American Education v. Chinese Education: The Chinese View

China’s Wealthy Parents Are Fed Up With State-Run Education from Foreign Policy Magazine
"Forget rote memorization and pressure-packed tests -- Western, alternative learning is the new rage. ... Chinese studying abroad, who numbered 300,000 in 2013 alone, often return with superior foreign language and critical thinking skills and are generally favored over peers who lack such experience. Influenced by this trend, parents are now racing for their children to acquire skills imparted by Western pedagogies starting at an early age."
 The Irony here is that they will NEVER have a western style education there -- so long as they have the kind of government they have.  NOT. EVER.  The darker irony is that exactly what these Chinese want for their kids is exactly what Americans seem determined to jetison from our own system of higher ed.  Sad.