Chapter 3: The Harm of Centralized Systems for Education

In 2008, the documentary Two Million Minutes: A Global Examination, directed by American director Chad Heeter, was released globally. In the movie, Heeter notes that in the United States, students, regardless of their grades, tend to be arrogant and complacent about their abilities. They talk about inventions and creations all day long and naively believe that they could easily change the world. Their education pays considerable attention to music, sports, and art but neglects mathematics, physics, and chemistry. The classroom is almost beyond the teacher’s control. Students show little or no respect for their teacher: they wink, talk, cross their legs, and even walk around the classroom as if they were shopping. On this basis, Heeter concluded that basic education in the United States was very poor, and that in another 20 years, China’s science and technology and culture would catch and surpass those of the United States.