The BBC documentary series Are Our Kids Tough Enough ? Chinese School spark global debate on education styles. [A screenshot from BBC website]

8. BBC documentary stirs Sino-UK education debate

Since the BBC documentary series, Are Our Kids Tough Enough? Chinese School, made its debut in August, it soon became one of the top topics on social networks in both China and Britain, with many education specialists commenting and retweeting.

In the documentary, five Chinese teachers took over a British classroom with 50 teenagers aged 13 and 14 in Bohunt School in Hampshire for one month, and taught them in a typical Chinese way: no talking, no questions, wearing a special uniform and experiencing the harsh classroom discipline within extended school hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The pride and reputation of the education systems of China and England rested on a four hour exam, testing science, math and mandarin. The final result showed a clean sweep for the Chinese method of teaching in all three categories. Is the Chinese way of education the real winner? The debate rages on.

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