One day this summer, while we were watching our kids play together, an American mother told me her child-rearing strategy. Her children’s school cost more than $30,000 in tuition a year. Its raison d’être was to get pupils into brand-name colleges. To boost its chances, it encouraged kids to repeat grades. This woman’s daughter was performing well at school but only with intense after-hours tutoring. The girl was therefore going to repeat fifth grade. The mother’s endgame, as I understand it: the children become doctors or lawyers earning top 1 per cent incomes.
今年夏天，我和一位美国母亲看着我们的孩子一起玩耍，她向我吐露了她的育儿战略。她的孩子们每年的学费就超过3万美元。她的战略目标是让孩子们进入名牌大学。为了提高几率，这种战略鼓励孩子们留级。这位女士的女儿在学校成绩不错，但前提是必须进行大量课后辅导。因此，这个女孩要在五年级留级。按照我的理解，这位母亲最后要达成的目标是：孩子们将成为医生或者律师，赚取最高的1%的收入。