Beijing: A top Chinese educationist has slammed US education system, saying it was in "complete mess", inviting sharp criticism from the country`s microbloggers who termed his comments hypocritical and arrogant.
Peking University President Zhou Qifeng bashed US
education as being "a complete mess" during a speech in
Changsha, Hunan Province yesterday.
"The US education system is a complete mess, even the
President of the country hasn`t learned to respect others, and
uses force to get others to follow his will," Zhou told the
audience comprised of students from the city`s four elite
schools at Changsha No. 1 Middle School, according to state
run Global Times.
Zhou made the comments amid widespread criticism of
China`s education system, which he claimed has been a great
success.
"The reason our country has been making progress is we
keep producing talent within our education system," Zhou said.
"Since US education is bad in your opinion, why did you
choose to study in the US for your master`s and doctorate
degrees? As a graduate of Peking University, I am ashamed of
your remarks," one comment said referring to his own US
degree.
Zhou got his his master`s and doctorate degrees from the
University of Massachusetts.
Another blogger wrote "he is extremely arrogant. If the
presidents of Chinese universities all share this opinion, how
can Chinese education make any progress?"
Jiang Shuye, a publisher at an educational book company
in Beijing, said: "Zhou should try to find out why more
Chinese college graduates choose to get their master`s and
doctorate degrees at US universities, and why more middle
school students in China now take the SAT test. Are these
examples of the advances Chinese education has made and the
bad points of education in the US?"
Over one lakh of Chinese students studied in US this
year, over taking their Indian counterparts, numbering over
90,000.
PTI
