Today, in the 21st century, the field of education in East Asia seems to be pushed by an invisible force, constantly moving towards a higher, faster and stronger direction.
This force is the increasingly intensifying phenomenon of educational involution.
It is like a war without gunpowder, quietly penetrating every family, every school, and even every corner of the whole society.
Educational involution, in short, means that in the case of limited educational resources, students have to invest more time and energy in learning and preparation in order to compete for better educational opportunities and future development space.
This kind of competition is not only reflected in academic performance, but also extends to extracurricular activities, specialty training, social practice and other aspects.
Against this backdrop, children's learning pressure has increased unprecedentedly, and their childhood seems to be occupied by endless cram schools and exams, losing the color and fun that it should be.
The roots of all this may be traced back to the high value of education and the influence of traditional ideas in East Asian societies.
Here, education is seen as an important way to change destiny and achieve social mobility.
Parents are eager to provide their children with the best educational resources and learning environment at all costs.
However, this kind of excessive investment and expectation has invisibly exacerbated the degree of education involution, making this competition more fierce and cruel.
2. Hong Kong Chapter: "Little Superman" in Cram School
In the bustling city of Hong Kong, the phenomenon of education involution is particularly prominent.
From an early age, the children here are involved in this silent competition, not only completing the homework and tasks assigned by the school, but also participating in various extracurricular tuition and interest classes.
Chen is a typical representative of this competition.
Chen's day begins with the first rays of sunshine in the morning.
He had to finish his daily activities such as breakfast and washing up within the allotted time, and then hurried to school.
In school, he had to pay full attention to lectures, take notes, participate in discussions, and try to absorb every bit of knowledge.
However, this was only the beginning of his busy day.
After school, he has to rush to various cram schools and interest classes to continue his learning journey.
From math and English to piano and dance, his class schedule was packed and there was hardly any free time.
However, Chen is not alone.
Around him, there are many classmates who work as hard as him.
They come from different family backgrounds, but they all share the same goals and pursuits.
They competed with each other, motivated each other, and spent countless days and nights together in cram school classrooms.
The hard work and dedication of these children not only allowed them to achieve excellent results in their studies, but also allowed them to occupy a favorable position in their future studies and employment.
However, this high-intensity learning and competition also brings great pressure and challenges to children.
Not only do they have to deal with a heavy academic load and parental expectations, but they also have to endure competition and comparisons from their peers.
This stress deprives them of the joy and creativity of their childhood, and may even have a negative impact on their physical and mental health.
III. Korea: The "Purgatory" of the College Entrance Examination System
In Korea, the gaokao (Suneung) is known as "the most important day of life".
This day not only determines the students' future development at university, but also becomes the focus of attention of the whole society.
In order to excel in this exam, students need to put in a lot of effort and sacrifice.
Korea's college entrance examination system is complex and rigorous, which not only examines students' academic ability, but also pays attention to students' comprehensive quality and special performance.
The internal assessment, the college entrance examination itself, and the life record book together form the three pillars of Korea's college entrance examination evaluation system.
Among them, the on-campus assessment includes many aspects such as usual grades, classroom performance, and homework completion; The college entrance examination adopts the method of national unified proposition and marking to conduct a comprehensive examination of students' academic ability; The life notebook records the students' performance and achievements in extracurricular activities, social practice, volunteer service, etc.
In order to gain an edge in this competition, students need to invest a lot of time and effort in preparation.
They often spend more than 10 hours a day studying, and in addition to completing school assignments and tasks, they also participate in various after-school tutorials and mock exams.
This high-intensity learning state makes them have almost no time for rest and entertainment, and also makes them gradually lose their love and pursuit of life.
However, this effort does not always pay off.
Due to the high competition and limited number of places in the gaokao, many outstanding students end up unable to get into the university of their choice.
This harsh reality leaves them feeling frustrated and disappointed, and may even lose faith and hope for the future.
In addition to the students themselves, family and social atmosphere also play an important role in this competition.
Parents have almost strict expectations and dedication to their children's grades, and they are willing to devote all resources to supporting their children's learning.
And the attention and evaluation of public opinion have made this competition more and more fierce and cruel.
4. Japan Chapter: Keio Yoshijuku's "Invisible Threshold"
Keio University in Japan is a top university with a long history and outstanding reputation, and its admission is difficult and competitive.
Here, the identity of "Chunkeiying" has become a symbol and glory, which represents the excellence and hardship of students all the way from kindergarten, junior high school, high school to university.
In order to get into such a prestigious school, students need to put in a lot of hard work and preparation.
They should not only achieve excellent results in academics, but also show their talents and potential in extracurricular activities and specialty training.
This all-round competition has forced them to start planning their own educational path and future development from an early age.
In the face of the grim reality of the involution of education in East Asia, we have to deeply reflect on the reasons and effects behind it.
Although this high-intensity competitive environment stimulates students' learning motivation and promotes the improvement of education quality to a certain extent, its negative impact cannot be ignored.
Not only does it deprive children of the happy childhood they deserve, limiting their imagination and creativity, but it can also have long-term adverse effects on their physical and mental health.
Therefore, education reform is imperative.
We need to fundamentally adjust the educational philosophy and evaluation system, from a single score-oriented to a comprehensive development and personality growth.
This includes reducing students' academic load, increasing the diversity and flexibility of the curriculum, encouraging students to participate in social practice and volunteering, and cultivating their sense of social responsibility and innovation.
At the same time, families and society should also change their mindsets, focusing less on educational outcomes and more on children's growth and intrinsic needs.
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