School or sanctuary? The truth behind the 'tiger mother' stereotype

By ITS Education Asia

Here is a very interesting article about a new book on Asian peoples' experiences while attending schools in Australia

While Christina Ho was researching her book on Asian migrants' experience in Australian schooling, the interview that most surprised her was actually with a local student at a selective school, where the vast majority of students were from a migrant background. "He was so miserable," says Ho. "He didn't have any friends. He didn't have the same kinds of interests [as other kids]. They called him 'Mr Whitey'. He blamed the fact he was miserable on Asian students.”

But Asian students told her their selective school was one of the only places where they felt truly comfortable. "It is a sanctuary for them," she says. "These schools have provided this unique space for these minority groups to feel like they are not different.”

In her new book, Aspiration and Anxiety - Asian Migrants and Australian Schooling, Ho argues migrant successes in the education system, and the resentment they cause, have led to stereotypes such as the 'tiger mother' pushing her passive, stressed child, or the "model minority" cliché that assumes all Asian students have the discipline & drive that lazy locals lack. By interviewing families and delving into research, Ho hopes to unpick those stereotypes, and show how migrants' own schooling and their struggles with the 'bamboo ceiling' affect their attitudes to education.

The article is well worth a read for people considering an Australian based education for their children.

 

 

 

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