Learning Chinese: culture — Unit 10

The text of this unit immerses us in the daily life of a foreign student at Beijing University (北京大学 Běijīng Dàxué). It is an opportunity to discover how school works in China, what philosophy underlies education, and how the relationship between teachers and students is built.

1. School life in China

The Chinese education system is made up of three main stages: primary school (小学 xiǎoxué, 6 years), middle school (初中 chūzhōng, 3 years) and high school (高中 gāozhōng, 3 years). Schooling is compulsory for 9 years, from primary school to middle school.

The days are long. A Chinese student often arrives at school between 7:00 and 7:30 in the morning. Classes (上课 shàngkè) usually start around 8:00 and end (下课 xiàkè) in the late afternoon, around 4:30 or 5:00 p.m. In many schools, students also have supervised study in the evening, sometimes until 9:00 p.m. in high school.

The midday break (中午 zhōngwǔ) is, on the other hand, quite long, often two hours. In many schools, students eat in the canteen and then take a nap (午休 wǔxiū) — a habit deeply rooted in Chinese culture. Some schools even provide folding beds for this break.

The collective morning physical exercises (早操 zǎocāo) are a ritual in most schools. All the students gather in the courtyard to perform synchronized exercises together, accompanied by music played over loudspeakers.

2. Chinese teaching philosophy

In the unit's text, the teacher says to the student: 今天要好好学习 jīntiān yào hǎohāo xuéxí ("today, you must study hard") and 学中文，要多说，多写 xué zhōngwén, yào duō shuō, duō xiě ("to learn Chinese, you must speak a lot and write a lot"). These remarks clearly illustrate the Chinese view of learning.

Education in China rests on a deep conviction: natural talent is not enough, it iseffort and repetition that lead to success. This idea has its roots in Confucian thought. Confucius (孔子 Kǒngzǐ) held that every individual could improve through study (学习 xuéxí), whatever their origins.

A famous proverb sums up this philosophy:

This is why homework is plentiful, memorization is valued, and repetition is seen not as boring, but as the natural path to competence. The character 习 xí (to practice), which we learn in this unit, actually reflects this philosophy: it depicts a fledgling flapping its wings to train itself to fly.

3. The teacher–student relationship

In China, the teacher (老师 lǎoshī) holds a highly respected place in society. The word 老师 does not only refer to a profession: it is an honorific title also used to address respectfully someone regarded as a guide or an expert. As early as Unit 3, we saw that one addresses a teacher by their family name followed by 老师 : 李老师 Lǐ lǎoshī, for example.

This mark of respect goes back to Confucian teaching. Confucius placed the master at the top of the five fundamental relationships of society. A popular saying sums up this view well:

In practice, this translates into behavior very different from what is common in the West. In class, students stand up to greet the teacher when they enter. They listen attentively and generally do not interrupt. Openly contradicting a teacher would be seen as a lack of respect, even though the culture is changing among younger generations.

In return, the teacher does not merely pass on knowledge: they often feel responsible for the behavior and morality of their students. In the text, the fact that the teacher reproaches the student for their absence the day before (老师说我昨天没有来上课 lǎoshī shuō wǒ zuótiān méiyǒu lái shàngkè) is quite natural. The teacher acts like a caring parent bringing someone back into line.

4. Regional disparity in education

China is a huge country and educational conditions vary considerably from one region to another. In big cities such as Beijing (北京 Běijīng), Shanghai (上海 Shànghǎi) or Guangzhou (广州 Guǎngzhōu), schools are well equipped, teachers well trained, and students have access to modern digital resources.

By contrast, in the rural areas of western and central China, the situation can be very different. Schools are sometimes far away, infrastructure modest, and teachers fewer in number. Some children must walk several kilometers every morning to get to school (上学 shàngxué).

The Chinese government has put in place policies to reduce these inequalities, in particular by making compulsory schooling free and by investing in rural schools. Despite these efforts, the disparities persist and remain an important topic of debate in Chinese society.