Learn to appreciate your values

The thing that I admire about the Americans is that they are open and willing to learn to get better. They are ready to learn the best practices from others and apply them to their own system. Of course sometimes they miss the context and culture, but usually they are spot on.

Many Chinese people believe that the Chinese education system is rigid and inflexible, but note the point that the Americans, too, take on board: Asian students are taught in a system that believes hard work, not only the idea of "talent" or likes without endeavor, determines success.

China and Asia need to be proud of the values underlying their education systems. Maybe China and other countries can learn from the United States about how to be more self-confident, and take pride in the good values of their own systems.

It is not only success in school learning, but learning the ways of the world and becoming worldly wise, in addition to retaining the best of one's own values of hard work that will help propel China and other Asian countries to a brighter future. Losing sight of the best in one's own systems, which even your competitor can see, is a tragedy.

KIyer, from China Daily forum

Readers' comments are welcome. Please send your e-mail to opinion@chinadaily.com.cn or letters@chinadaily.com.cn or to the individual columnists. China Daily reserves the right to edit all letters. Thank you.

(China Daily 12/16/2013 page9)