the Confucian reverence for education ....

I'd recommend you all read Nicholas Kristof's piece in the NYT today. Given Shanghai's results on PISA I expect we will be bombarded with efforts to emulate their learnign system, but two things popped out at me from the article. First:

. . . the greatest strength of the Chinese system is the Confucian reverence for education that is steeped into the culture. In Chinese schools, teachers are much respected, and the most admired kid is often the brain rather than the jock or class clown.

Americans think of China’s strategic challenge in terms of, say, the new Chinese stealth fighter aircraft. But the real challenge is the rise of China’s education system and the passion for learning that underlies it. We’re not going to become Confucians, but we can elevate education on our list of priorities . . . 
Notice that the teacher is a respected member of the community, not someone who can't make a living doing something "better".

Second -- and just as important:

Chinese themselves are far less impressed by their school system. Almost every time I try to interview a Chinese about the system here, I hear grousing rather than praise. Many Chinese complain scathingly that their system kills independent thought and creativity, and they envy the American system for nurturing self-reliance — and for trying to make learning exciting and not just a chore.

In Xian, I visited Gaoxin Yizhong, perhaps the city’s best high school, and the students and teachers spoke wistfully of the American emphasis on clubs, arts and independent thought. “We need to encourage more creativity,” explained Hua Guohong, a chemistry teacher. “We should learn from American schools.”
One friend in Guangdong Province says he will send his children to the United States to study because the local schools are a “creativity-killer.” Another sent his son to an international school to escape what he likens to “programs for trained seals.” Private schools are sprouting everywhere, and many boast of a focus on creativity.

While we complain about our schools we ought not forget what we do well. American's prize creativity and our schools have reflected that. I think many of our criticisms regarding standardized testing are based on a fear that they will destroy the sense of creativity and initiative that has made us what we are. It would be a pity if in our desire to emulate what seems best in the Chinese model that we lose what makes our educational system -- warts and all -- exceptional.

And speaking of trained seals. What is everyone's take on the hubbub over the Tiger Mother?