內容簡介
華裔美國記者探討中西方文化教育體系的差異與優劣
★《虎媽的戰歌》作者蔡美兒推薦！
2009年，華裔美國記者萊諾拉（Lenora Chu）因為丈夫工作的關係，一家人帶著三歲的兒子搬到中國上海居住。當時，與受到全球經濟蕭條影響的其他國家相比，中國經濟相對蓬勃發展；在教育方面，上海的學生則達到國際排名的巔峰，美國畏懼著教育也會被中國所超越。萊諾拉與丈夫決定讓孩子就讀國營的菁英公立學校。起初，孩子的適應狀況良好，不僅中文變流利也交到朋友，很快地融入環境，卻從兒子透露的某些學校教育措施感到擔憂，也觀察到兒子雖然變得服從有紀律，卻更加焦慮與恐懼。
她想知道在中國學校的教室裡，究竟都發生了什麼事情？她與中國的家長、教師與教育系的教授進行訪談，並追蹤學生在各教育階段的狀況。她所發現的是軍事般的教育體系，由高風險的測驗所驅動。老師將考試排名公開，利誘乖乖服從的學生，並羞辱和孤立反抗者。在此同時，她卻也發現矛盾的事實：中國政府多年來試圖減輕學生的學業壓力，意圖將教育變得更加友善。
她越深入挖掘，也越覺得困惑：包括她的孩子在內，中國的學生是否為了服從與未來的高學業成就付出過高的代價？是否有方法可以擷取中國教育系統的優點、並屏除其缺點呢？西方又能從中國的教育體系中學到什麼？
本書融合作者個人經驗與調查報告，在揭開中國教育不為人知又令人震驚的一面之餘，探討中西方文化教育體系的不同。作者帶領讀者一窺中國封閉的教育體系，以家長與記者的角度出發，將教養議題提升到更高、更廣的層次，探討中國的教育體系是否有西方可借鏡之處，進而探索教育的真正價值與目的。
'I couldn't put this book down. Whip smart, hilariously funny and shocking. A must-read'
Amy Chua, Yale Law Professor and author of Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother
In 2009, Lenora Chu, her husband Rob, and toddler Rainey, moved from LA to the Chinese megacity Shanghai. The US economy was spinning circles, while China seemed to be eating the planet's economic lunch. What's more, Shanghai teenagers were top in the world at maths, reading and science. China was not only muscling the rest of the world onto the sidelines, but it was also out-educating the West.
So when Rainey was given the opportunity to enroll in Shanghai's most elite public kindergarten, Lenora and Rob grabbed it. Noticing her rambunctious son's rapid transformation - increasingly disciplined and obedient but more anxious and fearful - Lenora begins to question the system. What the teachers were accomplishing was indisputable, but what to make of their methods? Are Chinese children paying a price for their obedience and the promise of future academic prowess? How much discipline is too much? And is the Chinese education system really what the West should measure itself against?
While Rainey was at school, Lenora embarked on a reporting mission to answer these questions in a larger context. Through a combination of the personal narratives and thoughts of teachers, parents, administrators and school children, Little Soldiers unpacks the story of education in China.