US teacher impressed by Chinese students

Andrew Sawnders, a teacher from the United States, has been surprised at the efforts Chinese families dedicate to children's education, Changshan-based Xiaoxiang Morning Herald reported on Wednesday.

Sawnders has been teaching English at a school in Changsha, the capital city of Hunan province, for two years since he married Jiang Man, a local woman, in 2016.

Sawnders, who gained his bachelor's degree in education at University of Delaware, has developed a strong interest in English teaching in China, because the education environment in the country is what he wants.

He said Chinese students are passionate about learning and make great efforts to improve their academic performance. The parents also attach much more importance to their children' education compared to their US counterparts.

In the US, parents will not interfere with their children's study, and if the children do not perform that good, they will let them go, he added.

Chinese students know what they want and what they need, he said. If the course contents the teacher instruct them are useless to exams, they will make a complaint to the teacher's director, he added.

Beautiful views of schools in Changsha also impressed him. He said that he has been to many schools in the city and they are all in good conditions, showing the government's huge investment in the schools' infrastructure construction.

Lu Hongming, director of Changsha education bureau, said that 3.63 billion yuan ($547 million) has been invested in building and improving local schools in the past five years. Hunan province is stepping up its efforts in developing education and plans to build a strong talent pool by 2020.