statistical
In 2012 students from Shanghai scored top in the three subjects looked at which are math, science, and reading, and this was the second time in a row that Shanghai had triumphed.
Shanghai topped all three PISA domains (mathematics, reading, science) in both the 2009 and 2012 assessments. In PISA 2012, Shanghai scored 613 in math, 570 in reading, and 580 in science, all highest among participating economies.
Sources: OECD PISA 2012 Results, OECD PISA 2009 Results
statistical
Asian students or students from Asian countries tended to dominate the top six or seven areas.
In PISA 2012, the top performers in mathematics included Shanghai, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Macao, with Japan also ranking highly. East Asian economies dominated the top positions across all three domains.
Sources: OECD PISA 2012 Results
statistical
Shanghai is number one, America's 23rd.
In PISA 2009, the US ranked around 25th in math, 17th in reading, and 23rd in science among OECD nations. The exact ranking depends on whether one counts all participating economies or just OECD members. The figure of '23rd' is approximately correct for some subjects but imprecise as a blanket statement.
Sources: OECD PISA 2009 Results
historical
They called it America's Sputnik moment.
Education Secretary Arne Duncan described the 2009 PISA results as a 'wake-up call' and various media outlets and commentators indeed framed Shanghai's top ranking as America's 'Sputnik moment' in education, drawing parallels to the 1957 Soviet satellite launch that spurred US science investment.
Sources: Arne Duncan remarks on PISA 2009, December 2010, Various US media coverage 2010-2011
statistical
Shanghai has 20 million people.
Shanghai's population was approximately 23-24 million by 2014 (including migrant residents). The permanent registered population was lower. Saying '20 million' is a reasonable approximation, though slightly understated if including the full metropolitan population.
Sources: Shanghai Municipal Statistics Bureau
other
The gaokao is taken over the course of three days, over six subjects.
The gaokao is typically administered over two days (June 7-8), not three. The core subjects are Chinese, mathematics, and a foreign language (usually English), plus additional subjects depending on the province. Some provinces did have three-day formats, but two days was the standard nationally. The claim of 'six subjects' is roughly accurate for the total number of exams including elective subject groups, but the 'three days' is an overstatement for most regions.
Sources: Chinese Ministry of Education gaokao regulations
historical
The gaokao has been for thousands of years seen as the only way for not so well-off Chinese to rise in the Chinese system.
The gaokao itself was introduced in 1952 and is a modern institution. However, Jiang is clearly referring to the broader tradition of imperial civil service examinations (keju), which began during the Sui dynasty (605 AD) and lasted until 1905. The keju system did serve as a meritocratic path for social mobility, though in practice access was heavily influenced by wealth and social connections. Saying 'thousands of years' is an exaggeration — roughly 1,300 years for the keju system.
Sources: Benjamin Elman, 'A Cultural History of Civil Examinations in Late Imperial China' (2000)
historical
Steve Jobs is a college dropout. Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates are all college dropouts.
Steve Jobs dropped out of Reed College after one semester (1972). Mark Zuckerberg left Harvard in 2004 to focus on Facebook. Bill Gates left Harvard in 1975 to co-found Microsoft. All three are confirmed college dropouts.
Sources: Walter Isaacson, 'Steve Jobs' (2011), Public biographical records
economic
There's one trillion in student debt in America.
US student loan debt surpassed $1 trillion in 2012 and continued growing. By 2014 when this interview was conducted, it was approximately $1.2 trillion. The claim was accurate for the period.
Sources: Federal Reserve Bank of New York, Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit
other
These are not the best students going to America, these are probably students who failed out of the Chinese school system.
This is an overgeneralization. While it is true that some Chinese students going to US state universities were not top performers in the gaokao system, many Chinese students at elite US institutions were highly competitive. Research shows the population of Chinese students abroad was diverse in academic ability. Jiang's characterization applies more to the segment going to less selective state universities but not to the full population of Chinese students studying in America.
Sources: Institute of International Education, Open Doors reports
economic
Chinese students can pay three times as much as local students.
International students at US public universities typically pay out-of-state tuition rates, which are roughly 2-3 times higher than in-state tuition. For example, at the University of Illinois in 2014, in-state tuition was approximately $15,000 while out-of-state/international tuition was approximately $30,000-$45,000 depending on the program. The 'three times' figure is a reasonable approximation.
Sources: College Board, Trends in College Pricing reports
statistical
The number going to study abroad has tripled in a decade.
The number of Chinese students studying abroad grew from approximately 114,000 in 2004 to over 459,000 in 2014, representing roughly a quadrupling. 'Tripled in a decade' is conservative but directionally accurate.
Sources: Chinese Ministry of Education statistics, UNESCO Institute for Statistics
other
In Finland, starting at eight months of age a child can enroll in a free public daycare program administered by well-educated teachers.
Finland does provide universal public daycare, and parents have a right to municipal daycare for children after parental leave ends (around 9-10 months). However, Finnish daycare is not entirely free — fees are income-based, with low-income families paying nothing and higher-income families paying modest fees. The characterization of daycare staff as 'well-educated teachers' is broadly accurate, as Finland requires daycare staff to hold relevant qualifications. The age of '8 months' is approximately correct for when the right to daycare begins.
Sources: Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, OECD Education at a Glance reports
scientific
A lot of research tells us that the most formative years in a kid's life is basically from age one to age six. A lot of the neural wiring the child will need to succeed in life is basically formed during that age.
Extensive neuroscience and developmental psychology research confirms that early childhood (roughly birth to age 5-6) is a critical period for brain development. During this period, synaptogenesis, myelination, and neural pruning occur at their highest rates. Research by the Center on the Developing Child at Harvard and others confirms the importance of early experiences in shaping brain architecture.
Sources: Center on the Developing Child, Harvard University, National Scientific Council on the Developing Child reports, Shonkoff & Phillips, 'From Neurons to Neighborhoods' (2000)
other
There's no word for empathy in Chinese.
This claim is inaccurate. Chinese has several terms that encompass aspects of empathy, including '同理心' (tónglǐxīn, literally 'same-principle heart'), '共情' (gòngqíng, 'shared emotion'), and '移情' (yíqíng, 'transferred emotion'). The concept of '恕' (shù, roughly 'empathetic consideration') is a classical Confucian virtue. While the specific English psychological concept of 'empathy' may not map perfectly onto traditional Chinese terms, it is simply false to say there is 'no word for empathy' in Chinese.
Sources: Chinese linguistic resources, Confucian Analerta (论语) on the concept of 恕
historical
This little girl, she was six years old, she was run over by a car not once but twice. Bystanders came, they just stood around her and just looked.
This refers to the case of Wang Yue (nicknamed 'Little Yueyue'), a two-year-old (not six-year-old) girl who was struck by two vehicles in Foshan, Guangdong on October 13, 2011. Surveillance footage showed 18 passersby ignoring the injured toddler before a scrap collector, Chen Xianmei, moved her to safety. The girl later died in hospital. Jiang's age is wrong (two, not six) and the incident was about three years before the interview (2011, interview circa 2014), which matches his 'three years ago' timeline. The core facts are correct but the age detail is inaccurate.
Sources: BBC News, 'China hit-and-run toddler Wang Yue dies,' October 2011, CNN coverage of the Foshan incident
political
In 2010, Prime Minister Wen Jiabao launched an education reform blueprint calling for more individuality, more creativity, more freedom in Chinese schools, less homework for kids.
In July 2010, the Chinese government under Premier Wen Jiabao released the 'National Medium- and Long-Term Education Reform and Development Plan (2010-2020),' which called for reducing academic burden on students, fostering creativity and innovation, improving equity, and moving away from exam-only evaluation. The plan emphasized quality-oriented education (素质教育) over exam-oriented education (应试教育).
Sources: National Medium- and Long-Term Education Reform and Development Plan (2010-2020), Chinese State Council documents
economic
Employers find that fresh college graduates don't have the skills they need to do well in the workplace, so they need to invest two to four years in retraining.
There is documented concern among Chinese employers about the gap between university education and workplace readiness. McKinsey Global Institute and other research organizations have reported on skills gaps in China's workforce. However, 'two to four years' of retraining is a vague and likely exaggerated figure. Most employer training programs are measured in months, not years, though some professional development can extend longer. The general point about skills mismatch is well-documented.
Sources: McKinsey Global Institute, 'The $250 billion question: Can China close the skills gap?' (2013)