MCLC: right to cheat (2,3)

[Denton, Kirk]

MCLC LIST
From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: right to cheat (2)
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Dear students of Professor Sun,

I think many U.S.-based scholars of Chinese culture read this story about
cheating at a gaokao site in Hubei not as a statement about Chinese
character or about the "moral vacuum" in the post-Mao PRC.  Rather, some
of us regard it as a predictable result of the sort of high-stakes testing
that exists in China and is becoming increasingly common in the U.S.

Here is a somewhat similar story about cheating in the Hubei of the U.S.
(Tennessee):  

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/02/education/in-memphis-cheating-ring-teache
rs-are-the-accused.html

I think your teacher is mischaracterizing the views of the members of the
MCLC list, most if not all of whom, I believe, share a deep love of
Chinese culture, an appreciation of the many challenges facing colleagues
and students in China, and admiration for how well so many of them deal
with these challenges.

That said, I would guess that many members of this list find posts that
identify problems more interesting than posts that point out successes. Of
course, posts that present interesting analyses of problems are even
better. While I disagree with Professor Sun's analysis in this case, I am
glad it was posted. I hope you all will offer your views on the gaokao and
how the system might be improved.

Best wishes,
Kristin


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From: kirk (denton.2 at osu.edu)
Subject: right to cheat (3)

I hope that Prof. Sun and his students understand what should be
abundantly clear: posting a news report on the list does not necessarily
mean that the poster agrees with the content or attitude of the report.
Personally, I find fault with many, if not most, of the articles that get
posted on the list. The purpose of posting them is to draw attention to
things going on in China and to the ways those things get represented, and
to stimulate the very kinds of incisive critiques that Prof. Sun offered
in his posting.

Kirk