2 Million Minutes

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I am always reluctant to devote a whole podcast to just one person but that is almost what I have done in the last Absolutely Intercultural show devoted to the 2 Million Minutes project. I gave it a brief mention in show 66 and was delighted when the instigator of the project, Bob Compton agreed to talk with me about it. His approach is not primarily intercultural. He sees a gap between the American and Indian and Chinese educational systems and is concerned for the economic future of Americans as a result of what he sees. He has chosen to convey that concern through the making of films following the lives of 6 typical high school students in America, India and China which highlight the differences in each system. But his diagnosis of the problem is 100% intercultural and that was what interested me. One of the differences was in parental aspirations with American parents expressing that their child’s happiness was the main concern while the Indian and Chinese parents have high career and academic aspirations for their children. The difference which first caught my attention was in the reaction to low marks. In America this means that you’re no good at that subject and better try something else while in China, it is an indication