A wake-up call for higher education: "When Jack Ma and I were both bad at math!"

(Dan Tri) - "Jack Ma and I are both very bad at math!" - the surprising statement of Professor Yong Zhao at the "Happiness in Education 2024" Conference has surprised many people.

Are grades the only measure of success? How should higher education change to help students reach their potential and find real opportunities?

"Jack Ma and I are both very bad at math!"

Within the framework of the "Happiness in Education 2024" Conference organized by the Institute for Education and Human Resources Development (EDI) in collaboration with TH School in Hanoi, Professor Yong Zhao, lecturer at the University of Kansas (USA) with a sharp perspective, shared stories as a warning to those working in the field of education.

He cited the case of Lady Gaga, a world-famous singer, who was rejected by a university for being "unqualified".

Prof. Yong Zhao, lecturer at the University of Kansas (USA) at the seminar.

“They were wrong,” Professor Zhao asserted. Lady Gaga, with her natural talent, has proven to the world that she is different and successful. This story raises a big question for higher education: Are we evaluating students with rigid metrics, or are we truly creating conditions for them to develop their potential?

Zhao continued to share his story: "I was very bad at math. So was billionaire Jack Ma (co-founder of Alibaba). But can that stop us from being successful?"

This professor said that on the 100-point scale of Chinese education in the 1970s and 1980s, there was a school year when the highest score he achieved in math was 3. "But I was still very good, ladies and gentlemen. At one point, Jack Ma's math score was only around 1 on a 100-point scale. My father, a poor farmer, saw that I was not only bad at math but also bad at herding buffaloes, so he decided: Let me quit herding buffaloes and focus on studying English - my favorite subject. And that was the beginning of my future."

He believes that education should not only focus on certain subjects, but needs to be diversified, creating conditions for each person to develop according to their strengths.

"True happiness is when each person does something meaningful"

Zhao pointed out an alarming fact: the PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) scores of most countries have been falling in recent years. "This is not only happening in the US or China, but in most countries, including Vietnam," he emphasized.

So what is the cause? According to Professor Zhao, the problem lies not in the lack of good ideas, but in how we implement those ideas. "Every child is different. They are born with their own talents," he asserted. Higher education needs to change to help them realize their potential, contribute to society and find true happiness.

Zhao believes that education should not only focus on teaching children to be selfish and competitive with each other. Instead, we need to help them realize their own value and potential to contribute to society. "True happiness is when each person does something meaningful, has freedom of choice, and builds relationships to support others," he shared.

From the above stories, according to Professor Zhao, educators can draw valuable lessons. These are:

We must change our mindset, seeing each student as a unique individual with their own talents, instead of imposing general standards. Along with that, we must promote comprehensive development and combine learning with practice. It is necessary to equip students not only with professional knowledge but also with soft skills, adaptability and creative thinking, linking theory with practice, creating conditions for students to experience and apply knowledge in practice.

Most importantly, according to Professor Zhao, those working in the education sector need to make efforts and realize the creation of a happy learning environment. According to him, happiness in education must be real and practical happiness, including building a friendly, open learning environment that encourages creativity and strengths of each student; having a spirit of cooperation, helping students feel happy and confident in their studies.

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/giao-duc/loi-canh-tinh-cho-giao-duc-dai-hoc-khi-toi-va-jack-ma-deu-hoc-kem-toan-20241126161359306.htm