Schools in China - they're not all that strict

I went out to dinner with some friends of my parents who have two kids who are in elementary school. Their son is the same age as my cousin Wendy (12), but their classroom experiences are polar opposites. Their kids go to what's known as International School, comprised of mostly expat's kids. Chinese kids make up barely 10% with the majority being Australian and American. Classes are taught in English and annual tuition lands around $30,000 USD. The day I met them, Wendy was preparing diligently for her midterms while this family's son was preparing a Michael Jackson routine to audition for the school lip-synching performance. The kids at the International School adopt the western educational system where there is rarely any homework or exams, but creativity and imagination are taught and encouraged.
When we asked the parents if their kids could get into any Chinese colleges after graduating from the K-12 International School, the mom replied with a smirk, "No way. They are prepared for universities outside of China, but definitely would not be able to get into any of the domestic colleges.". Just as a side note, Chinese universities are immensely competitive to get into. Some kids may never have good enough grades to get into any college and are confined to manual labor or blue collar work for the rest of their lives.
P.S. This picture has nothing to do with this post but I thought the baby was too cute!

Importance of leadership (or telling others what to do)

I left China in the 3rd grade and all I could remember was how much I didn't want to leave because I was about to earn 3 stripes. See, there was this stripe system where if you earned any stripes, you'd proudly display it on your arm (as pictured). Here's the breakdown: 1 stripe = leader of small groups (approx 6-8/grade), 2 stripes = leader of your class (2-3/grade), and 3 stripes = leader of your grade (only one per grade). ALL of the kids want to earn stripes because stripes translate to certain privileges, such as leading group exercises, being the teacher's pet, and bossing classmates around. In order to earn stripes, you first nominate yourself and give a speech on why you would be a good leader, then your classmates vote. Yes, it's sort of like a popularity contest, but also, having the best grades in class equates to being the most popular. When I was in the 3rd grade, I was on my way to earning 3 stripes, which would mean I would've been the president of my grade! I felt like I had been waiting for this moment all my life until...my dreams were ruined by moving to America. Oh poor me. So to appease overwhelming disappointment, my grandma actually made me a fake badge with 3 stripes on it. I wore that thing around everyday before I left China.
Now, I'm proud to say that my cousin Wendy has 2 stripes. Although, she doesn't wear hers outside of the classroom like I used to.