Why China learns its lessons off by heart

A UK student in Guangzhou finds out why Chinese teachers are so keen on memorisation. It's 7.30am and the walk to class takes me past scores of Chinese students reciting English in preparation for a constant stream of tests and exams.
I only recently arrived to study in China, but it doesn't take long to observe that here memorisation is paramount. Remembering rather than understanding appears to be the principal goal of the education system – and that seems archaic to the Western eye. However, the Chinese believe memorising provides a route to understanding.
International studies show that Professor An Ran, dean of international education at South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, explains: "Whereas Westerners see memorisation and understanding as mutually exclusive, Chinese tend to see them as related phenomena."
China's is among the most successful education systems in the world, which would seem to validate this approach. Read more...