They say forcing discipline is needed in order to keep the class moving forward. They complain that new innovations to let students participate more take away from learning. What counts is our testing percentages, not how civilized we are. In many schools, teacher bonuses, income and advancement are based on performance of the students, teachers say. Teachers in China occupy a position of authority - greater even than parents.
Children learn that their futures can be made or broken by a sympathetic or hostile teacher.
Xiao Li, a recent college graduate from south China, remembers being petrified when her parents told her that if she didn't behave, they would tell her teacher. We may later need to discipline those teachers who ignore it. It is not a private communication.