I'm a Chinese from mainland China, and I have received high quality education there from elementary school all the way to the college. Now I'm a PhD candidate in the University of Chicago. It is the paid off of my hard work, but I also know I was lucky to have lived in a big city where education resources are abundant. Some of my friends or relatives have experienced the similar things that are filmed by the documentary, and I do know these shits are prevalent in most of the rural place of China. Thanks to the maker of the documentary to let the rest of the world know the struggle of the people(students) in Chinese rural place. Hope these kind of videos will bring attention from the Chinese government(at least I wish), and the people who are devoted to the education in the poor place from the other places outside of China. Believe me THEY ARE SMART AND HARD WORKING KIDS, and THEY DESERVE A PROMISING FUTURE. Thanks again to the maker.
Your comments really tell the story! I'm from Hubei, grew up in a rural town and then migrated to a city (still in Hubei) with my parents as they worked really hard to give me a better educational opportunity. My entire 6 years in middle school only had one theme: getting into a good college. My schoolmates in the middle school were all from middle-bottom social class. However, we were still much better than kids who are in "real"/"poor" rural places. Now I'm a PhD candidate at a top 2 university. I never forget where I started from and how much I should appreciate for what I've had. I hope I can set up an education donation fund in my home town after I get a job and salary. I know even 300 RMB (about 45 US dollars) can pay for a kid's one semester living fee (at least in my generation, may subject to inflation nowadays). I hope the government can input more resources and attention to these populations and regions. They are the future of China!
Next time I feel like skipping a semester, I will try my hardest to remember this documentary.... Highest of respect to the mother of the young girl....
Completely agree. Documentaries like these really make me appreciate what I have. I shouldn't complain about my classes or having to go to work when others are giving their last to do just that.
Watching these have been motivating me to be a good human. I’m Chinese myself. But I was adopted by 2 lovely moms. I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for them. I’m not a strong test taker. I have accommodations for my exams. There are significant improvements but still more to improve. I’m a transfer student, second semester in my university ^-^. So much happier here :).
This film made me feel guilty, that all the time I spend on TV shows and computer games, all the classes that I didn't pay attention to are the insult to those people who work extremely hard but still don't have the opportunities and resources that I have. I have to stop wasting my time and really start to appreciate everything I have.
This documentary touched me deeply cause Wang Pan's experience reminded me of my younger sister, who just entered the college this year and we could hardly afford her expensive tuition. And fortunately we made it with the help with our relatives and the loan. Those are real stories happening in rural area in China. And I am the lucky one, thanks to my mom and dad. Things are getting better though it's still tough now.
Can we all just appreciate that mom and also her community who did what they could to help Wang Pan afford and expensive dream that doesn't even assure a return of investment? That is selflessness 101
It could be selflessness 101 AND be stupidity 101. Not exclusive. However, it isn't stupid, either. It is TRAGIC because other people take advantage of the desperation of people there, knowing that they would pay high amounts just to send their kids to school. Please check your privilege before you start looking down on people.
I disagree about the point being that the future of China's less fortunate children is a lost cause, but the point of the video is open to interpretation. More than that, I don't see why there was a need to point out a "point" in reply to this. Would be helpful if you explained :)
My salutes to the mom of the young girl, her overall attitude and that to not upset her daughter knowing the limitations of her daughter in study, her own physical challenge along with many other challenges is something what they talk about great leaders.
This is documentary is depressing. The dark side of all higher education. The con artists who are also trying to make a living, the girl with a very poor family with poor tests scores, and a broke, job-seeking graduate who lost a job within the trial week.
that means you have a good government. a good government knows how to make its country rich and strong and its people happy with their lives.(something like that)
Highest of respect to the mother of the young girl. When the singing that by mom rings, i almost to tears. The reality is so cruel and so unfair. It makes me feel helpless, but i always believe that the best way to solve problems is go straight at them. Thanks to the film maker!
:| 33:30 "top university fees are much cheaper ... I won't tell her she's not the studying type. I don't want to upset her.I will give her the chance if she wants to carry on studying." It's driving your heart to beat so fast, almost to explode, witnessing so much love, courage and self-sacrifice, that only a so loving, devoted mother can do for the so beloved children of her ...
I am from the capital of the province in this video, and I’m now studying in the University of Edinburgh. I graduated from one of the best high schools in that province. The friends and classmates of mine in China just have similar kind of life as me, which seemed normal to me. I feel sad after watching this, because I have never imagined that our life could be so hard. The world is really not fair.
renatoyutub I too have found that, in many countries in Asia, people will smile when hurting inside. I hurt watching the students and parents smiling in this video while discussing serious matters.
This is an eye opening video. As for myself, I am from Australia, and I don't even face these physical hardships that is faced by these individuals. Education is free for all children, and even University Education, where government is able to help support Australians in receiving these formalised trainings. Here in Australia, you can earn more then most educated individuals for example a builder, labourers can earn a couple hundred of dollars in a day, a couple of thousand dollars within the week. Everything is practically made for us to succeed. Over here, people usually are wanting the next best thing as for others around the world, they are dreaming of obtaining simple living. (for me it would be simple the things they need and want in life).
Don't worry, I know our media is evil. They are usually trying to shape people's perspective of what is actually going on. There is always more sides to a story. And sadly they show their own for people to watch them. I am selective with what I watch and don't believe what I am shown unless I go and do my research
This documentary is impressive and touching. I have lived through what the characters live in the doc. What moves me most is that every one of them who struggle to make a living remain optimistic in hardships. The song sung by Wang Pan's mom is heartbroken. Wuhan is a harsh place to fresh graduates. Wan Chao should have gone to Zhejiang,Canton or Shanghai to seek chances where he wouldnt find surviving so hard. I miss my parents so much at the end of this vid.
Being adopted from China by 2 lovely moms & a transfer university their year student. I am much happier where I am now. However, I have test taking accommodations, and a bunch of other things I’m just trying to resolve in time. Watching these films always have humbled me to realize what I have & that when I lose motivation, that if they can do it. So can I :3
Vocation school system is the best solution I think. I went to one instead of a "normal" high school. Vocation school you can study a profession and little basic knowledge in language and business/math etc. The profession can be Hairdresser, cosmetology, car repairer and electricians, house building, basic computer knowledge (more like a beginning of IT) Basic nurse that can work with elderly and handicapped (usually not in hospitals) Vocational Qualification in Business. They also have school for adults. Of course if you want to be a engineer or doctor and want to study in a university the vocation school is not the best solution. But not everyone needs a bachelors degree in this world.
We are all the in same boat, holding degrees that are close to worthless. Struggling to breathe is normal now. Breaks the heart every time I see someone in this same position.
It won't last long, my friend. A revolution is coming. Don't always connect revolution with violence and blood. this one is gonna be glorious and peaceful. It will change everything, it will change the whole structure of human beings' society. I have no doubt about that, because this corrupted and rotten world has no ability to hold up the human's future anymore. Transformation is inevitable.
Minghui Qiu The same things that have been said since forever about every revoluion. Society always ends up back in square one. The rich will always exploit the poor, and those who have the ability to survive and grow in such systems are those who will end up with a better life. Stop expecting that a revolution will solve all your problems. It hasn't before, and it won't ever.
MadEye Foody William Wallace will say, slave comes in this way. Just go on your cynicism, but if the world keep in this way, Orwell's 1984 is just a matter of time.
Incredible documentary. Mom's song at the end was devastating. The recruiter for Hongbo Education should consider applying for a position in one of the CCP's propaganda departments -- he'd fit right in. I taught graduate students at a public university in Shenyang for several years and some were the children of farmers in Shandong and other less well-off provinces. This documentary helps me better understand the incredible challenges and obstacles they had to overcome -- I tip my hat to them.
It's no body's fault really. It's only a matter of growth progress. since China opened its gates, everything become business, education is just riding this trend to enrich some body. If you so angered about the recruiter, then there are many of so called "International school/college" is right in our country, their recruiters are busy doing their con all around China's bigger cities, which asking for much higher tuition fee for each international students, ( few times more than local students fee) and we all know these VISA students will get no job permit after their graduated. So these international school/college/business can scam them for 3 or 4 years, then send them back where they come from. With the currency exchange rate at 1 US dollar = 5, 6 Chinese Yuan. These students are paying 5, 6 time more than their poor country side kid in this doc. and with no job secured right at the beginning.
I'm from China, a rural but relatively rich small area located in one of the poorest regions, so the majority around me is in poverty like people from the video, the story in the video is true and actually identical from what I've seen in the past. The problem is the uneven distribution of education resources, what can you expect when your teachers take the job just to receive financial benefits to survive care nothing about you and teaching itself, and most of your classmates just go to school because they don't have a choice- the worst possible combination! And about your parents- the fact is their generation generally lack of basic education which is not their fault, however the consequence is they can't give you any advice nor guide you academically(actually sometimes they made things worse by putting too much pressure on the kids without logical explanation). There do have a way to make things work- study hard don't mess around the majority, stay as a 'freak', but still the chance is incredibly low- as an approximation, roughly 50% kids from elementary school could enrolled in a acceptable middle school, 20% of them can go to a decent high school and finally 50% of them could wind up in a top tier university(like top 100 in US, and I would say top 50 in China), so the ratio is 1/20! There do have people find other ways work out but the amount of them is negligible.. The story in urban is almost opposite, those kids receive the-state-of-art education that some of the top high school teacher even hold a graduate degree from ivy league, life is so much easier for them. In my experience, I was attend the best high school in province, roughly 20 out of 60 people from poor family, by now half of them earned a decent job, and 2 of them are pursuing degree at Harvard and Yale, totally changed their fates; but in average rich kids still have a better career and life quality which sometimes makes me wondering how unfair the life is(though I'm not one of them), it is pathetic but true..
As a student from China, I appreciate that I got the chance to go to a top university. This document is heartbreaking. My cousin gets a really high grade in Gaokao, because of the financial situation and the limitations of knowledge of his parent he only got into a university which requires way lower grade than his grade. It is sad, but what can we do to change?
As I understand, In china, if an university was good enough, then you would pay less for it. Just like 211, 985. If his family can afford university and he did good in colllage entrance exam, there is no reason to choose a worse uni.
as a student from the poor areas,I see things do get better ,we've got free interest loans from the bank recent years and the government crack down on these fake universities.appreciate it !
I come from same province. But I live in big city,Wuhan. I also live in a better family:my mother is a doctor and my father is lawyer. With my own academic grades and my parents support, I am able to chase my undergraduate degree at University of Toronto. Thanks my family. Also feel sorry that there too many young people live in poverty and can do nothing at all. May god protect them. May god wish them.
Born and raised in one of the poorest area of China, I know there are very poor people struggling out there, but never seen them in eyes. For a country with the second largest economy, China should invest more money for higher education. The government did well for elementary through high school. Hope it can do better for the tertiary education. On the other hand, with such large population, competition is always fierce. You just have to be smart and hardworking to get out from the mountainous area. Hope the girl get government student loan and do well in college.
China's core problem is not in amount of investment in higher education, but the quality and corruption, briberies, In effect china has the largest amount of universities around the word and over 90% of them are government owned. The huge gap between universities and industry should be closed and students should learn how to adopt the society and foster their true interest instead of always trying to get the highest marks.
hai yin I agree with some of your point. Just talking education, China has too many problems. For that huge population, we really don't have adequate amount of tertiary education institutes. It's hard to fill the gap between reality and education, which is common for universities at other countries, including EU and US. But qualities of Chinese instructors and professors are generally below their counterparts in EU and US. On the other hand, university infrastructure is like twenty or thirty years behind US and EU. This could go as long as an article. Too complicated.
the girl's mother is so strong...Her dreams for her daughter is as same as any mother in the world...and that boy is trying so hard to get a job...i wish i could do something for them...they are so helpless...
I've never been as grateful as I am now that the country I'm in (Britain) provides us free education from primary school all the way up to college. I think I'm going to start taking my college work a little more serious and put more effort into it than what I used to.
As a Chinese, I envy you, and hope you to use your education resources wisely. Don't waste your study time, cause a lot of people in this world don't even have chance to waste it.
Don't worry, I'm taking my college work as serious as I can. I managed to get myself an overall Distinction (highest grade possible) on my last course. I'm now doing the next level up on my course and I currently have nothing but Distinctions.
So grateful for my parents' supporting me all the way to where I am standing right now. My favorite quote from the Truman show, "We accept the reality with which we are presented." I have always been so ignorant and arrogant with a narrow mindset which leads to my failing to look at this world from a different view in which I was brought up. I know that there are people out there who are still fighting for their survival and even the opportunity to be educated but I rarely remind myself of that. Who am I to complain about all the hardship that I am enduring right now?
I‘m so sad when I saw this video. Tears burst into my eyes.my parents are farmers,they believe only go to university I can find good job. I knew they try their best for me. I should study hard.
That song was just tragic, and throughout the whole documentary Wang Pan's Mom never wanted sympathy. She just wants a chance for her daughter to have the life and opportunity she never had. No one can deny the power of an genuine education, however the cost, the debt, the competition, and the lack of guarantees makes it a risk that can affect generations. Great documentary. I'm still trying to process it all.
Gut wrenching, every country experiences tough education struggles, relative to its own country economy. I wondered how they are doing now, 8yrs after the fact. Felt so bad for them and Wang Pan for her community and mom being so strong.
The young man looking for work and got a 1-week tryout doing MS-Excel highlights the problem with many companies that want workers to be job-ready. Colleges are giving students their diplomas & certificates but many lack the skills to make the transition from the classroom to workplace... often face-paced environment with you learning on your own. Must say he was quite honest with the lady at the job fair table stating he was a recent graduate. Here are my qualifications if you give me a chance.
exactly, they dont teach you how to use Excel at college, they just teach concepts, not skills. It's a waste. Also what job hires without training lol. Why didnt they train in the applications expected to be used on the job...? How is workplace training a luxury? I can see how there's no slowing down for one guy in a country with a billion people, but he clearly represents a significant demographic.
Yes, it's very great that he said honestly he hasn't done that yet. Not necessarily recent graduate, because it could instead be a good side at the job market (different from here, I know). However, his issue with Excel shows the problem of higher education, and else. I am so fortunate that I had a great mom (as a researcher), reminding me to get familiar with Microsoft office softwares (including Excel, of course), by the start of college.
things are really extreme in the film, but as many others stated in the comments, not so different from the rest of the world. In my country for example (Bulgaria) this issue with the bad schools in the province is also the case. We have a non profit organization that does much more than the government in this direction. We cannot always wait for the government... Governments are no longer trustworthy and cannot act quickly and in line with the new trends in education. Reforms are slow, clumsy and unsuccessful. Many people here send their kids to private lessons in Math or English to make sure they will end up in a good university and find a good job. This is expensive, it does not guarantee any success and not affordable for many.
thanks for sharing this and this is actually true in China, especially in the rural and poor places, people living in the bottom line can not afford to get good education, they will have to rely on the Gaokao( university entrance exams) to change their lives, the students who have better living standard and better education environment will be able to go to the top universities, ironically , the poor people who are suffering from making a living will have to pay for the high tuition fees, and after their education, they hardly have the opportunity to get a good job, they are in extramely proverty , they have to lower their salary expactancy so that the company will hire them...I had gone through the same, so I feel that, the cruel reality in the world is that if you are poor , you will not be able to have a chance to switch to the upper class...and you will be exploited
Life sucks, but all mothers are worthy of respect. Love is the only medicine to cure a broken heart. As a top university student in China who has experienced a brutal college entrance examination, I can understand the injustice and helplessness brought about by poverty. The government doesn’t do well to solve this problem, it’s not a people’s government anymore. But we cannot do anything, we are too weak to stand out. We still have a long way to go. Hope all of them have a better future, hope all poverty will be solved.
Chinese study too much, not enough self-discovery, Americans play too much, not enough knowledge for extensive self discovery. From my experience as a immigrant to America, I would say America is a much more relaxing and less stressful learning environment and courses. The importance of education is to provide a tool that basically builds an toolbox we called, "common knowledge". With this toolbox, your life builds from the tools. But if you only studied and not practice any creativity at your earlier life, you won't be able to create something extraordinary from it, but then again, if you have the creativity but not the toolbox...you will not build anything good either... Here is the the thing thou, because America had more freedom, it is up to you whether you want to increase your tools to make something extraordinary or not. This is the great thing about America compared to China, the choices are in your hands. For me, I left China with a fairly large toolbox for my age, but once in America, I understood how important this toolbox truly is.
I'm white. I have a degree. I graduated 1967. My parents didn't BUY it! I EARNED IT! I worked 156 STRAIGHT WEEKENDS, for which I was paid the princely sum of $25 for 30 hrs work. I made my clothes! I & a roommate lived in an 8x10 room, went year round for 3 years. We cooked our meals, weekly, walked a mile to a laundry mat& grocery. A class 'load' was 12 hrs a quarter. We took no less than 16 hrs! Once I took 21! NEVER missed a class! NO car, NO TV, NO AC, NO stereo, NO microwave, computer. fast food.
I went to school in the Philippines for four years but majority of my education was from the USA. I see the huge difference in culture and their style of learning. Yes, both systems are not perfect but I do all I can to bring the best of both worlds. At least here in the USA and the school I go to now, the teachers really look for your success as long as you do your part in meeting deadlines and passing the course.
man didn't even plan to watch a full documentary really hit me hard :( feeling so sad right now. i feel guilty to mess up my own studies when i have the opportunity in my country to find work immediately after graduating. this documentary helped me to see how lucky i am ... :( pff
i am victim of universities privatized and education commercialization. For my family, my parents only have one child, that is me, i am their hope, they have to afford heavy burden to support me to a rubbish school and get rubbish education. every time, i see this video, i want to cry,
I know, it's getting really really bad in the industrialized A.K.A. wealthy countries. Here the state pays for students to go up until high school, but for college they're on their own. The price for private and state colleges is extremely expensive, and it only gets worse with time. Add to that the stagnant job market, and you have a bunch of poor people in debt, that could be pushing the nation forward, but instead have to push fries for a living. (If they're lucky enough to survive on their own. Sometimes they move back in at home, sometimes they apply for state assistance.) For my own family, this has resulted in various results. (I live in the United States, so we don't have to face the one child only policy.) My oldest sister went to a private university out of state. She expected to get a degree in Education. Now she works at a daycare center making a little over minimum wage, and she'll be in debt for years. My second oldest sister went to a semester of community college (these schools allow for two years of education and are less expensive), but quit and went to work at an amusement park. She's slowly moving up, but she's still living at home. My brother got really lucky and was offered a scholarship to a state college. (He'll probably be the most successful out of all of us.) Then there is me. I honestly don't know what my future will look like. I want to be a photographer and start my own business, so I'm taking classes at the local community college. I might have a bright future, I got an interview from a local photography company, but I don't know if they'll take me. And if I don't, I won't have any money to pay off the loans or start my business.
chao chen I am a victim like you but I did not give up trying. Look for self-employment ideas--something that you can do on your own. You will not be rich but you will at least stand on your own feet. Believe me, it works! It is like the light at the end of the dark tunnel. USA was the most technologically advanced country but now they are in shambles--the same story everywhere. The truth is, the rich/clever will always underpay but they demand you overpay them--the price-rise I mean. This economic disaster is not a matter of fate, it is manmade cleverness. The same capitalism runs every country and hence the same problem in every country. We have forgotten that the human lords are not our masters but the earth is our COMMON WEALTH. The only remedy is to bypass the lords and to stand on our own feet. There is no true solution other than this.
i have one question for all guys like you in china , why dont you follow your own dreams ? its your right you are a human being and youngages are for living happy with magical experiences
what a powerful film...i can't help but be overwhelmed by empathy with the raw struggles and humanity captured in this documentary. I feel humbled, grateful and most importantly invigorated with a sense of belonging--knowing that my struggles is simply mirrored and amplified all across the world in varying levels and severity.
It was worth watching to know how education is valued and how hard people have to work hard to achieve their goal. "...Nay, each must see with his own eyes, hear with his own ears and investigate the truth himself in order that he may follow the truth..."
"my girl, don't you get it? why can't you understand? a girl that can't hold a pen, how can you write and learn?" the song is heartbreaking as the mother sings with her trembling weeping voice. If only she was not disabled, she could have been better educated when she was a kid. maybe the vicious circle won't be happening to her baby girl.
This film makes me cry and now i am more convinced that China will be able to revive at last even though we have so many fucking problems of today and tomorrow;because we are the people who are most passionate about education, aspirant for better life, and willing to sacrifice for the next generation. i feel so proud to be Chinese. 这个片子让我坚信虽然里里外外操蛋事情这么多，但是中华必能复兴，因为我们是最热爱教育最上进最愿意为下一代牺牲的民族。为生而为中国人自豪。
like he said the pressure on the kids is high. in their culture education is a symbol to keep up the honor of the family. i can imagine feeling very bad when you fail.
I'm a chinese, after watching this documentary, i think it just reflects a very small part of chineses, most of us don't have such pressure like them, we normally study, normally work , and in time looking at China becoming greater and greater .But, i really feel much sympathy for these people who have no resources.Hope them better in future!
As a Chinese, I have to say the documentary couldn't be more real than the reality. China is famous of its three most profitable industries: real estate, banking and private education. The world's second largest GDP is actually build on the blood and tears of its citizens. And to tell you the truth, we Chinese can't even know this fact because those materials which is considered as "disharmonious" will be deleted totally and will never be found in anywhere. The purify action in China is called "Build a harmony society". But in my view, the harmony isn't build by hands, but by mouth. Because all you need to do is ban these "disharmonious" voices, and then the rest of the society will with no doubt be a very "harmonious" happy world. I can already foresee some patriots of China begin to attack my comments above, this is what I called my "disaster warning ability".~ haha. You cannot say anything negative in China, even if it gets some points. The only decent thing you can do is singing the praises for the country and the almighty party. Oh,even the calendar in my table shows it's 2014, but I swear to god that in China, the date should absolutely be thirty years early.
educating oneself is not about being smart, but having that mindset to recognize the importance of knowledge and learning. but most poor kids grow up in families that do not recognize the power of knowledge (and hence they are poor), and so the kids won't be able to develop that mindset, they would be short sighted and close minded
This documentary is very emotional for me. I tried not to cry but lost the battle at the end when the girl went off to school. The video leaves me feeling very angry with American students for being so lackadaisical about education, especially when I consider that American students with access to community/junior colleges have a free ride if they come from impoverished backgrounds. Meanwhile, others around the world are desperate just to make it into school. We need to honor our resources.
WOW! that was so touching, i didn't expect it to be, it made me thankful of every opportunity i have. It's so sad to see how some people take advantage of other people's problems.
Paul Petru Alexandru Cazacliu: She has every right to say that! It is not up to her to make decision, but her parents who feel lonely forces her to come to this world!
Education as an Antidote for Hunger Recently, the UN, and several related organizations, marked two significant dates: the World Food Day and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. International organizations for the poor and hungry have existed at least since the end of World War II, but neither poverty nor hunger have been eradicated. If anything, they have increased. What, then, are we doing wrong, and can we change the dismal reality? The problem is not lack of food; there is plenty of it. In fact, much of the food that is produced gets thrown away and pollutes the water and the ground rather than feeding hungry mouths. So people are hungry not for lack of food, but because there is no interest in helping people get it. The prevailing attitude is one of narcissism. We care only for ourselves and suspect everyone else’s intentions toward us. If we have any surplus funds, we use them to build walls and fences, not to help others. This is how we behave around the world as individuals and as nations. To quiet our conscience, we create organizations to tend to the poor and hungry. We fund them generously and appoint functionaries and bureaucrats to deal with the problem. But if our hearts were with the poor, we would not leave them in the hands of bureaucrats, just as we would not leave our children in the hands of social workers to see to their upbringing. We would see that the people we care about get what they need. Because we do not care, we appoint uncaring people who present plans for dealing with the spreading poverty and hunger, and announce special days to bring the problem to public awareness. They do not do a thing about the actual problems, but simply justify their bloated salaries through professionally designed presentations and verbose speeches that glorify their (nonexistent) achievements. If they truly wanted to solve the problem, which funds their lavish lifestyle, there would be many ways to do so. However, the surest way to lift people from poverty is education. First, there are technologies that can increase the yield of fields by multiple times through sophisticated irrigation systems, controlled environments, and other means. Farmers need to be taught how to use these technologies, and should be given the means to acquire them. This step alone would lift countless people out of hunger and poverty. Next, I think that organizations for eradication of poverty and hunger should use their budgets to buy lands where they will both grow crops for food that will be dedicated for the poor, and use some of the land to teach local farmers more efficient agriculture. Additionally, these centers for agriculture and education should be used in order to provide general education. It is well known that educated people have more opportunities in life, are generally better off, and can provide for themselves and their families better than uneducated people. Therefore, as a means to eradicate poverty and hunger, these centers should also provide general knowledge and education. Also, education should not be only about avoiding poverty. Poverty is not a personal matter, but a social one. Therefore, people who study at these education centers should also learn about solidarity, mutual responsibility, interdependence in today’s world, and other topics that will help them establish themselves as positive elements in a connected world. In this way, we can create an agrarian transformation that will become a social and cultural transformation that can free people not only from the grip of poverty and hunger, but integrate them in the global society of the 21st century as confident and positive individuals. In turn, these people will help others rise from poverty, and the process will gain momentum.
Wan Chao's manager did tell him to better his excel skills, but he didn't. He should really research jobs before applying for them as well as better his skills, he didn't know what logistics was. Also, there is other competition that have better knowledge and skills than he does. As for Wang Pan, she is a sweet girl who wants a better future for her parents and self, but unfortunately her cousin did speak the truth. If one doesn't have money, intelligence, and connections, especially in China, then it would be very difficult. She also admitted that she didn't know what to do or study. She should have followed her mother's advice from the beginning. Wang Pang should've gotten a job first to see what her interests are, earn and save money and think of her future plans. She basically got loans to study for a scam and for something she wasn't sure of.
Being accepted is not hard, trying to live is the most hardest, becoming someone important is very easy, staying someone important is very hard! Understanding the concept to the reasons of life can be hard and how this video relates to technology and logistics is puzzling to me and why It is a need to show the worse part of china provide know area of benefit to great advantage!
That's the same thing in India top goto government university/college and we have thousands of private colleges where u have to pay a good amount and sometimes that colleges go down and ran out of money
I see that a lot of people are mad at the recruiter but i would just like to say that the one you should be mad at isnt the recruiter but the owner. The children are not the only ones being taken advantage of but the recruiters as well. They are desparate for work (as is the point of the entire doc). In fact, no one would be willing to do this if they had the choice. If there was anything else for them they would take that over this.
I work at Transn - the company where Wan Chao was briefly employed. I showed this video to aa few folks in the office and they went loco trying to recognize all the people in the office scenes. Apparently it was shot with one Chinese guy and his modest camera.
Just watched the documentary. Really wish countries made more systems to support the poor or create avenues to help people find jobs. I can relate to the kind who was trying to find a job. I'm still trying to find a job and I've graduated. A lot of graduates around the world are having trouble these days. Yes, more people are educated, but that doesn't mean there should be so many job shortages. There needs to be more support systems.
so familiar scene……wuhan is my hometown, and the apartment he rented is just where my school lies. I was so anxious to know whether The girl will get the chance to go to the College, and it seems that the girl Is the only child in this family. From This point of view,She is lucky…… this good documentary makes my heart flow with the character and their experience.
Please do not overlook the fact that people in general have the full capacity to create their future. Anyone can accomplish anything with mental, physical, spiritual effort. They don't need a freaking university/school/college to tell them that they are not good enough. That is total elephant crap! History is full of outstanding individuals who have failed, been rejected, & ultimately changed the world without following the herd. Be your own advocate! People (especially Asian cultures) too often underestimate themselves. You are all geniuses. If you fail the first time, then get up & learn from it & do it again. If the 2nd time, then do it again. If the 3rd time, then do it again & so on. Do no let profit making so-called universities/colleges/schools take your hard-earned money just so you can have a paper that says you have graduated. BTW, standing ovation for the very supportive mother.
Great movie revealed the reality of rural areas of China, which were shadowed by the neon lights of mega super cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Salute to the handicapped mom, who spoke logically and with love about her daughter. Should she lived in the US, she would'vedefinitely had a much better life.
China as a nation, has one BIG shortcoming, population and how spread out it is. This is the root cause of why education is what is it today, and why health care is what it is today. Ideally you'd want every doctors and teachers are evenly spread across the country, but people don't work that way. People want better pays or working environment, teachers and doctors are no exception. This foundamental trait of human causes coverage problem. Chinese government had no choice but to lower the entering barrier for education and health care industry. There will be complications no doubt. But it's the only way for these public services to be accessible for everyone. IMO, it's a hard choice that has to be made. One of the bright side for the education is that, at least top students get to go the top schools which is cheap on tuition. I'm glad it's not the other way around like US.
Great documentary... The importance given to education is deeply routed in asian cultures (China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam,...) and that is one of the reasons they are generally performing so well compared to the others in the world...The mom of the girl really got my respect as a good human...and it was a bit comforting that the fucking scam school was closed off!
Its the same everywhere, I live in a developed western country, and it is still a struggle to even find a summer placement as a student at one of the top universities.
Anonymous 1 where I live in Germany it isn't about getting a spot at the best school, it's about getting a spot in the major you want. With about half the majors you are basically guaranteed a spot where ever you want and that includes stuff like Computer Science (and I don't actually know the rest but it's a lot). On the other hand majors like medicine are extremely hard to get into and even for business, politics, management etc you need at least a somewhat gpa.
genau, I am from china and seek my master degree right now in Germany. I spent so much effort to become the top 10% for Gaokao (Hochschulaufnahmepruefung in China) but get a not so good university in China (even thought much much better in the document). But what I feel is that I didn't get a decent bachelor education in China due to the lack of educational resource. One cannot deny that nowadays there are many world classic universities which can be ranked in top 500 internationally in china, however, due to the huge population it is still quite hard to get a ticket into these universities. I really cannot believe that when I came to Germany, my German friends just told me that they even do not need an Abitur grades to get into this major of the Uni with a international reputation. The education system is really fair in Germany but can never be applied simply in China
@@zeyufeng516 I ranked 0.5% in Gaokao, but still can't go to one of the top500 schools. Seeking to transfer now, wanna get rid of this shittiest system forever!!
I'm a Chinese from mainland China, and I have received high quality education there from elementary school all the way to the college. Now I'm a PhD candidate in the University of Chicago. It is the paid off of my hard work, but I also know I was lucky to have lived in a big city where education resources are abundant. Some of my friends or relatives have experienced the similar things that are filmed by the documentary, and I do know these shits are prevalent in most of the rural place of China. Thanks to the maker of the documentary to let the rest of the world know the struggle of the people(students) in Chinese rural place. Hope these kind of videos will bring attention from the Chinese government(at least I wish), and the people who are devoted to the education in the poor place from the other places outside of China. Believe me THEY ARE SMART AND HARD WORKING KIDS, and THEY DESERVE A PROMISING FUTURE. Thanks again to the maker.
Your comments really tell the story! I'm from Hubei, grew up in a rural town and then migrated to a city (still in Hubei) with my parents as they worked really hard to give me a better educational opportunity. My entire 6 years in middle school only had one theme: getting into a good college. My schoolmates in the middle school were all from middle-bottom social class. However, we were still much better than kids who are in "real"/"poor" rural places. Now I'm a PhD candidate at a top 2 university. I never forget where I started from and how much I should appreciate for what I've had. I hope I can set up an education donation fund in my home town after I get a job and salary. I know even 300 RMB (about 45 US dollars) can pay for a kid's one semester living fee (at least in my generation, may subject to inflation nowadays). I hope the government can input more resources and attention to these populations and regions. They are the future of China!
It sounds like China needs another revolution. Get rid of the capitalist parasites who are destroying your country.
有几个人能上一线大学,国外也不是每个人都能或者都想完成高等教育. 还是工作间的工资gap太高了,如果随便找个销售或者服务业就能养活自己,没有人会怪教育系统.
你很棒！
王敏哲 来生不要做中国大陆人！
Next time I feel like skipping a semester, I will try my hardest to remember this documentary....
Highest of respect to the mother of the young girl....
Hope you chose to study s/t that there is demand for,as well.
Completely agree. Documentaries like these really make me appreciate what I have. I shouldn't complain about my classes or having to go to work when others are giving their last to do just that.
yumi mango 。。。
Rudy B work hard and cherish the life you have！
Watching these have been motivating me to be a good human. I’m Chinese myself. But I was adopted by 2 lovely moms. I wouldn’t be alive if it wasn’t for them. I’m not a strong test taker. I have accommodations for my exams. There are significant improvements but still more to improve. I’m a transfer student, second semester in my university ^-^. So much happier here :).
This film made me feel guilty, that all the time I spend on TV shows and computer games, all the classes that I didn't pay attention to are the insult to those people who work extremely hard but still don't have the opportunities and resources that I have. I have to stop wasting my time and really start to appreciate everything I have.
hope you can make it as what you commented
This documentary touched me deeply cause Wang Pan's experience reminded me of my younger sister, who just entered the college this year and we could hardly afford her expensive tuition. And fortunately we made it with the help with our relatives and the loan.
Those are real stories happening in rural area in China. And I am the lucky one, thanks to my mom and dad. Things are getting better though it's still tough now.
Can we all just appreciate that mom and also her community who did what they could to help Wang Pan afford and expensive dream that doesn't even assure a return of investment?
That is selflessness 101
Definitely. It reminds me of the natural kindness in people's heart.
or it could be Stupidity 101
It could be selflessness 101 AND be stupidity 101. Not exclusive. However, it isn't stupid, either. It is TRAGIC because other people take advantage of the desperation of people there, knowing that they would pay high amounts just to send their kids to school. Please check your privilege before you start looking down on people.
the purpose of the documentary was to show that it was a lost cause, they are being scammed
I disagree about the point being that the future of China's less fortunate children is a lost cause, but the point of the video is open to interpretation. More than that, I don't see why there was a need to point out a "point" in reply to this. Would be helpful if you explained :)
My salutes to the mom of the young girl, her overall attitude and that to not upset her daughter knowing the limitations of her daughter in study, her own physical challenge along with many other challenges is something what they talk about great leaders.
Something Indians know all too well
This is documentary is depressing. The dark side of all higher education. The con artists who are also trying to make a living, the girl with a very poor family with poor tests scores, and a broke, job-seeking graduate who lost a job within the trial week.
"In a well governed country, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a poorly governed country, wealth is something to be ashamed of." -Confucius
I disagree with Confucius. What is well-governed anyway?
邦有道，贫且贱焉，耻也；邦无道，富且贵焉，耻也。
--《论语·泰伯篇》
what a fuckin smart man he was
that means you have a good government. a good government knows how to make its country rich and strong and its people happy with their lives.(something like that)
but wealthy and poverty exist at the same time though
I see this documentary when im tired of studying. It is much more efficient for studying than those study music.
Kelly Ni I'm horrible at getting myself to study... didn't for my finals and now that the last one's done I have even less reasons to do something :D
lol yes study music is relaxing, this is motivating right?
High respect to that mom. She is really resourceful and still has hope for her daughter in that circumstance while her husband just stood by.
Highest of respect to the mother of the young girl. When the singing that by mom rings, i almost to tears. The reality is so cruel and so unfair. It makes me feel helpless, but i always believe that the best way to solve problems is go straight at them. Thanks to the film maker!
:| 33:30 "top university fees are much cheaper ... I won't tell her she's not the studying type. I don't want to upset her.I will give her the chance if she wants to carry on studying." It's driving your heart to beat so fast, almost to explode, witnessing so much love, courage and self-sacrifice, that only a so loving, devoted mother can do for the so beloved children of her ...
I am from the capital of the province in this video, and I’m now studying in the University of Edinburgh. I graduated from one of the best high schools in that province. The friends and classmates of mine in China just have similar kind of life as me, which seemed normal to me. I feel sad after watching this, because I have never imagined that our life could be so hard. The world is really not fair.
I born from a decent Chinese middle class family. I m living in au currently, I will come back to China this summer. And be a volunteer tutor.
看完之后感触很深，真的很深。虽然不是来自武汉，但全国有很多这样的农村，也是为了子女上学拼尽全力。我真的感觉女孩的妈妈是个很坚强的人，如果她受过教育的话，绝对能过的很好，是一个很值得信赖、很有安全感的母亲，希望女孩能够好好读书，带家庭过上好的生活。王老师虽然也是被迫谋生，但我感觉他确实做的不对，这也反应出中国面临的一些问题。而求职者男生也很艰难，为了找工作也经历很多坎坷。这个社会太现实，作为还在念研究生的我来说，我是多幸运能受比较好的教育，我会继续努力，不辜负父母的教诲，同时希望自己以后能有能力帮助到这些人们！
something i noticed while i was in china is that people smile slightly when they are extremely ashamed ... that "teacher" is probably rotting inside.
renatoyutub I too have found that, in many countries in Asia, people will smile when hurting inside. I hurt watching the students and parents smiling in this video while discussing serious matters.
+renatoyutub I'm a Chinese. We Chinese are shy, that's why we smile when being interviewed..
+Royal Blue Are you angry when happy as well? Kinda hard to understand your emotions :/
we have a word for this in Chinese. It's called 苦笑(bitter smile). People do that when they feel powerless, this is the only way to face the hardship
This is an eye opening video. As for myself, I am from Australia, and I don't even face these physical hardships that is faced by these individuals. Education is free for all children, and even University Education, where government is able to help support Australians in receiving these formalised trainings. Here in Australia, you can earn more then most educated individuals for example a builder, labourers can earn a couple hundred of dollars in a day, a couple of thousand dollars within the week. Everything is practically made for us to succeed. Over here, people usually are wanting the next best thing as for others around the world, they are dreaming of obtaining simple living. (for me it would be simple the things they need and want in life).
So why exactly is your media portraying China as a devil? 😒
Don't worry, I know our media is evil. They are usually trying to shape people's perspective of what is actually going on. There is always more sides to a story. And sadly they show their own for people to watch them. I am selective with what I watch and don't believe what I am shown unless I go and do my research
Beautiful song by mom at 55:55 - she's the star in this film ❤
It really moved me
Shes my hero
This documentary is impressive and touching. I have lived through what the characters live in the doc. What moves me most is that every one of them who struggle to make a living remain optimistic in hardships. The song sung by Wang Pan's mom is heartbroken. Wuhan is a harsh place to fresh graduates. Wan Chao should have gone to Zhejiang,Canton or Shanghai to seek chances where he wouldnt find surviving so hard. I miss my parents so much at the end of this vid.
每段时间都要回顾一下以免太放松，，直面痛苦。
That mother seem like one of the nicest and most patient persons I have ever seen. She is a real hero.
Being adopted from China by 2 lovely moms & a transfer university their year student. I am much happier where I am now. However, I have test taking accommodations, and a bunch of other things I’m just trying to resolve in time. Watching these films always have humbled me to realize what I have & that when I lose motivation, that if they can do it. So can I :3
This is incredibly sad.
I’m a Chinese and this is so real.
Vocation school system is the best solution I think. I went to one instead of a "normal" high school. Vocation school you can study a profession and little basic knowledge in language and business/math etc. The profession can be Hairdresser, cosmetology, car repairer and electricians, house building, basic computer knowledge (more like a beginning of IT) Basic nurse that can work with elderly and handicapped (usually not in hospitals) Vocational Qualification in Business. They also have school for adults. Of course if you want to be a engineer or doctor and want to study in a university the vocation school is not the best solution. But not everyone needs a bachelors degree in this world.
We are all the in same boat, holding degrees that are close to worthless. Struggling to breathe is normal now. Breaks the heart every time I see someone in this same position.
I hold a worthless Bachelor of Science. Can't even pay a bill with it, I am on welfare.
It won't last long, my friend. A revolution is coming. Don't always connect revolution with violence and blood. this one is gonna be glorious and peaceful. It will change everything, it will change the whole structure of human beings' society. I have no doubt about that, because this corrupted and rotten world has no ability to hold up the human's future anymore. Transformation is inevitable.
Minghui Qiu The same things that have been said since forever about every revoluion. Society always ends up back in square one. The rich will always exploit the poor, and those who have the ability to survive and grow in such systems are those who will end up with a better life. Stop expecting that a revolution will solve all your problems. It hasn't before, and it won't ever.
MadEye Foody William Wallace will say, slave comes in this way. Just go on your cynicism, but if the world keep in this way, Orwell's 1984 is just a matter of time.
Minghui Qiu History says otherwise but keep being delusional if it serves you.
This is one of the best documentaries I've ever seen.
This is the first time I realize the reality of the poor in China🙁
Incredible documentary. Mom's song at the end was devastating. The recruiter for Hongbo Education should consider applying for a position in one of the CCP's propaganda departments -- he'd fit right in. I taught graduate students at a public university in Shenyang for several years and some were the children of farmers in Shandong and other less well-off provinces. This documentary helps me better understand the incredible challenges and obstacles they had to overcome -- I tip my hat to them.
It's no body's fault really. It's only a matter of growth progress. since China opened its gates, everything become business, education is just riding this trend to enrich some body. If you so angered about the recruiter, then there are many of so called "International school/college" is right in our country, their recruiters are busy doing their con all around China's bigger cities, which asking for much higher tuition fee for each international students, ( few times more than local students fee) and we all know these VISA students will get no job permit after their graduated. So these international school/college/business can scam them for 3 or 4 years, then send them back where they come from. With the currency exchange rate at 1 US dollar = 5, 6 Chinese Yuan. These students are paying 5, 6 time more than their poor country side kid in this doc. and with no job secured right at the beginning.
I'm from China, a rural but relatively rich small area located in one of the poorest regions, so the majority around me is in poverty like people from the video, the story in the video is true and actually identical from what I've seen in the past. The problem is the uneven distribution of education resources, what can you expect when your teachers take the job just to receive financial benefits to survive care nothing about you and teaching itself, and most of your classmates just go to school because they don't have a choice- the worst possible combination! And about your parents- the fact is their generation generally lack of basic education which is not their fault, however the consequence is they can't give you any advice nor guide you academically(actually sometimes they made things worse by putting too much pressure on the kids without logical explanation). There do have a way to make things work- study hard don't mess around the majority, stay as a 'freak', but still the chance is incredibly low- as an approximation, roughly 50% kids from elementary school could enrolled in a acceptable middle school, 20% of them can go to a decent high school and finally 50% of them could wind up in a top tier university(like top 100 in US, and I would say top 50 in China), so the ratio is 1/20! There do have people find other ways work out but the amount of them is negligible..
The story in urban is almost opposite, those kids receive the-state-of-art education that some of the top high school teacher even hold a graduate degree from ivy league, life is so much easier for them. In my experience, I was attend the best high school in province, roughly 20 out of 60 people from poor family, by now half of them earned a decent job, and 2 of them are pursuing degree at Harvard and Yale, totally changed their fates; but in average rich kids still have a better career and life quality which sometimes makes me wondering how unfair the life is(though I'm not one of them), it is pathetic but true..
gore the world is not unfair, from ancient to future.because everyone is different from another
世界本不公，自古到未来。
因为人生来就不同。
鲁迅先生说，真正的勇士敢于正视淋漓的鲜血。而这就是淋漓的鲜血！祖国的经济在腾飞，科技日新月异，各行各业都在与世界接轨，这些耀眼的光芒可能会让我们看不到角落里的阴影，感谢这部纪录片让我们看到，祖国还不够完美，让我们知道未来仍有很长的路要走。加油吧，同胞们！
As a student from China, I appreciate that I got the chance to go to a top university. This document is heartbreaking. My cousin gets a really high grade in Gaokao, because of the financial situation and the limitations of knowledge of his parent he only got into a university which requires way lower grade than his grade. It is sad, but what can we do to change?
As I understand, In china, if an university was good enough, then you would pay less for it. Just like 211, 985. If his family can afford university and he did good in colllage entrance exam, there is no reason to choose a worse uni.
as a student from the poor areas,I see things do get better ,we've got free interest loans from the bank recent years and the government crack down on these fake universities.appreciate it !
My heart was breaking as I watched this documentary. It really hit home how depressing and grinding poverty can be.
I come from same province. But I live in big city,Wuhan. I also live in a better family:my mother is a doctor and my father is lawyer. With my own academic grades and my parents support, I am able to chase my undergraduate degree at University of Toronto. Thanks my family. Also feel sorry that there too many young people live in poverty and can do nothing at all.
May god protect them. May god wish them.
想回复你什么，可是不知该如何回复，我不是武汉人，但我喜欢武汉，祝福你。
This documentary teaches more than most colleges do in several years.
Born and raised in one of the poorest area of China, I know there are very poor people struggling out there, but never seen them in eyes. For a country with the second largest economy, China should invest more money for higher education. The government did well for elementary through high school. Hope it can do better for the tertiary education. On the other hand, with such large population, competition is always fierce. You just have to be smart and hardworking to get out from the mountainous area. Hope the girl get government student loan and do well in college.
China's core problem is not in amount of investment in higher education, but the quality and corruption, briberies, In effect china has the largest amount of universities around the word and over 90% of them are government owned. The huge gap between universities and industry should be closed and students should learn how to adopt the society and foster their true interest instead of always trying to get the highest marks.
hai yin I agree with some of your point.
Just talking education, China has too many problems. For that huge population, we really don't have adequate amount of tertiary education institutes. It's hard to fill the gap between reality and education, which is common for universities at other countries, including EU and US. But qualities of Chinese instructors and professors are generally below their counterparts in EU and US. On the other hand, university infrastructure is like twenty or thirty years behind US and EU.
This could go as long as an article. Too complicated.
the girl's mother is so strong...Her dreams for her daughter is as same as any mother in the world...and that boy is trying so hard to get a job...i wish i could do something for them...they are so helpless...
I had no idea about places like Hangbo until this documentary. I can't believe they got away with it for such a long time.
The mom is so sweet it's breaking my heart
感觉王萍有一个幸福的家庭，虽然物质贫乏，但是父母都 很爱她。人人生来就不平等，希望命运不会辜负每一个努力生活的人。
I've never been as grateful as I am now that the country I'm in (Britain) provides us free education from primary school all the way up to college. I think I'm going to start taking my college work a little more serious and put more effort into it than what I used to.
As a Chinese, I envy you, and hope you to use your education resources wisely. Don't waste your study time, cause a lot of people in this world don't even have chance to waste it.
Don't worry, I'm taking my college work as serious as I can. I managed to get myself an overall Distinction (highest grade possible) on my last course. I'm now doing the next level up on my course and I currently have nothing but Distinctions.
reshi pn Interactive Media Level 3, English and Maths.
Me too. (United States.)
Amelia Allen Where do they offer free college in the U.S?
Heart breaking. I dare say it's probably worse off here in Africa.
So grateful for my parents' supporting me all the way to where I am standing right now. My favorite quote from the Truman show, "We accept the reality with which we are presented." I have always been so ignorant and arrogant with a narrow mindset which leads to my failing to look at this world from a different view in which I was brought up. I know that there are people out there who are still fighting for their survival and even the opportunity to be educated but I rarely remind myself of that. Who am I to complain about all the hardship that I am enduring right now?
I‘m so sad when I saw this video. Tears burst into my eyes.my parents are farmers,they believe only go to university I can find good job. I knew they try their best for me. I should study hard.
That song was just tragic, and throughout the whole documentary Wang Pan's Mom never wanted sympathy. She just wants a chance for her daughter to have the life and opportunity she never had. No one can deny the power of an genuine education, however the cost, the debt, the competition, and the lack of guarantees makes it a risk that can affect generations. Great documentary. I'm still trying to process it all.
Gut wrenching, every country experiences tough education struggles, relative to its own country economy.
I wondered how they are doing now, 8yrs after the fact.
Felt so bad for them and Wang Pan for her community and mom being so strong.
看了很有感触，纪录片是2012年拍完播出，很遗憾当时没看到。纪录片末尾提到，弘博软件学院已经倒闭，其老板开了一家更赚钱的民办大学（虽然官方号称“不以营利为目的”，实际上羊毛出在羊身上，买单的还是学生家长）。事实上，这家软件学院并未倒闭，现在依然存在，老板开了一家更赚钱的民办大学也是真事。网上资料显示，这家民办大学在全国排名算靠前（不得不说其老板或管理层很有“能力”）。
The young man looking for work and got a 1-week tryout doing MS-Excel highlights the problem with many companies that want workers to be job-ready. Colleges are giving students their diplomas & certificates but many lack the skills to make the transition from the classroom to workplace... often face-paced environment with you learning on your own.
Must say he was quite honest with the lady at the job fair table stating he was a recent graduate. Here are my qualifications if you give me a chance.
exactly, they dont teach you how to use Excel at college, they just teach concepts, not skills. It's a waste. Also what job hires without training lol. Why didnt they train in the applications expected to be used on the job...? How is workplace training a luxury? I can see how there's no slowing down for one guy in a country with a billion people, but he clearly represents a significant demographic.
Yes, it's very great that he said honestly he hasn't done that yet. Not necessarily recent graduate, because it could instead be a good side at the job market (different from here, I know).
However, his issue with Excel shows the problem of higher education, and else. I am so fortunate that I had a great mom (as a researcher), reminding me to get familiar with Microsoft office softwares (including Excel, of course), by the start of college.
things are really extreme in the film, but as many others stated in the comments, not so different from the rest of the world. In my country for example (Bulgaria) this issue with the bad schools in the province is also the case. We have a non profit organization that does much more than the government in this direction. We cannot always wait for the government... Governments are no longer trustworthy and cannot act quickly and in line with the new trends in education. Reforms are slow, clumsy and unsuccessful. Many people here send their kids to private lessons in Math or English to make sure they will end up in a good university and find a good job. This is expensive, it does not guarantee any success and not affordable for many.
thanks for sharing this and this is actually true in China, especially in the rural and poor places, people living in the bottom line can not afford to get good education, they will have to rely on the Gaokao( university entrance exams) to change their lives, the students who have better living standard and better education environment will be able to go to the top universities, ironically , the poor people who are suffering from making a living will have to pay for the high tuition fees, and after their education, they hardly have the opportunity to get a good job, they are in extramely proverty , they have to lower their salary expactancy so that the company will hire them...I had gone through the same, so I feel that, the cruel reality in the world is that if you are poor , you will not be able to have a chance to switch to the upper class...and you will be exploited
Appreciate what we have. They living in poor eventhough they have gone through proper education. Feel so sorry.
Life sucks, but all mothers are worthy of respect. Love is the only medicine to cure a broken heart. As a top university student in China who has experienced a brutal college entrance examination, I can understand the injustice and helplessness brought about by poverty. The government doesn’t do well to solve this problem, it’s not a people’s government anymore. But we cannot do anything, we are too weak to stand out. We still have a long way to go. Hope all of them have a better future, hope all poverty will be solved.
Chinese study too much, not enough self-discovery, Americans play too much, not enough knowledge for extensive self discovery. From my experience as a immigrant to America, I would say America is a much more relaxing and less stressful learning environment and courses. The importance of education is to provide a tool that basically builds an toolbox we called, "common knowledge". With this toolbox, your life builds from the tools. But if you only studied and not practice any creativity at your earlier life, you won't be able to create something extraordinary from it, but then again, if you have the creativity but not the toolbox...you will not build anything good either...
Here is the the thing thou, because America had more freedom, it is up to you whether you want to increase your tools to make something extraordinary or not. This is the great thing about America compared to China, the choices are in your hands.
For me, I left China with a fairly large toolbox for my age, but once in America, I understood how important this toolbox truly is.
OnePieceTVT
The choices are not in "your hands"
Rich white people BUY their kids degrees they do not even attend classes and do no work.
Maybe u will have another opinion in some years later
I'm white. I have a degree. I graduated 1967. My parents didn't BUY it! I EARNED IT! I worked 156 STRAIGHT WEEKENDS, for which I was paid the princely sum of $25 for 30 hrs work. I made my clothes! I & a roommate lived in an 8x10 room, went year round for 3 years. We cooked our meals, weekly, walked a mile to a laundry mat& grocery. A class 'load' was 12 hrs a quarter. We took no less than 16 hrs! Once I took 21! NEVER missed a class! NO car, NO TV, NO AC, NO stereo, NO microwave, computer. fast food.
I went to school in the Philippines for four years but majority of my education was from the USA. I see the huge difference in culture and their style of learning. Yes, both systems are not perfect but I do all I can to bring the best of both worlds. At least here in the USA and the school I go to now, the teachers really look for your success as long as you do your part in meeting deadlines and passing the course.
man didn't even plan to watch a full documentary really hit me hard :( feeling so sad right now. i feel guilty to mess up my own studies when i have the opportunity in my country to find work immediately after graduating. this documentary helped me to see how lucky i am ... :( pff
Weijun Chen, great work. A well done documentary
Great dark doc, showing the reality of life👍👍👍👍👍👍...I want to know what happened to that girl student😓😓😓😓😓😓
这样的好作品，却很难在中国大陆的网络上检索到。
看到女孩的母亲在请客筹集学费的时候，我想起当初我因为读书不好，让妈妈到处帮我筹集学费的情形。感恩母亲对子女付出的一切。后悔没有在母亲在世的时候好好孝顺。希望自己努力工作，让家人幸福。
A beautiful documentary. Not one i am likely to forget anytime soon
i am victim of universities privatized and education commercialization. For my family, my parents only have one child, that is me, i am their hope, they have to afford heavy burden to support me to a rubbish school and get rubbish education. every time, i see this video, i want to cry,
I know, it's getting really really bad in the industrialized A.K.A. wealthy countries. Here the state pays for students to go up until high school, but for college they're on their own. The price for private and state colleges is extremely expensive, and it only gets worse with time. Add to that the stagnant job market, and you have a bunch of poor people in debt, that could be pushing the nation forward, but instead have to push fries for a living. (If they're lucky enough to survive on their own. Sometimes they move back in at home, sometimes they apply for state assistance.)
For my own family, this has resulted in various results. (I live in the United States, so we don't have to face the one child only policy.) My oldest sister went to a private university out of state. She expected to get a degree in Education. Now she works at a daycare center making a little over minimum wage, and she'll be in debt for years. My second oldest sister went to a semester of community college (these schools allow for two years of education and are less expensive), but quit and went to work at an amusement park. She's slowly moving up, but she's still living at home. My brother got really lucky and was offered a scholarship to a state college. (He'll probably be the most successful out of all of us.)
Then there is me. I honestly don't know what my future will look like. I want to be a photographer and start my own business, so I'm taking classes at the local community college. I might have a bright future, I got an interview from a local photography company, but I don't know if they'll take me. And if I don't, I won't have any money to pay off the loans or start my business.
Hi buddy. don't lose your dreams, i think this den is very good, now sharing this for you, Nothing is impossible, just put your heart in to it.
chao chen I am a victim like you but I did not give up trying. Look for self-employment ideas--something that you can do on your own. You will not be rich but you will at least stand on your own feet. Believe me, it works! It is like the light at the end of the dark tunnel.
USA was the most technologically advanced country but now they are in shambles--the same story everywhere. The truth is, the rich/clever will always underpay but they demand you overpay them--the price-rise I mean. This economic disaster is not a matter of fate, it is manmade cleverness.
The same capitalism runs every country and hence the same problem in every country. We have forgotten that the human lords are not our masters but the earth is our COMMON WEALTH. The only remedy is to bypass the lords and to stand on our own feet. There is no true solution other than this.
i have one question for all guys like you in china , why dont you follow your own dreams ? its your right you are a human being and youngages are for living happy with magical experiences
+chao chen I can totally understand you my friend. But all I could do is curse the bloody CPC falling ASAP.
what a powerful film...i can't help but be overwhelmed by empathy with the raw struggles and humanity captured in this documentary. I feel humbled, grateful and most importantly invigorated with a sense of belonging--knowing that my struggles is simply mirrored and amplified all across the world in varying levels and severity.
It was worth watching to know how education is valued and how hard people have to work hard to achieve their goal. "...Nay, each must see with his own eyes, hear with his own ears and investigate the truth himself in order that he may follow the truth..."
Ignorance breeds ignorance. Getting a piece of paper doesn't mean squat these days... learning a trade is better.
"my girl, don't you get it? why can't you understand? a girl that can't hold a pen, how can you write and learn?" the song is heartbreaking as the mother sings with her trembling weeping voice. If only she was not disabled, she could have been better educated when she was a kid. maybe the vicious circle won't be happening to her baby girl.
Eye-opening! I've got to give up the junk on You Tube and start watching more films like this!
This film makes me cry and now i am more convinced that China will be able to revive at last even though we have so many fucking problems of today and tomorrow;because we are the people who are most passionate about education, aspirant for better life, and willing to sacrifice for the next generation. i feel so proud to be Chinese.
这个片子让我坚信虽然里里外外操蛋事情这么多，但是中华必能复兴，因为我们是最热爱教育最上进最愿意为下一代牺牲的民族。为生而为中国人自豪。
respect & peace 吃药了
国外学费比国内不知道贵到哪里去 好意思拍纪录片抹黑中国 9年制义务教育 贵你麻痹 大学能有几个钱 只要好好学就能上个大学 你麻痹 国外苦的一笔 动不动让你挂科
You sound like you have been brainwashed.
我每次看到结尾 女孩的母亲那无私的爱 我都会哭
like he said the pressure on the kids is high. in their culture education is a symbol to keep up the honor of the family. i can imagine feeling very bad when you fail.
“家里这么穷，把钱来送给宏博，搞鬼啊，没良心啊。” My tear bursted.
me too
What a powerful documentary!
The mother singing almost at the end of the documentary broke my heart. :'(
I wish I could help them...
You can help them by letting the communist party win🙂
I'm a chinese, after watching this documentary, i think it just reflects a very small part of chineses, most of us don't have such pressure like them, we normally study, normally work , and in time looking at China becoming greater and greater .But, i really feel much sympathy for these people who have no resources.Hope them better in future!
As a Chinese, I have to say the documentary couldn't be more real than the reality. China is famous of its three most profitable industries: real estate, banking and private education. The world's second largest GDP is actually build on the blood and tears of its citizens. And to tell you the truth, we Chinese can't even know this fact because those materials which is considered as "disharmonious" will be deleted totally and will never be found in anywhere. The purify action in China is called "Build a harmony society". But in my view, the harmony isn't build by hands, but by mouth. Because all you need to do is ban these "disharmonious" voices, and then the rest of the society will with no doubt be a very "harmonious" happy world. I can already foresee some patriots of China begin to attack my comments above, this is what I called my "disaster warning ability".~ haha. You cannot say anything negative in China, even if it gets some points. The only decent thing you can do is singing the praises for the country and the almighty party. Oh,even the calendar in my table shows it's 2014, but I swear to god that in China, the date should absolutely be thirty years early.
educating oneself is not about being smart, but having that mindset to recognize the importance of knowledge and learning. but most poor kids grow up in families that do not recognize the power of knowledge (and hence they are poor), and so the kids won't be able to develop that mindset, they would be short sighted and close minded
A really good doco. Shows a side to China I don't think many people have ever seen before.
I have so much empathy for them and can relate in so many ways .. This was humbling !
This documentary is very emotional for me. I tried not to cry but lost the battle at the end when the girl went off to school. The video leaves me feeling very angry with American students for being so lackadaisical about education, especially when I consider that American students with access to community/junior colleges have a free ride if they come from impoverished backgrounds. Meanwhile, others around the world are desperate just to make it into school. We need to honor our resources.
WOW! that was so touching, i didn't expect it to be, it made me thankful of every opportunity i have. It's so sad to see how some people take advantage of other people's problems.
this documentary traumatized me for life...
:| 22:45 "I blame you for giving me life." The poor daughter don't realize how painful her words could sound for the ears of her parents ...
Paul Petru Alexandru Cazacliu: She has every right to say that! It is not up to her to make decision, but her parents who feel lonely forces her to come to this world!
to be honest, I had this feeling for myself sometimes
@@gilpinim My son said this to me, broke my heart after all I did being a single parent and love him and work so hard.
@@islandantoinette i add oil for u even i dnk u,but it's good.
Education as an Antidote for Hunger
Recently, the UN, and several related organizations, marked two significant dates: the World Food Day and the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. International organizations for the poor and hungry have existed at least since the end of World War II, but neither poverty nor hunger have been eradicated. If anything, they have increased. What, then, are we doing wrong, and can we change the dismal reality?
The problem is not lack of food; there is plenty of it. In fact, much of the food that is produced gets thrown away and pollutes the water and the ground rather than feeding hungry mouths. So people are hungry not for lack of food, but because there is no interest in helping people get it.
The prevailing attitude is one of narcissism. We care only for ourselves and suspect everyone else’s intentions toward us. If we have any surplus funds, we use them to build walls and fences, not to help others. This is how we behave around the world as individuals and as nations.
To quiet our conscience, we create organizations to tend to the poor and hungry. We fund them generously and appoint functionaries and bureaucrats to deal with the problem.
But if our hearts were with the poor, we would not leave them in the hands of bureaucrats, just as we would not leave our children in the hands of social workers to see to their upbringing. We would see that the people we care about get what they need.
Because we do not care, we appoint uncaring people who present plans for dealing with the spreading poverty and hunger, and announce special days to bring the problem to public awareness. They do not do a thing about the actual problems, but simply justify their bloated salaries through professionally designed presentations and verbose speeches that glorify their (nonexistent) achievements.
If they truly wanted to solve the problem, which funds their lavish lifestyle, there would be many ways to do so. However, the surest way to lift people from poverty is education.
First, there are technologies that can increase the yield of fields by multiple times through sophisticated irrigation systems, controlled environments, and other means. Farmers need to be taught how to use these technologies, and should be given the means to acquire them. This step alone would lift countless people out of hunger and poverty.
Next, I think that organizations for eradication of poverty and hunger should use their budgets to buy lands where they will both grow crops for food that will be dedicated for the poor, and use some of the land to teach local farmers more efficient agriculture.
Additionally, these centers for agriculture and education should be used in order to provide general education. It is well known that educated people have more opportunities in life, are generally better off, and can provide for themselves and their families better than uneducated people. Therefore, as a means to eradicate poverty and hunger, these centers should also provide general knowledge and education.
Also, education should not be only about avoiding poverty. Poverty is not a personal matter, but a social one. Therefore, people who study at these education centers should also learn about solidarity, mutual responsibility, interdependence in today’s world, and other topics that will help them establish themselves as positive elements in a connected world.
In this way, we can create an agrarian transformation that will become a social and cultural transformation that can free people not only from the grip of poverty and hunger, but integrate them in the global society of the 21st century as confident and positive individuals. In turn, these people will help others rise from poverty, and the process will gain momentum.
Wan Chao's manager did tell him to better his excel skills, but he didn't. He should really research jobs before applying for them as well as better his skills, he didn't know what logistics was. Also, there is other competition that have better knowledge and skills than he does. As for Wang Pan, she is a sweet girl who wants a better future for her parents and self, but unfortunately her cousin did speak the truth. If one doesn't have money, intelligence, and connections, especially in China, then it would be very difficult. She also admitted that she didn't know what to do or study. She should have followed her mother's advice from the beginning. Wang Pang should've gotten a job first to see what her interests are, earn and save money and think of her future plans. She basically got loans to study for a scam and for something she wasn't sure of.
I'm so glad Wang didn't end up going to that scam place.
The school she's in is probably another scam
Being accepted is not hard, trying to live is the most hardest, becoming someone important is very easy, staying someone important is very hard! Understanding the concept to the reasons of life can be hard and how this video relates to technology and logistics is puzzling to me and why It is a need to show the worse part of china provide know area of benefit to great advantage!
That's the same thing in India top goto government university/college and we have thousands of private colleges where u have to pay a good amount and sometimes that colleges go down and ran out of money
看完还是不明白我们为什么会贫穷，但贫富差距真的一直在越来越大了。
I see that a lot of people are mad at the recruiter but i would just like to say that the one you should be mad at isnt the recruiter but the owner. The children are not the only ones being taken advantage of but the recruiters as well. They are desparate for work (as is the point of the entire doc). In fact, no one would be willing to do this if they had the choice. If there was anything else for them they would take that over this.
I work at Transn - the company where Wan Chao was briefly employed. I showed this video to aa few folks in the office and they went loco trying to recognize all the people in the office scenes. Apparently it was shot with one Chinese guy and his modest camera.
this a oscar worthy documentary keep up the good work
本集是由陈为军导演的，他的其他代表纪录片有《请为我投票》《生门》
Just watched the documentary. Really wish countries made more systems to support the poor or create avenues to help people find jobs. I can relate to the kind who was trying to find a job. I'm still trying to find a job and I've graduated. A lot of graduates around the world are having trouble these days. Yes, more people are educated, but that doesn't mean there should be so many job shortages. There needs to be more support systems.
very real documentary on the young generation of China
the recalling of my life in the future will devote some time to improve China edu....hope i will hold some ability to fulfill this mission...
so familiar scene……wuhan is my hometown, and the apartment he rented is just where my school lies. I was so anxious to know whether The girl will get the chance to go to the College, and it seems that the girl Is the only child in this family. From This point of view,She is lucky…… this good documentary makes my heart flow with the character and their experience.
I felt India throughout this film. The situation in India is exactly the same.
As a Chinese,I want to say .Just watching the ducumentary ,it's not enough.
Please do not overlook the fact that people in general have the full capacity to create their future. Anyone can accomplish anything with mental, physical, spiritual effort. They don't need a freaking university/school/college to tell them that they are not good enough. That is total elephant crap! History is full of outstanding individuals who have failed, been rejected, & ultimately changed the world without following the herd. Be your own advocate! People (especially Asian cultures) too often underestimate themselves. You are all geniuses. If you fail the first time, then get up & learn from it & do it again. If the 2nd time, then do it again. If the 3rd time, then do it again & so on. Do no let profit making so-called universities/colleges/schools take your hard-earned money just so you can have a paper that says you have graduated. BTW, standing ovation for the very supportive mother.
Great movie revealed the reality of rural areas of China, which were shadowed by the neon lights of mega super cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen. Salute to the handicapped mom, who spoke logically and with love about her daughter. Should she lived in the US, she would'vedefinitely had a much better life.
Really want to know how these people are now.
The Mom in this video reminds my of mine. Lovely woman.
China as a nation, has one BIG shortcoming, population and how spread out it is.
This is the root cause of why education is what is it today, and why health care is what it is today.
Ideally you'd want every doctors and teachers are evenly spread across the country, but people don't work that way. People want better pays or working environment, teachers and doctors are no exception. This foundamental trait of human causes coverage problem.
Chinese government had no choice but to lower the entering barrier for education and health care industry. There will be complications no doubt. But it's the only way for these public services to be accessible for everyone. IMO, it's a hard choice that has to be made.
One of the bright side for the education is that, at least top students get to go the top schools which is cheap on tuition. I'm glad it's not the other way around like US.
Great documentary...
The importance given to education is deeply routed in asian cultures (China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam,...) and that is one of the reasons they are generally performing so well compared to the others in the world...The mom of the girl really got my respect as a good human...and it was a bit comforting that the fucking scam school was closed off!
Its the same everywhere, I live in a developed western country, and it is still a struggle to even find a summer placement as a student at one of the top universities.
Anonymous 1 where I live in Germany it isn't about getting a spot at the best school, it's about getting a spot in the major you want. With about half the majors you are basically guaranteed a spot where ever you want and that includes stuff like Computer Science (and I don't actually know the rest but it's a lot). On the other hand majors like medicine are extremely hard to get into and even for business, politics, management etc you need at least a somewhat gpa.
genau, I am from china and seek my master degree right now in Germany. I spent so much effort to become the top 10% for Gaokao (Hochschulaufnahmepruefung in China) but get a not so good university in China (even thought much much better in the document). But what I feel is that I didn't get a decent bachelor education in China due to the lack of educational resource. One cannot deny that nowadays there are many world classic universities which can be ranked in top 500 internationally in china, however, due to the huge population it is still quite hard to get a ticket into these universities. I really cannot believe that when I came to Germany, my German friends just told me that they even do not need an Abitur grades to get into this major of the Uni with a international reputation. The education system is really fair in Germany but can never be applied simply in China
And some people can just use their dad and mums network
There are Many Hundreds of Homeless people in America unless you are white and have white
privilege White people are so racist!
@@zeyufeng516 I ranked 0.5% in Gaokao, but still can't go to one of the top500 schools. Seeking to transfer now, wanna get rid of this shittiest system forever!!