World Class
One Mother's Journey Halfway Around the Globe in Search of the Best Education for Her Children
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
“An upbeat chronicle of [Clavel’s] children’s school experiences in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo…[offering] advice about vetting schools and enriching children’s education.” —Kirkus Reviews
“An intriguing volume on the differences in global education.” —Library Journal
A must-read firsthand exploration of why Asian students are outpacing their American counterparts and how to help our children excel in today’s competitive world.
When Teru Clavel had young children, she watched her friends and fellow parents vie for spots in elite New York City schools. Instead of losing herself in the intensive applications and interview process, Teru and her family moved to Asia, embarking on a decade-long journey through the public schools of Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Tokyo.
These schools were low-tech and bare-bones, with teachers who demanded obedience and order. In Hong Kong, her children’s school was nicknamed The Prison for its foreboding facilities, yet her three-year-old loved his teachers and his nightly homework. In Tokyo, the students were responsible for school chores, like preparing and serving school lunches.
Yet Teru was amazed to discover that her children thrived in these academically competitive cultures; they learned to be independent, self-confident, resilient, and, above all, they developed a deep love of learning. When the family returned to the States, the true culture shock came when the top schools could no longer keep up with her children.
Written with warmth and humor, World Class is a compelling story about how to inspire children to thrive academically. “Studded with lists of useful tips about choosing schools and hiring tutors, for parents who must advocate for their children and supplement gaps in their educations” (Publishers Weekly) and an insightful guide to set your children on a path towards lifelong success.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Education consultant and columnist Clavel catalogues her children's educational experiences across two continents in this thoughtful combination memoir and manual. Wanting to raise her children as global citizens, Clavel leaves the expat bubble of Hong Kong; her recounting of the family's journey through Asia to California, with stops in four cities and several schools, highlights vivid differences in philosophy, method, and results between Asian countries and the U.S. In Shanghai, Clavel marvels at the insistence on mastery and high expectations that press students to excel. In Tokyo, she enjoys how her children learn independence, cooperation, and citizenship. In both countries, she finds, "education a national priority, meant to serve the public good" and governments invest in teachers in terms of both salary and training. The top-rated school district in the U.S., Palo Alto, Calif., on the other hand, dismays her with its emphasis on technology; careless approach to curriculum, instruction, and grades; and the general U.S. education funding model, in which the best education is reserved for the privileged. The personal narrative is studded with lists of useful tips about choosing schools and hiring tutors, for parents who must advocate for their children and supplement gaps in their educations. Clavel's hard-won lessons will be appreciated most by those who share her optimism that the U.S. system can change.