? > > > > Students from 65 countries, including the United States, recently took > the > > Program for International Student Assessment, known as PISA, given by the > > Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). > > Guess who came in first in reading, math and science? Students in China's > > Shanghai Province. To view the OECD's PISA press release, click here. > > To jump directly to the PISA data table, click here. > > That is very impressive given that this is the first time China had taken > > part in the test. > > > > PISA tests are scored on a scale with 500 as the average. Two-thirds of > > students in participating countries score between 400 and 600. > > On the math test, the Chinese students beat everybody by a wide margin. > > Second-place Singapore, which has been seen as an educational superstar > in > > recent years, scored 562. Germany was a distant third at 513. > > The United States scored 487, a score that was behind 30 other countries. > > On the reading test, China had the top score again at 556. South Korea > came > > in second with 539 and the United States came in 17th with a 500, > clustered > > around students from the Netherlands, Belgium, Norway, Germany, France, > and > > the United Kingdom. > > In science, China was first AGAIN with a 575. Finland came in second with > a > > 554 and the United States came in 23rd with a 502. > > What is the secret to China's academic success? Simple; they work their > > butts off. Most Chinese students don't finish until 5 p.m. or 6 p.m., > watch > > little television and play very few video games. Chinese students are > > prohibited from working before the age of 16, so they can concentrate on > > school. Plus, most students attend tutoring classes after school and on > > Saturdays. > > "Very rarely do children in other countries receive academic training as > > intensive as our children do. So if the test is on math and science, > there's > > no doubt Chinese students will win the competition," said Sun Baohong of > the > > Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences. > > > > -- > > This message has been scanned for viruses and > > dangerous content by *MailScanner* <http://www.mailscanner.info/>, and > is > > believed to be clean. > > _______________________________________________ > > WestNileNet mailing list > > [email protected] > > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > > > WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ > > > > All Archives can be found at > > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ > > > > The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including > > attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any > way. > > _______________________________________________ > > > > > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/private/westnilenet/attachments/20110112/3cc06eea/attachment.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > WestNileNet mailing list > [email protected] > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > > End of WestNileNet Digest, Vol 29, Issue 37 > ******************************************* > > -- > This message has been scanned for viruses and > dangerous content by MailScanner, and is > believed to be clean. > > -- This message has been scanned for viruses and dangerous content by MailScanner, and is believed to be clean.
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