Xeping's Impact On American Education

In June 1966, all middle schools and universities throughout China closed down as students devoted most of their time to Red Guard activities. Across the country, millions of young people were encouraged to criticize and even attack “counterrevolutionaries”. Often, education took a back seat to these revolutionary missions and children who were seen studying were viewed with suspicion (“Cultural Revolution”). Despite the revolutionary significance of this time period, the state of the Chinese education system during the early years of the Cultural Revolution was, to some extent, detrimental to the ideal China that Chairman Mao had envisioned. Not only did thousands of children lack proper education and opportunities as a result of this movement, but the aftermath of substandard education has left its enduring mark on China to this day.
Despite these stigmas and the difficulty of studying during the Cultural Revolution, Xueping Zhong …show more content…
While Xueping’s continued studies gave her the opportunity to attend university and study in the United States, the majority of the students who attended middle school during the Cultural Revolution, often referred to as the “Lost Generation,” never had the opportunity to finish their education (Bonnin). Not to mention, countless professionals were killed or driven away, leaving vast numbers of unskilled people left to face the realities of the 20th century. This strange situation left a gap throughout the PRC, as many people struggled to find qualified teachers, doctors, and lawyers, or struggled to find jobs for themselves and their children. Moreover, further analysis suggests that those who did not obtain a university degree, because of the Cultural Revolution, lost an average of more than 50 percent of potential earnings (Bonnin). This is obviously a significant number, and it is clear that the educational impact of the Cultural Revolution runs deep throughout the