What makes Chinese students so successful by international standards?

There is a widespread belief in the Western world that Chinese students are taught through rote, passive learning – and such an educational system can only produce obedient workers who lack innovation and creativity.

We argue that this is far from the case. In fact, the Chinese education system produces highly successful students and an extremely skilled and creative workforce. We think the world can learn something from this.

In a viral video earlier this year, Apple CEO Tim Cook highlighted the unique concentration of skilled labor that has attracted its manufacturing facilities to China:

In the US we could have a meeting of tool engineers and I’m not sure we could fill the room. In China, you can fill several football fields.

To which Tesla CEO Elon Musk quickly replied to X: “True.”

When South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the headquarters of electric car maker BYD in Shenzhen earlier this year, he was surprised to learn that the company plans to double its 100,000-strong engineering team over the next decade.

He might not have been so surprised if he had known that Chinese universities produce more than ten million graduates every year – the basis of a super economy.

“The Chinese Student Paradox”

Chinese students achieve outstanding results compared to their Western (or non-Confucian) counterparts.

Since Shanghai first took part in the PISA education assessment in 2009, 15-year-olds in China have topped the league tables in reading, maths and science three out of four times.

How can the supposedly passive and jaded Chinese system outperform its Western counterparts? A number of Australian scientists have been studying this “Chinese student paradox” since the 1990s.

Their research shows that conventional wisdom about students from China and other Asian countries is wrong. For example, repetition and meaningful learning are not mutually exclusive. As one Chinese proverb says:

书读百遍其意自现 – the meaning is revealed when you read something many times.

What can Western education learn?

An emphasis on education is a defining feature of Chinese culture. Since Confucianism became a state-sanctioned doctrine during the Han Dynasty (202–220 AD), education has permeated every structure of Chinese society.

This became especially true after the institutionalization of the Keju civil service examination system during the Sui Dynasty (581–618 CE).

Today, the Gaokao University entrance exam is the modern equivalent of Keju. Millions of school leavers take the exam every year. For three days every July, Chinese society largely comes to a standstill due to the Gaokao.

Although the cultural desire for educational excellence is a primary motivation for all those involved in the system, it is not something that is easily learned and replicated in Western societies.

However, we believe that there are two principles that are critical to the success of Chinese education, both at the student and system levels. To illustrate this, we use two Chinese idioms.

The first we call “orderly and gradual progress” – 循序渐进. This principle emphasizes patient, gradual and consistent learning, supported by persistence and delayed gratification.

The second we call “thick accumulation before thin production” – 厚积薄发. This principle emphasizes the importance of two things:

• comprehensive basis through the accumulation of basic knowledge and skills
• assimilation, integration and productive creativity come only after this solid foundation.

Knowledge, skills and creativity

The epitome of orderly and gradual progress is the way calligraphy is learned. It goes from simple to complex, from simple to complex, from imitation to free writing, from technology to art. Since 2013, it has been a compulsory weekly lesson in all primary and secondary schools in China.

The art of Chinese writing embodies patience, diligence, breathing, concentration and an appreciation of the natural beauty of rhythm. It teaches Chinese values ​​of harmony and aesthetic spirit.

“Thick accumulation” can be illustrated by how students study very hard for the national Gaokao examination, as well as during higher education. In this way, they accumulate basic knowledge and skills necessary in modern society.

Thin Manufacturing refers to the ability to narrow or focus accumulated knowledge and skills to find and implement creative solutions in the workplace or elsewhere.

Ways of learning

At first glance, the emphasis on gradual and steady progress and the accumulation of basic knowledge and skills may seem like a slow, monotonous and boring process – the source of those common myths about learning Chinese.

It really comes down to a simple argument: without a critical mass of basic knowledge and skills, little can be assimilated and integrated into productive creativity.

Of course, there are problems with Chinese language learning and education, not least due to fierce competition and an over-emphasis on exams. But our goal here is simply to show how two basic educational principles underlie the achievements of Chinese science and technology in the modern knowledge economy.

We believe that these principles are applicable and potentially useful to policymakers, scientists, and students in other countries.