Education of one child generation 独生一代的教育问题

[Fei Jun]

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[Yan Feng]

Title: "One child" generation grows up to face strained family relations ( Reference )

China's "one child" generation has grown up to face strained family relations as they leave their doting parents to start a married life.
A recent survey has found 32 percent of them at odds with their in-laws or often quarreling with their spouses.

The survey, conducted recently by a family education research body based in the northern China city of Tianjin, has found couples who are both the only child at home -- particularly those from well-off urban families -- even more frustrated from time to time.

Most of their problems start with minor trifles such as who should take up more housework or who should retreat in case of a conflict, the survey showed.

While many young wives complain they are doing twice as much household chores as their uncaring, inconsiderate husbands, discrepancies tend to escalate into constant quarrels, or occasional fighting between these self-centered couples, both of whom tend have strong characters and do not easily give in.

The survey has also found that 60 percent of the "one child" couples are not competent enough for parenting and have to turn to their own parents for baby-sitting, but different ways of childcare, too, have induced discrepancies between the three generations.

On the other hand, their parents tend to feel lonely and unattended, when these grown-up kids, once the focus of the familylife, are too busy at home to spend any time with the elderly.

Sociologists say, therefore, China's only child needs to become more tolerant and considerate to cope with varied social relations,solve discrepancies and in the long run, create a healthy environment for their own children.

This has to be included into their early childhood education, they say.

"One child" families began mushrooming in China in the late 1970s and early 1980s, when the Chinese government adopted a strict family planning policy to encourage couples to have only one child.

These children are then dubbed "little emperors", as most of them were doted on by parents and grandparents alike and describedby critics as spoiled, self-centered and in need of discipline.

[自由人/爱瞎说]

just hope you can get some inspiration from the following items:
http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200609/25/eng20060925_306112.html

“Neighbor: disappeared in the 1990s
For several thousand years, a close and friendly neighborhood played a major role in the lives of Chinese people. People knew almost everything about their neighbors and were always ready to help. However, Chinese have become more and more estranged from one another following a 1990s trend towards commercial residential buildings. Furthermore, a lack of mutual trust and an emphasis on privacy has made people more indifferent to their own neighborhood. They know almost nothing about their neighbors. As a result, the term "neighborhood" means almost nothing to most Chinese and has passed into oblivion.

Danwei: disappeared in 1990s
The Chinese word "danwei" means a public-owned entity (a state-owned enterprise, for instance) for which a person works. For several decades, the danwei -- work unit -- played a dominant role in almost every aspect of a person's life, from living necessities and welfare to marriage and birth.
Since the reform and opening-up campaign was launched, a large number of privately owned enterprises have emerged and the Chinese government has greatly reformed its role in society. Consequently, the danwei is no longer so important and many Chinese have found jobs in private enterprises. People's attachment to their danwei has weakened. A large number of people are not connected with it at all.

Wanyuanhu: disappeared in 1997
The Chinese phrase "wanyuanhu" means a household whose annual income exceeds 10,000 yuan. In the early 1980s, the average household income was very low in China. Then, a wanyuanhu was considered very rich in both rural and urban areas. Owing to rapid economic growth in the 1990s, the standard of living has improved significantly. In 1997, the average annual income of a rural household surpassed 10,000 yuan according to national statistics. Every household has become a wanyuanhu. This was no longer considered a high standard of living and so the phrase became outdated.

Daoye: disappeared in March of 1997
The Chinese word "daoye" means profiteer. In the early 1980s, the Chinese government adopted a double-track price system in order to cope with the imbalance between supply and demand. This meant there were two economic systems in China. One was the planned economy and the other was the market. Some people bought goods at a relatively low price in the planned economy and then sold them at much higher price on the market, making themselves large profits. These people were called "daoye" at the time. This practice was illegal and punishable according to China's Criminal Law. As China built a market economy, the country has become able to produce sufficient goods for people's needs. China has now abandoned the double-track price system and as the daoye are not able to operate, the word has gradually disappeared from people's daily vocabulary. In March of 1997, Chinese authorities annulled the items relating to economic speculation in Criminal Law.

Age limit for College Entrance Examination: disappeared April 3, 2001
On April 3, 2001, the Chinese Ministry of Education declared that it had annulled the rule requiring College Entrance Examinees to be unmarried and under the age of 25. After the age limit for the College Entrance Examination was lifted, every Chinese citizen was given the opportunity to receive a higher education. It is now possible to establish a lifelong education system, so this decision is likely to have a profound influence on Chinese society.

Dageda: disappeared June 2001
Dageda was the Chinese nickname for the Motorola 3200, an early mobile phone. In 1987, China began to build analog mobile networks. However, only rich people could afford to use this kind of mobile phone because the price of the phone and the service fees were very high. In June 2001, China Mobile Communications Corporation closed all analog mobile networks across China and "dageda" became an archaic word.

Tianzhijiaozi -- "blessed children": disappeared 2001
Tianzhijiaozi -- which translates literally as "God's favorite children", was an expression Chinese people used for college students. Several decades ago, only a tiny portion of Chinese had the chance to receive a free higher education. When they graduated, the government provided a job for them. They had a better life than the average person. People considered them the elite of society, blessing them by calling them "blessed children".
The situation has now changed dramatically. About 50 percent of high school students can attend college at their own expense. In 2001, the government decided not to offer jobs to college graduates. The government allows graduates to choose whatever job they like and recruiters to choose the most suitable employees. As a result, when college students leave school, they are on their own and face the difficulty of finding a job. They are no longer considered to be "blessed children".

Marital status certification: disappeared October 1, 2003
Chinese people once had to get a marital status certificate issued by their employer, or the by the authorities of the residential district they lived in before they could get marriage. Following the new "Marriage Registration Regulations" issued on October 1, 2003, this paper was no longer necessary. Less red tape makes it easier for Chinese to get a legal marriage or divorce

Info-highway: disappeared October 19, 2004
Info-highway is short for China Info-highway Communications Co., Ltd., a company established in 1995. It was China's first internet service provider. It helped China to enter the internet age. The company began to fail in 1997, due to managerial mistakes and fierce competition in the market. Finally its business license was revoked by the local industrial and commercial administration bureau on October 19, 2004.

Brothers and sisters on mother's side: disappeared recently
The first group of only children, born with the implementation of China's family planning program in the late 1970s, have entered their marriage and childbearing peak period. To the next generation of these only children, the titles of brothers and sisters on the mother's side are only available in novels, films and televisions. So they can possibly be the most loneliest generation in China. “