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Wealthy Chinese families say military schools give a competitive edge
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China's People's Liberation Army is the world's largest military force, with three million members.
Valley Forge, Pa. – Chinese families of means see pre-college military academies in the United States as a pathway to success, Chinese state media reported Tuesday.
While parents in some countries send problem children to military schools in order to discipline them, many Chinese parents consider them as a place where their good children can become even better, sharpening their integrity and leadership skills, the China Daily newspaper said.
“Good education doesn’t mean letting your child enjoy privileges, especially our boys,” said Song Wenming, an entrepreneur in Jinhua, Zhejiang Province. “They should be raised in tough conditions to know what to fight for in the future.”
In August, Song sent his 17-year-old son to Valley Forge Military Academy in Pennsylvania. The academy has produced a number of leaders, including General Norman Schwarzkopf.
Families said the tuition is about $48,000 a year to attend some of the country’s military schools.
Statistics show that an increasing number of Chinese students have been registering with such academies. A few years ago, there were no Chinese students at Valley Forge Military Academy. Today, there are 28.
“All of the Chinese students at Valley Forge came from wealthy families, some of them were spoiled,” said Jennifer Myers, director of marketing and communications at the school. “They are generally performing well and hard working.”
Song’s only son, Song Siyu, had a rocky start during his first six weeks at the school. The teenager said he went to the school voluntarily but did not expect it to be as difficult.
“From 5:30 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., we are occupied with physical training, marching, shining shoes and badges, ironing clothes and ties, memorizing codes and rules. Worst of all, being scolded by seniors loudly and taking punishment, which means doing push-ups frequently,” Song told the China Daily. “The rules sound ridiculous and there is no room to argue or question.”
Song estimated that in three months he has already performed 8,000 push-ups. He has now perfected the art of taking a bath in 35 seconds, finishing a meal without looking at his food, and making a flawless bed.
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