Hong Kong’s ‘tiger parents’ face the pressure
Since Amy Chua published her “Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother”, it has dominated school-gate conversation in Hong Kong, with parents soul-searching over how much they demand of their children. The American mother’s account of her Chinese-influenced, high-pressure parenting sounded more than a little familiar in the fiercely competitive city, where parents say they are also pushed to perform.
Jachinson Chan’s daughters, aged 11 and 13, are ferried to an extracurricular activity every day of the week — from Spanish to guitar, tennis and extra mathematics. “People think we’re crazy,” he said — but not because his children are too busy. “We’re a joke among our friends because we don’t have that many activities.” And not just any activity is good enough. “Piano is no longer considered a big deal,” said Chan. “If your kid is in primary school and he or she can play the piano really well, the schools will yawn. “You need trombone, for example — something that not many people want to play. Parents are encouraging their kids to play the oboe.”
OECD rankings generally place Hong Kong above the international average in education standards, and often near the top worldwide, but local universities only take 18 percent of school students. So as parents climb the ladder in one of the world’s most competitive economies, they and their children must also contend with the academic equivalent.
Remember, Americans are not that homogenous a group. We were debating the same issue of “Are we overscheduling our children” 20 years ago. Such a topic was on 60 Minutes. I think all cultures can learn from eachother, don’t you? Americans obviuosly have built a great higher ecducation system that is sought after by the entire world. Hong Kong parents can learn for Americans to diversify in music and sports and to focus on dance and drama too. Asiance is an interesting forum!
FYi: You need to understand a bit more about feminism: Remember all the feminists in the world have paved the way so you can raise your voice! These women also adopt needy children from all over the world!
Thank you for your comment. I will research “Are we overscheduling our children” and the topic covered on “60 Minutes”.
With regard to your comments:
1. Yes, I think all cultures should learn from one another.
2. I understand more about feminism than you care to know! I am not a feminist as I am a traditional female and am proud of it. I love to cook, bake, sew, knit, etc. and enjoy looking up to and taking care of my man as I have a very nurturing personality. There are so many aspects of feminism that I simply don’t like and don’t agree with. That said, I am sorry if it is not “politically correct” but that is how I feel. BTW, my mother adopted two needy children and she is hardly a feminist. My father clearly “wore the pants” in the household. I cringe whenever I see men emasculated and berated by their wives (usually die hard feminists).
There are two sides to every issue and I do appreciate that you expressed your view!
With regard to Amy Chua and Tiger Parents, the proof is in the pudding. OECD rankings generally place Hong Kong above the international average in education standards, and often near the top worldwide. The American culture could learn from this and adopt a method that clearly works.