The one-shot society

[Capetan Mihali]

No but it's crazy expensive.

And how.  I've got American classmates who are coming to London doing a two year LLB here because it's cheaper than law school in the US.  Then they go back and take the New York bar.

And then what...   

[Ideologue]

No but it's crazy expensive.

And how.  I've got American classmates who are coming to London doing a two year LLB here because it's cheaper than law school in the US.  Then they go back and take the New York bar.

And then what...   

Then they make salads.

[Monoriu]

The way I see it, the system is beginning to break down in HK as well.  Mainly because the establishment can't keep its end of the bargain any more.  The deal is, study crazily hard, get into the best stream in the best university, and you'll be rewarded with a stable, good office job. 

But the increased number of university graduates, combined with the falling birth rate, globalization, and automation, mean the ratio of graduates and the number of available office jobs is now very unfavourable. 

An additional factor is that, in the past, success is the only option.  Your parents work and toil in the construction sites and factories.  They borrow money and eat garbage so that the child has a chance to get to university.  If the child get an office job, the whole family will be elevated to middle classhood.  Now, the parents are already office workers themselves, who likely make a lot more than what the child can ever hope to make.  The pressure for the child to succeed is far less, and a lot of people can afford to do what they want to do. 

[Ideologue]

I read somewhere that on the mainland they're closing a lot of university programs because they're straight-up worthless.

I hate to say it, but yeah.  Even a broken country is right two times a century, or something like that.

[jimmy olsen]

If you replace "Korea" with "Hong Kong" in the article, it'll still be largely true.

At least in Korea if you're really talented at some thing they have a special school for it. Sports academies, music academies, etc.

Korea's big enough that it has its own pro leagues, music scene, etc.

[Habbaku]

Sounds like Hell.

[Monoriu]

I read somewhere that on the mainland they're closing a lot of university programs because they're straight-up worthless.

I hate to say it, but yeah.  Even a broken country is right two times a century, or something like that.

I haven't heard of any large scale closing of university programmes.  I think that's about dealing with the schemes that are outright frauds. 

[Ideologue]

Sounds like Hell.

Pro sports and music sound like hell?

Or vocational training sounds like hell?

I'm pretty sure neither really qualify...

[Ideologue]

I read somewhere that on the mainland they're closing a lot of university programs because they're straight-up worthless.

I hate to say it, but yeah.  Even a broken country is right two times a century, or something like that.

I haven't heard of any large scale closing of university programmes.  I think that's about dealing with the schemes that are outright frauds.

Then they're still well ahead of the ABA, let alone the Department of Education.

[jimmy olsen]

Yeah... it's worse than the article makes it sound.

It's technically 830-430 at most schools, but almost all of them attend extra classes that last until 10pm.

[Ideologue]

Yeah... it's worse than the article makes it sound.

It's technically 830-430 at most schools, but almost all of them attend extra classes that last until 10pm.

That's really dumb.  Have they never heard of diminishing returns?

It's so foolish and depressing how people will so enthusiastically race to the bottom.  No wonder they kill themselves so much more often than us.

Also, fuck Britain with it's 5 in 100,000 rate.  Goddamn easy-going limeys.

[Monoriu]

Sounds like Hell.

Depends on how you look at it.  The one shot exam model is important for social stability because it allows the poor a reasonable chance at upward social mobility.  Sure, the rich still has an edge because they can afford expensive private tutoring.  But at the end of the day, it is about ticking the right boxes anonymously.  There is no gurantee that the tutoring will help.  A poor kid who is hardworking enough has a reasonable shot.

[Ideologue]

I think I'd like it.  I test well.

[Monoriu]

I think I'd like it.  I test well.

Me too 

[Monoriu]

Yeah... it's worse than the article makes it sound.

It's technically 830-430 at most schools, but almost all of them attend extra classes that last until 10pm.

That's really dumb.  Have they never heard of diminishing returns?

It's so foolish and depressing how people will so enthusiastically race to the bottom.  No wonder they kill themselves so much more often than us.

Also, fuck Britain with it's 5 in 100,000 rate.  Goddamn easy-going limeys.

To be fair, doing well in exams is not the only reason to send kids to the private tutors.  They also act as babysitters because the parents often have to work long hours.  Of course, it is also a convenient excuse if you don't want to see your troublesome kids