A still image captured from the website of BBC. [Photo/bbc.co.uk]

The BBC?documentary Are Our Kids Tough Enough, which filmed an experiment in which five Chinese teachers taught 50 children at a school in the United Kingdom with the teaching methods used in China, has sparked heated debate about whether Chinese or Western teaching methods are better. Comments:

Apart from the cultural differences between China and the UK which led to conflicts in class, another reason for such a debate is the difference in educational purposes: excelling in exams versus cultivating the person. However, such a debate is in essence meaningless. What China should do is to draw lessons from the emphasis on the cultivation of comprehensive qualities in British education to elevate the quality of its elementary education, while the UK students could learn the merits of diligence from their Chinese counterparts.

Guangming Daily, Aug 6

Middle school education has already become an issue of public concern, and the UK government has been seeking ways to improve its education, especially in mathematics and science. For this purpose, it has invited teachers from China, which has the world's leading elementary education system, to teach for a month in a British school, and such an open attitude is worth learning by domestic education authorities. Besides, from comparisons between Chinese and British students, what we should reflect and think about is how to promote the all-round development of our students, for example, their innovation capabilities and the ability to survive in and adjust to society.

Qianjiang Evening News, Aug 5

Although there are people who criticize the Chinese teaching methods for being too rigid and inflexible, the facts speak louder than words: The academic performance of Chinese students is beyond many of their Western counterparts. Yet the voices criticizing Chinese teaching methods question why the UK wants to apply them. However, the documentary showed that after four weeks, some British students preferred the Chinese way of teaching, saying it helped them memorize important points. In short, whenever such kinds of debates emerge, it is worth noting that the two countries can learn from each other through cultural and educational exchanges.

Global Times, Aug 5