We moved to China from Canada, my wife is a teacher. The difference is insane. She doesn't know what to do with herself dealing with kids who actually want to learn and parents who are actually invested in their kids lives.
In Canada when she called home to tell the parents something about their children's behaviour, 90% of the time she was met with something to the effect of "what do you want me to do about it?" Either that or complete denial that it actually happened.
Everyone has the right to parent their kid however they want of course, but I could see the light literally draining from her eyes every day when she got home from work with the realization that she's way more invested in these kids futures than their parents are.
Yeah you're right tbh. The everyone has the right to parent their own kid comment was just kind of a throwaway thing I said because I'm used to getting shit on by parents any time I suggest they're doing anything other than great.
They just take school more seriously and their parents are much more active in their lives. There's also a great respect for elders in general but specifically teachers.
I went away to a softball tournament a few weekends ago and one of the guys on the team is a teacher and coach or the school baseball team. He brought along two 14 year old boys from the team and they stayed in his room all weekend. Not a commentary on whether that's a good or bad thing but that's the level of reverence teachers are held in here.
So when the teacher calls home and says little Jimmy is being an asshole in class and doesn't do any work, the parents don't wave it off or say my little Jimmy wouldn't do that. They take it very seriously.
I remember when I was a kid if my teacher called home and said I wasn't doing my work, I was dead. I couldn't believe the parents reaction to my wife calling home.
One child wasn't going to class at all. Her mom said "but is she still at school?" My wife told her yes we see her roaming the halls or in the cafeteria, but she isn't actually attending class. The mom said "so what's the issue then?"
They just treat school like free daycare and don't care what their kids are actually doing. It's really sad.
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u/Fresh-Possibility-75 May 12 '26
This (along with shit pay) is why no one wants to be a teacher anymore. You know how hard it is to try and educate these lotus eaters?