Academics -- the only aspect of education?
大学是否是事业成功，前途光明，在加国生活有保的唯一途径？对大多数华裔加国父母来说，答案是毋庸置疑的肯定，子女上不了大学是无法接受的现实。
Should university be the only pathway for students to besuccessful, have a better future, and secure a decent living in Canada? For many Chinese Canadian parents, the answer is “yes”, and the prospect thattheir children won’t make it into university is unfathomable.
据多伦多教育局提供的基于学生和家长普查信息的“现象普查”报告，85%的华裔父母希望他们的高中子女能上大学，远远高于教育局的平均数字67%。
According to TDSB Census Portraits -- a study based onstudent and parent Census -- 85% of East Asian parents expect their high schoolchildren to attend university, compared with the TDSB average of 67%.
其实，华裔父母的这种心态可谓产生于中国的高考制度。在中国，高考决定考生的一生，是决定他们是否能有一份工作，稳定的收入，和一定的社会地位，还是面临失业，贫困和暗淡的前程的分水岭。
The personal journey of Chinese Canadian parents has provedtheir beliefs. In China, ‘Gaokao’ provides its “winners” with jobopportunities, decent salaries, and a stronger social status, whereas its“losers” are prone to unemployment, poverty, and a gloomy future.
一位华裔家长表示：“我们到加拿大来的目的就是要孩子接受加国教育。如果不上大学，子女将无法过上稳定的生活。”
“Education is a main purpose that we came to Canada for,”says one Chinese parent. “Except university, I don’t think there are any otherways for my children to secure a better living here.”
某些华裔家认为，作为族裔社区成员，他们在加国受到种族歧视，因而将学业成功作为在加国争取社会地位的唯一途径。
Some Chinese parents believe that they face discriminationas a member of ethnic group, thus, they view academic success as the onlygateway to gain social status in Canada.
“作为华裔移民，我们是少数族裔，面临社会障碍和受到种族歧视。要改变我们的社会地位，只有获得优异成绩，上大学。”
“As Chinese immigrants, we are the minority race andencounter social barriers and discrimination. Only through hardworking anduniversity can we change our social status.”
这种信念使很多华裔高中生成为学习成绩的佼佼者。据多伦多教育局信息，华裔子女不仅在各种统一考试中名列前茅，而且就高中毕业率和升学率来说，也保持着遥遥领先的地位。
That belief and motivation has turned many Chinese highschool students into academic high achievers. According to the TDSB, childrenof East Asian descent not only out-perform other ethnic groups in standardizedtests, but also maintain the highest graduation and university enrolment rates.
多伦多教育局的现象普查报告，2007/2008年度的6年级统考中，华裔学生在读写和数学等学科达到省级标准的比例远高于教育局学生的平均比例。据另一项相关研究，2006年升入教育局高中的华裔学生中，73.2%收到大学录取通知书，与之相比，只有45.3%的白人学生，24.2%的黑人学生，和22.9%的拉丁学生。
The TDSB Census Portraits indicate that in the 2007/2008school year, the proportion of Chinese students reaching the provincialstandards of grade 6 reading, writing, and math are substantially higher thanthe school board’s average. According to another related study, in 2006, 73.2%of Chinese students who entered TDSB high schools were accepted intouniversities, compared with 45.3% of Whites, 24.2% of Blacks, and 22.9% ofLatinos.
优异的学习成绩似乎就是成功的事业保证。在这种观念驱使下，很多华裔学生都希望成为未来的医生，律师，工程师和企业家。但一些研究表明，亚裔专业人士对加国主流社会不感兴趣，他们缺乏融入工作场所的动力，有些人士甚至被视为“不象加拿大人”。因此，华裔专业人士群体中，在加国企业中的担任高级管理层人数比例较低。
Believing that “superior grades” in high school would resultin a successful career, many Asian students are aspiring doctors, lawyers,engineers, and entrepreneurs. However, some studies indicate that Asianprofessionals appear to be disinterested in mainstream society and lack theinitiative to integrate themselves into the workforce—some are even perceivedas ‘un-Canadian’. As such, Asians are often underrepresented in seniorcorporate positions.
“亚裔教育回报”研究报告的作者RaymondFriedman表示，他的研究发现，尽管华裔人士受教育程度较高，但他们在工作场所中很难成为核心人物，也难获得管理职位。
Raymond Friedman, author of “Return on Education forAsians”, found that Asians are less likely to become an influential figure inthe workplace or take leadership positions, despite their higher level ofeducation.
在Vanderbilt大学Owen Graduate School学院任教授的 Friedman曾早期向《大中报》表示，他的研究所涉及的，有些为第二代移民的华裔专业人士在政治上看似不成熟，不懂得与公司高管和其他员工加建立良好的社会关系。
Friedman, a professor at the Owen Graduate School ofManagement at Vanderbilt University, told Chinese News in an earlier interviewthat Chinese professionals in his study – some even being second generationimmigrants – appeared to be politically naïve and unmotivated in establishingsocial networks with executives and colleagues in the workplace.
Friedman表示：“华裔似乎没有意识到他们应将教育和在公司中推广自我相结合……我发现华裔雇员总是与其他华裔成员相互交往,,,,,,,他们应更多地与公司其他员工交流，并多在会议和公共场所发表自己的看法。”
“Asians don’t realize that they have to combine educationwith the efforts of promoting themselves in the workplace,” said Friedman.“I’ve found that Chinese employees tend to hang out with people in their owncommunity… They should spend more time trying to sell their ideas to other teammembers, and to express their opinions in public settings.”
Friedman研究所发现问题可追溯于这些华裔专业人士的学生时代。尽管华裔学生成绩优异，他们在个性发展和社会技能开发等反面远远落后于其他族裔学生。
The social problems with Asian professionals in Friedman’sstudy can be traced to their schooling years. Despite their high academicachievements, Chinese students lag far behind other ethnic groups in developingpersonal and social skills.
据多伦多教育局现象普查报告，华裔学生大多没有安全感，缺乏自信。他们在课堂讨论中不踊跃发言，不积极参与学校活动。
According to the TDSB Census Portraits, East Asian studentsseem to feel inadequate and have lower self-esteem. They tend to be less activein class discussions and school activities.
多伦多教育局现象研究报告的主要作者之一，MariaYau表示，她通过25年的调查研究发现，某些华裔学生尽管成绩优异，但他们在对自我能力和社会技能进行评估时，显得毫无自信。
Maria Yau, one of the lead researchers of the TDBS Censusstudy, indicates that her 25-years of research have found that quite a fewAsian students expressed a lack of confidence in competency and social skills,despite their better grades.
根据这一研究，9-12年级学生中，认为自己的语言沟通，社会技能和解决问题及领导技能等方面属“良好”或“优异”的比例相当低。比如，仅有36%的华裔学生将自己的领导能力评委“良好”或“优异”，与之相比，教育局的学生平均比例为67%。
According to the study, a significant lower proportion ofGr.9-12 Chinese students viewed their own abilities in communication, socialskills, problem-solving, and leadership as “good” or “excellent”. Forinstances, only 36% Chinese students reported that they have “good” or“excellent” leadership abilities, compared with the TDSB average of 67%.
该项研究还发现，与教育局平均比例（67%）相比，华裔学生参与课堂讨论比例较低（仅占50%），在课堂上提问和发表看法的比例也远远低于教育局平均比例。
The study also indicates that Chinese students have a lowerclass participation rate (50%), compared with the TDSB average (62%), and thatthe rate of Chinese students speaking or raising questions in class issubstantially lower as well.
Yau表示：“团队领导需要有全方位技能，包括较强的社会，人事和语言交流技能……作为领导人物，他们在校的学习成绩可能不是最好，但他们具有与他人良好相处及交往的人格与个性。”
“Leadership demands all-around skills that include strongsocial, personal, and communication skills,” says Yau. “Leaders may not havethe highest school marks, but they possess personal traits that allow them toconnect well with others.”
在不上大学就无前途可言文化影响下，华裔学生常常由于过于专注学习成绩，因而忽略了教育的其他方面比如领导才能，社会技能和个性，情感方面的健康发展。某些华裔学生在被父母逼迫之下走入大学之门，或选择了一份自己并不感兴趣的行业。
Influenced by a cculture that deems not attending universityas a social suicide, East Asian students are often too caught up with academicsto realize the importance of the other aspects of education, such asleadership, social skills, and emotional well-being. Some are forced down thenarrow pathway of university by their parents, and are even made to embark on acareer that is not of their own interest.
美国UCDavis 大学教授Norman Matloff表示：“华裔移民家长的最大误区在于他们过分强调纸上分数，而忽略了他们的语言能力和个性发展。”
“One of the biggest mistakes Chinese immigrant parents makein guiding their kids toward an eventual career is relying on paper credentialsrather than verbal abilities and personality,” said Norman Matloff, professorat UC Davis.
Yau表示：“与其他族裔相比，华裔父母大多会相信大学是走向成功的唯一之路，且不是根据子女的个人特长和兴趣而进行多种职业选择…….对自己的工作或职业选择不感兴趣的人士，往往会感到自己的生活感到不充实，不幸福。”
“Compared to other cultural groups, East Asian parents aremuch more likely to believe that university is the only pathway leading tosuccess, and are much less likely to consider multiple pathways according totheir children’s personal talents and interests,” says Yau. “If someone doesnot enjoy their job or what they are doing, they tend to be unhappy and feelless fulfilled in life. “
编注：本文曾在2012年7月《大中报》上发表。
Note 1: The story was published in Chinese News in July,2012.
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