Freedom of thought Every common mainland Chinese student is required to take one class called "ideology and politics" throughout the schooling. In middle school and high school, it is called "ideolog

Kailin

Freedom of thought Every common mainland Chinese student is required to take one class called "ideology and politics" throughout the schooling. In middle school and high school, it is called "ideology and politics" and in university, it is called "Ideological and moral cultivation and legal foundation " in the first year, and "An introduction to Mao Zedong's Thought " in the second year. The courses are about Marxism-Leninism, Mao's Theories, the Scientific Outlook on Development,etc. The exams of these courses require the students, who want to pass it, to memorize all the concepts and main ideas as written in the book and write the text from memory while in exams. I feel that every year I learn the same thing, but the only outcome is not a deeper understanding of the great theories, but a better knack of memorizing these things in a short time and forgetting it afterwards. I can say that most of the Chinese students dislike this class due to the dullness of the theories, the grind of memorizing them and the disgust of taking exams. Even though we are loath to take it, there is no other way around, because you can't graduate if you fail it. However, I didn't feel there was anything wrong, since I had passed a lot of the exams thanks to a good memory, until my Chinese teacher told us:"You all underestimate the power of language and the genius of those who design this system. When reciting it, you are actually forced to take it in. Then you know a lot of words like 'dialectical materialism', 'scientific development' etc. and you automatically regard them as justifiable as you speak them out and write them down over and over again, even though you disagree with it in the first place." There is no room to deny the theories both in class and in the exam papers, no room for discussion and debate, either. Students learn them, receive them, memorize them and gradually accept them. It is a successful brainwash, especially when there is hardly any access to what theories exceed them. As the saying goes, "A lie, if repeated often enough, will be accepted as truth", not to mention that the lie may seem very plausible itself ! I don't mean to say it is completely wrong to have such a Politics education system since it contributes to social stability, but that students can become smarter and be more sincerely convinced if more room of discussion and denial is allowed.

Apr 19, 2014 6:45 AM

Corrections · 2

Freedom of thought

Every common mainland Chinese student is required to take one class called "ideology and politics" throughout the schooling. In middle school and high school, it is called "ideology and politics" and in university, it is called "Ideological and moral cultivation and legal foundation " in the first year, and "An introduction to Mao Zedong's Thought " in the second year.

The courses are about Marxism-Leninism, Mao's Theories, the Scientific Outlook on Development,etc. The exams of these courses require the students, who want to pass it, to memorize all the concepts and main ideas as written in the book and write the text from memory while in exams. I feel that every year I learn the same thing, but the only outcome is not a deeper understanding of the great theories, but a better knack of memorizing these things in a short time and forgetting it afterwards.

I can say that most of the Chinese students dislike this class due to the dullness of the theories, the grind of memorizing them and the disgust unpleasantness1* of taking exams. Even though we are loath to take it, there is no other way around, because you can't graduate if you fail it.

However, I didn't feel there was anything wrong, since I had passed a lot of the exams thanks to a good memory, until my Chinese teacher told us:"You all underestimate the power of language and the genius of those who design this system. When reciting it, you are actually forced to take it in. Then you know a lot of words like 'dialectical materialism', 'scientific development' etc. and you automatically regard them as justifiable as you speak them out and write them down over and over again, even though you disagree with it in the first place."

There is no room to deny the theories both in class and in the exam papers, no room for discussion and debate, either. Students learn them, receive them, memorize them and gradually accept them. It is a successful brainwash, especially when there is hardly any access to what theories exceed?2* them.

As the saying goes, "A lie, if repeated often enough, will be accepted as truth", not to mention that the lie may seem very plausible itself !

I don't mean to say it is completely wrong to have such a Politics education system since it contributes to social stability, but that students can become smarter and be more sincerely convinced if more room of discussion and denial is allowed.