Winning the Chinese Market: Why Measuring Social-Emotional Health Really Matters

08.03.18

Chinese culture has been described by sociologists as a ‘shame’ culture. Unlike the West, which is described as a ‘guilt’ culture, in China, the predominant cultural emotional driver is ‘shame’; individuals subsume thoughts, ideas or feelings which they fear would bring shame on them or their family.

This lack of permission to speak of difficult feelings may be one of the reasons why China has not developed the same emotional literacy and openness that has emerged over the 20th century in the West.

And yet Chinese parents are increasingly concerned about the wellbeing and emotional health of their children. Especially those they send away to board on the other side of the world.

An expert in Chinese culture recently told me that education is the number one luxury good that Chinese parents will invest in. And bear in mind, often that investment is focused on ONE child.

The pressure on the Chinese child is huge. But so is the investment the Chinese parent will make to ensure they are placed in the best, most supportive environment.

UK schools need to have the means to reassure Chinese parents they are the best, supportive place- especially given that 2017 figures suggest that more than 50% of all UK boarders are now from China.

How can schools provide this reassurance to Chinese parents on the other side of the world?

The answer is measurable social-emotional data.

China is a land of data. We are familiar with serried ranks of Chinese pupils rehearsing maths calculations in a Chinese classroom. Chinese education is about providing an explicit calibration of the progress stage and needs of the individual. British schools need to provide Chinese parents with the same quality of social-emotional data about their children’s development, as they can about their progress toward the IB or GCSE grades.

Chinese parents may not know how to ask emotionally sensitive questions (for the reasons above). Chinese parents may not want to ask embarrassing or awkward questions; but they will certainly want to know YOU understand those questions about their child, and are able to reassure them in a language they can understand, trust and which does not embarrass them.

This was brought home to us recently when a Principal at a school using AS Tracking wrote this to us,

“I have found it particularly helpful in communicating with our families in Hong Kong and mainland China to be able to assure them that we have, in AS Tracking, an objective, measurable way of keeping an eye on the welfare and personal development of their children. Families in these countries are very conscious of the potential mental health issues and emotional strains on their children, but are less used to discussing these matters with schools and other professionals than we are here. While they trust that our pastoral care is excellent, it is an additional reassurance to know that we have in our toolkit such a powerful and scientifically well-founded piece of equipment to keep their children safe, on track and appropriately supported.”

IF YOUR SCHOOL IS TRACKING PUPILS USING AS TRACKING THEN PROVIDE YOUR CHINESE PARENTS (BOTH CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE) WITH THE REASSURANCE THAT:

* Your school will not only track their child’s academic progress, but also their social-emotional development.
* You will have reliable, regular social-emotional data so will know, very quickly, if their child is not thriving.
* You will be able to hear their child’s needs, even if they feel uncomfortable or unable (in a second language, thousands of miles from home), to express those needs in words.

If you would like to see how AS Tracking can provide you with this kind of measurable data, please ask Fiona to arrange a demonstration or call with one of our ex-teachers fiona@steer.global

WINNING THE CHINESE MARKET. WHY MEASURING SOCIAL-EMOTIONAL HEALTH REALLY MATTERS

Chinese culture has been described by sociologists as a ‘shame’ culture. Unlike the West, which is described as a ‘guilt’ culture, in China, the predominant cultural emotional driver is ‘shame’; individuals subsume thoughts, ideas or feelings which they fear would bring shame on them or their family.

This lack of permission to speak of difficult feelings may be one of the reasons why China has not developed the same emotional literacy and openness that has emerged over the 20th century in the West.

And yet Chinese parents are increasingly concerned about the wellbeing and emotional health of their children. Especially those they send away to board on the other side of the world.

An expert in Chinese culture recently told me that education is the number one luxury good that Chinese parents will invest in. And bear in mind, often that investment is focused on ONE child.

The pressure on the Chinese child is huge. But so is the investment the Chinese parent will make to ensure they are placed in the best, most supportive environment.

UK schools need to have the means to reassure Chinese parents they are the best, supportive place- especially given that 2017 figures suggest that more than 50% of all UK boarders are now from China.

How can schools provide this reassurance to Chinese parents on the other side of the world?

The answer is measurable social-emotional data.

China is a land of data. We are familiar with serried ranks of Chinese pupils rehearsing maths calculations in a Chinese classroom. Chinese education is about providing an explicit calibration of the progress stage and needs of the individual. British schools need to provide Chinese parents with the same quality of social-emotional data about their children’s development, as they can about their progress toward the IB or GCSE grades.

Chinese parents may not know how to ask emotionally sensitive questions (for the reasons above). Chinese parents may not want to ask embarrassing or awkward questions; but they will certainly want to know YOU understand those questions about their child, and are able to reassure them in a language they can understand, trust and which does not embarrass them.

This was brought home to us recently when a Principal at a school using AS Tracking wrote this to us,

“I have found it particularly helpful in communicating with our families in Hong Kong and mainland China to be able to assure them that we have, in AS Tracking, an objective, measurable way of keeping an eye on the welfare and personal development of their children. Families in these countries are very conscious of the potential mental health issues and emotional strains on their children, but are less used to discussing these matters with schools and other professionals than we are here. While they trust that our pastoral care is excellent, it is an additional reassurance to know that we have in our toolkit such a powerful and scientifically well-founded piece of equipment to keep their children safe, on track and appropriately supported.”

IF YOUR SCHOOL IS TRACKING PUPILS USING AS TRACKING THEN PROVIDE YOUR CHINESE PARENTS (BOTH CURRENT AND PROSPECTIVE) WITH THE REASSURANCE THAT:

* Your school will not only track their child’s academic progress, but also their social-emotional development.

* You will have reliable, regular social-emotional data so will know, very quickly, if their child is not thriving.

* You will be able to hear their child’s needs, even if they feel uncomfortable or unable (in a second language, thousands of miles from home), to express those needs in words.

If you would like to see how AS Tracking can provide you with this kind of measurable data, please ask Fiona to arrange a demonstration or call with one of our ex-teachers fiona@steer.global

Loren
Author:Loren