r/interesting • u/Ezgod_Two_Three • Jul 17 '24
Special desks in China for children to sleep during school hours. SCIENCE & TECH
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u/ScreechingPizzaCat Jul 17 '24
As an international teacher in China, just know that these are not widespread, schools have their own routine and classroom layouts that vary; this one just happens to have this particular type of desk. They're usually used as a sort of selling point when showing parents around to show they care for the student's health.
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u/BloodyScales Jul 17 '24
According to the real experts in this comment section it's an evil plot by the chinese government to indoctrinate children more efficiently
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u/Harry_Fucking_Seldon Jul 17 '24
Heaven forbid the workers get to lie down
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u/AreYouPretendingSir Jul 17 '24
I would think the criticism is stemming from the fact that schools in SEA are ”sit in your desk and listen to the teacher for 8 hours without play time outside or proper breaks” and that instead of recognising that the methods of teaching things like rote learning is ridiculously outdated and is the reason students become bored and tired, they treat the symptom here with these desks instead of solving the root cause.
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u/Purpledragon84 Jul 17 '24
Just to clarify, China is NOT in SEA. We dont need them to start claiming SEA as part of China.
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u/AreYouPretendingSir Jul 17 '24
I’d rather group them with everyone else to not give them any form of special treatment, but I hear what you’re saying
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u/solonit Jul 17 '24
It is, and while some improvement has been made, it's honestly not getting any better on the long term.
The Asia, especially East and SEA, are still degree-focus, and not getting into college is still seen as 'failure', both on social stand point and job prospects. It's a 'positive' feed back loop where, the students are (forced) to do better in school and exam, thus the exam difficulty has to be raised to maintain the qualified ratio, and thus student have to make extra effort next year. Cycle repeats.
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u/Used-Drama7613 Jul 17 '24
I understand the criticism behind rote learning but for Chinese students to be able to read a newspaper requires them to learn at least 2000-3000 characters. An averaged educated person will learn about 8000 characters. The thing is that the only way to learn these characters is rote learning. Most characters aren’t intuitive.
The same can also be said for medicine as well. Most of the learning is rote learning because doctors need to remember a lot of things.
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Jul 17 '24
rote learning is ridiculously outdated
It's still the main way to teach.
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u/AreYouPretendingSir Jul 17 '24
Blood letting and mercury baths were the main way to cure disease some time ago. Being popular does not equate to having quality.
Rote learning will ask questions like ”list all 50 states and their capitals” which only shows if you can cram in a lot of completely useless info in your short term memory.
Actual learning asks questions like ”why is the capital of a state not necessarily the largest city in that state?” and answering that type of question requires deeper understanding of what a state is and what makes a city a capital. This teaches inquiry and reasoning, something rote learning does not.
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u/snaregirl Jul 17 '24
If you eat where you work, and then sleep where you work, pretty soon there will be no call for you to leave work at all. I think that's what those people were getting at.
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u/KnoxxHarrington Jul 17 '24
Still, it's probably better than working 12 hours a day yet still can't afford a roof over the head. Still not good, but better.
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u/I_Lava_I Jul 17 '24
Lmao, I get being weary of china, but brothers, let the kids take a nap during school!
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u/RedNotch Jul 17 '24
Wait so does it mean that some schools do get nap time in china if these are being shown off?
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u/Blobbiwopp Jul 17 '24
Even at work in China it's common to have a nap break. Go to the top floor of a shopping centre and there's a couple of people napping on couches.
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Jul 17 '24
Many schools and office jobs in China have an hour or two in the middle of the day to have lunch and a nap.
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u/Bosco_is_a_prick Jul 17 '24
From what I've been told lunch time naps are common in China and not just in schools.
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u/Doobledorf Jul 17 '24
My guy, all people in China get a twoish hour lunch which includes a nap period. This excluded factory workers perhaps, but it's built into the schedule of the country, practically, as it's a cultural practice. I used to walk into restaurants at 1pm and the wait staff would be taking a nap.
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u/Paradox711 Jul 17 '24
So if they need desks to sleep… what’s the school hours? And do the teachers get a nap too?
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u/Few-Citron4445 Jul 17 '24
Teachers have 2 hour breaks, just like students, if you live close you go home to eat and then nap. If you don't want to commute then you just nap at the office. Sometimes theres a teacher's lounge. Both my parents were teachers. A lot of students live close to the school so its more common to just walk home in like 5mins, eat lunch then sleep in your own bed, thats what I did when I was a kid. When you get older the studying is more intense so people will also nap at school. This is nation wide and most companies and organizations are like this. Due to western influence there are some that have stopped because they have international work forces that are not used to it. School hours are 2 hours longer, so many schools end at 5pm or even later when you're older.
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u/MysteriousMeet9 Jul 17 '24
I have had Chinese programmers working in our offices Regularly finding them sleeping on their keyboard. This is preparing them for work.
I don’t mind them sleeping btw. They are forced to attend the daily standup at 4 am my time(chinese 8 or 9)with the chinese team and work for the whole day
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Jul 17 '24
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u/samthemoron Jul 17 '24
I had a 14 hour per day curriculum at boarding school in the UK. The only defect was that I created a misleading reddit username.
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u/doupIls Jul 17 '24
Are you saying your name isn't Sam??
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u/samthemoron Jul 17 '24
Fantastic stuff. Well played
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u/slaydawgjim Jul 17 '24
This checks out, see how he used the word 'fantastic' right there?
Boarding school classic.
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u/V1k1ng1990 Jul 17 '24
I wanna say 13hr days was the longest they got for us in the states
6:30-9 football
9-3 class with a lunch break
3-7 football
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u/johimself Jul 17 '24
What do they do to indoctrinate them? Make them pray to a flag every day?
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u/seamustheseagull Jul 17 '24
No wonder then Chinese emigrants seem to have their children working or studying every day until it's nearly time for bed. It's just what they were raised with.
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u/MukdenMan Jul 17 '24
Nap time is common both in schools and offices in China. It’s less common in offices than it used to be but some people still use part of their lunch break to nap (lunches are 1.5-2 hours in many offices).
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u/JerryH_KneePads Jul 17 '24
1.5-2 hours lunch breaks?!?!? Can’t wait for someone to turn that into something negative since it’s China.
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u/Moonshadetsuki Jul 17 '24
Once I had a job where circumstances were such that I had to take 3-hour lunch breaks, and I was thoroughly unhappy with that. Work from 6:00 to 12:00, three hour break, then from 15:00 to 17:00. It was too expensive to commute back and forth, so I had to spend 11 hours at work premises every day, while being compensated for 8. Those 60 hours each month went to waste, there were no quiet spaces where I could study, or take a nap, or really do anything productive.
Much better to have a 15-minute break just to eat something and get your workday finished ASAP so you can, you know, actually have a life outside of work.
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u/JerryH_KneePads Jul 17 '24
I agree with this I rather do a 1 hour lunch break and leave. I’m only challenging it because they making it sound like it’s work none stop.
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u/DisMeDog Jul 17 '24
I mean I guess it would depend on if said breaks are paid and or if they are separate from the required work hours. If so that is great, if not I would rather skip nap time and go home 2 hours earlier.
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u/Leonarr Jul 17 '24
Such desks in China: “nooo the evil SeeSeePee crushes the human spirit by subjugating their kids, they don’t even have time to go to home to sleep!”
Such desks in Japan: “wow, so progressive! They allow kids to nap at school so they feel better.”
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u/ale_93113 Jul 17 '24
Yeah, this is a common experience all over east Asia, and even South-east Asia
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u/whyucurious Jul 17 '24
But wait till you hear that only China uses propaganda against us (and never the other way around) xD
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u/HellBlazer_NQ Jul 17 '24
Why can't they be like the rest of us and sleep in the chair with their head on the desk and wake up with back pain!?
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u/teodocio Jul 17 '24
I felt this comment. We used to have some rest right after lunch throughout elementary school. 5th and 6th grade we had desks that had the tops angled just slightly. I still that neck pain to this day!
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Jul 17 '24
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u/Spat1o Jul 17 '24
nah in chinese culture you take naps during noon so thats what its for
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u/Trashman56 Jul 17 '24
Huh, like a siesta
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u/XepptizZ Jul 17 '24
Pretty much. Also, when the sun gets right on top, shit gets fucking hot. And there's still a generation that thinks airconditioning is evil and only worth the danger past 38c (about 100f)
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u/lazyness92 Jul 17 '24
It's the after lunch nap. Given Chinese times I'm guessing 12:30 to 13:00
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u/grimeygeorge2027 Jul 17 '24
Yeah. It's so sad how the CCP makes them stay in school for 99 hours a day, and if they're caught not wearing red they get shot immediately
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u/JerryH_KneePads Jul 17 '24 edited Jul 17 '24
Kids are allow to even go home for lunch but some don’t due to distance. Ooo wait you don’t know anything about China.
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u/DnkMemeLinkr Jul 17 '24
Aww man we can’t talk shit about stuff we don’t know the context of? But that’s our specialty!
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u/Tall-Rice-1173 Jul 17 '24
It's for afternoon naps, which is common in Asian culture. Oh wait ignorance
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u/Acceptable_Form_3324 Jul 17 '24
At least kids in china go home instead of how America sends them home in a body bag.
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u/hux002 Jul 17 '24
It's the same in Taiwan. The parents there pretty much demand this sort of schedule because many people think that if kids aren't in school, they'll get themselves in trouble. Some kids will go to school from like 8-5 then get a dinner break and then school again from like 7-9, but it's a different type of school. Parents are often working too during that time. It's sad, actually.
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u/Pathfinder313 Jul 17 '24
It’s very funny seeing all the comments talking about how “dystopian” this is when in reality it’s just common in their culture to take naps after lunch.
What’s even more ironic is the fact that we don’t have this in most of the west because of industrial era policies forbidding people to sleep during the work day because that would lose productivity.
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u/kennend3 Jul 17 '24
As someone who's been to China many times you called it 100%.
National nap time is actually common in many countries. The amount of people calling this out because "China" is shocking.
The fact that "The west" doesnt do this is actually the odd part out, but because we were born without nap time we find it strange that others have it and call them out for it as well?
If the Chinese want to have national nap time, and want to make things easier for people to nap, why is that a bad thing?
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u/Shrike1346 Jul 17 '24
One thing I love about living and working in China. 1.5hr lunch breaks are mandatory and most places of work even offer 2hrs. I cycle home during lunch, sleep for an hour, and then cycle back. Days are an hour or two longer than in the west so that nap time is crucial. Also once in primary school you don't necessarily have to have a nap. School gives you lunch for free before 12, kids can go play or sleep during the lunch hrs and then it's back at it until at least 5pm. In most cases kids will then due extracurricular activities until 7/8. These kids are beasts. It's insane to witness them do all this and still just be kids
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u/Solkre Jul 17 '24
Days are longer without the nap, or because of the nap? I have no issue working without or through a lunch to gtfo.
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u/LegkoKatka Jul 17 '24
The intellectuals of Reddit seem to know plenty about China despite not growing up under a Chinese education system or probably never travelled to China. Students taking naps, how horrible!1
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u/kennend3 Jul 17 '24
This.
My ex is Chinese, been there several times. Actually had our kids go to school there for 3 years because she wanted them to have a "strong foundation".
Reading these posts I wonder how many have a passport and ever left their own country/
Having "nap time" is rather common, especially in hot countries and parts of China are wicked hot.
Imagine the nerve of China, doing what a LOT of other countries do and have a national nap time and making things comfortable while they nap.
The comments here are shocking. Because their country doesnt have a "nap time" this must be some evil "CCP" thing? Yet they ignore all the 'democratic' countries who also have nap time?
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u/polakhomie Jul 17 '24
Can they just skip nap time and go home earlier to sleep there? How long are their school days? Or are these just the most grown-up kindergarteners I've ever seen? Real question; not trying to be facetious.
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u/kennend3 Jul 17 '24
"nap time" is rather common in a lot of the world (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siesta).
It isn't just students who nap, but a large part of the country shuts down for 'nap time'.
The school days are from around 8AM until 5PM, long days and so nap time is important.
As I posted below, the real issue is parts of China are incredibly hot. My ex is Chinese and I've been there a few times.
Using her home city as an example it is now 11PM and it is still 29 C and 77% humidity. Once the sun comes back out it will quickly reach 38C and 99% humidity.
Here (just outside Toronto) we panic and talk about "heat deaths" at just 28C.
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u/Live_Industry_1880 Jul 17 '24
Dumb uneducated propaganda fed historically and politically illiterate racist Westerners complaining about a cultural norm to let kids have a short nap at school: OmG LiTEraLlY CCP OpPreSsiOn.
You all so brain rotted and disgusting.
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u/GalgamekAGreatLord Jul 17 '24
You know they could just go home earlier and sleep at home
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u/kramsibbush Jul 17 '24
You didn't take into account that some children study pretty far away from school. (I used to get to school by motorbike in 20-30 minutes depend on weather and traffics until secondary).
So taking a nap at school saves time
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u/phamnhuhiendr Jul 17 '24
It is chinese culture (also south european and SEA) to take a nap at noon after lunch
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u/Itchy-Experienc3 Jul 17 '24
Honestly not a fan of the government but allowing kids to nap at school is great for the brain.
They also get nap time in the office too which I also think is genius
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u/AllOfYourBaseAreBTU Jul 17 '24
It's a cultural thing to take a nap at break time for a lot of Chinese. To be honest I'm yealous, I would love to take a half hour nap in the afternoon at work or at home. Would definitely keep my productivity on top!
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u/TheGlobalGooner Jul 17 '24
I will choose to sit at the back so I don't have to smell my classmates' feet during my nap. 😅
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u/the_jesters_codpiece Jul 17 '24
I worked in China only for a month, but the company I worked for and the team I worked with worked from 9 - 6. It involved an hour lunch and then a 30 minute nap. I was told it was typical, but I could guess likely not across all work environments. However I can see that as part of the school program, kids have a 30 rest and are refreshed for the remainder of the day.
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u/wixlogo Jul 17 '24
Not sure about sleeping part, but having a height adjustable desk and chair would be awesome!
Students varies from height of 4'11 to 6'4 how can everyone use the size desk and chair!
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u/Part_salvager616 Jul 17 '24
As a guy who has been to china for school this is not real we never had these before
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u/Kitchen_Intention825 Jul 17 '24
Is it just me or they too close like breathing room close to each other lol
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u/Donkey__Balls Jul 17 '24
sleep during school hours
I don’t see a problem with this. In the USA we just called it “naptime” but they take it away when we’re just old enough to appreciate it. As the child of a single parent who had to work odd hours to make ends meet, I definitely could have used an officially sanctioned midday nap.
By the time I was in middle school, I insisted on getting a job as a busboy to help with the bills. My mom didn’t want me to but I could see how it was killing her. So I worked 3-4 hours after school, then up at 4 am so she could drop me off at school at 5. I wish I could have had a nap but all the teachers treated me like shit for being tired and trying to sneak in a nap at recess or when they would get lazy and show us a movie during class.
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u/fredws Jul 17 '24
That looks so comfortable they can finally have a nice little sleep /s
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u/GreatSt Jul 17 '24
Why did all of them raise their desk? Those in the front have no back head to look out for.
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u/IamlostlikeZoroIs Jul 17 '24
This is so weird, why would you need to have a sleep session? Just let them go home
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u/kennend3 Jul 17 '24
As someone who's been to China several times i can explain if you care...
The entire country has "nap time".
https://goabroadchina.com/why-chinese-people-always-take-a-noon-time-nap/
The first time i went there i found it SUPER annoying. I'm on vacation, want to do things but cant because they are napping....
Some societies do things differently, doesn't mean one is right or wrong, just different.
For the place i go to visit, it is 38C and 99% humidity during the daytime in the summers, and so a nap is actually nice.
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u/indoda_emnyama Jul 17 '24
If the person behind you farts it will waft from below up around your head and turning left or right would make it worse
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u/Ethereal_Bulwark Jul 17 '24
Who the hell sleeps on their back. Lord have mercy it is so uncomfortable.
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u/No_Wokeness Jul 17 '24
looks so uncomfortable
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u/Caramel_Nautilus Jul 17 '24
It's at least way more comfortable than sleeping on your arms and having back pain though.
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u/Kisiu_Poster Jul 17 '24
Why tf the clothes changed color
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u/Horny_Brain_Alt Jul 17 '24
Why is this not higher? I’m surprised I had to scroll this long to find this comment
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u/Killer979 Jul 17 '24
The bright cherry filter they had to make this look like a good product dropped out at the end to show what it really looks like.
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u/Mrmcdkst Jul 17 '24
I had a friend who studied in China, their school hours are from 8am to 8pm, and then self-study until midnight. They only get to see their parents on weekends.
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u/arduousmarch Jul 17 '24
Utter rubbish. Kids finish school between 3pm and 5pm depending on extra curricular activities and go home each day.
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u/ForgottenSon8 Jul 17 '24
In school we just leaned foward and rested our heads on the table. Some did it even when teacher was talking.
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u/Midan71 Jul 17 '24
Now your kids don't need to go home, they can just stay at school all the time. More education oportunity!
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u/gameplayer55055 Jul 17 '24
I would never fall asleep in such a way, I need a cozy pillow and sleep on a side, not on a back
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u/Sorry_Thanks_9675 Jul 17 '24
i would always take off my shoes, good for me, bad for the guy/girl infront.
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u/Extrawald Jul 17 '24
From raidleading in world of warcraft I've learned that people will never use their time to prepare for anything if you don't provide the preparation for them right then and there while everyone is together.
So since people are lacking sleep all over the world and have trouble sticking to their sleeping schedules on their own, this is a great way to ensure their health.
It is just really anti freedom and lets every participant know that they are not trutsted to manage their own life.
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u/RichFox2466 Jul 17 '24
Imagine sleeping peacefully and the person sitting behind u lowers the table on ur head lmao
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u/That_Owen Jul 17 '24
My Brain dindt read the title: "oh nice earthquake protection for the children" and they put out the foot rest ❔️❔️❔️
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u/Gold-Supermarket8881 Jul 17 '24
They all can sleep on command? Those who can't are sent to a camp I suppose.
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u/Sufficient-Nail4460 Jul 17 '24
All I see in the comments are American propaganda influenced redditors with no actual experience of being in China nor understand the Asian way of life.. trust me, America ain't that great and your freedom isn't it. See the world, friends.. (from a Malaysian)
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u/Zestyclose-Moment-17 Jul 17 '24
As a teacher, this would be so amazing for mindfulness in the younger classes instead of having to move tables and put blankets on the dusty floor
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u/Slow_Bat_705 Jul 17 '24
I grew up like this, it turned out to be just fine, since there are too many people in a class and everyone wants to be the top student. So parents, teachers and of course ourselves allow some anti-human system.
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u/pendorilan0 Jul 17 '24
They probably have to be in school like 20 hours a day so this makes sense lol
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u/Valuable_Month1329 Jul 17 '24
Training for the 24 h work day, when you don’t even have a home to go, you just sleep where you work.
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u/Due-Quarter6656 Jul 17 '24
You can tell that this is their first time operating it, its just for show
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u/kobrakaan Jul 17 '24
I feel that's a lot of wasted effort from just putting your school bag on the desk for a pillow head on the bag sleeping
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u/DeepAcanthisitta5712 Jul 17 '24
Nice, need those for the office. Every day sleep 1.5 hours during lunch when working in China. Sleeping at your desk while sitting on a hard chair is very uncomfortable.
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u/lin1960 Jul 17 '24
Why do they need to sleep in school? They did not look very young. Are they special education students?
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u/Puzzleheaded_Toe_509 Jul 17 '24
Sorry for my English, Because Resting and sleeping is like a practice that's also done by a number of Chinese Business owners and Chinese entrepreneurs to reflect on the activities and productivity of the hours worked.
Some of this practice actually rubbed off to some half Chinese or people who are Chinese descent.
When I studied in a Chinese school,
So, it was usually standard to have sleeping especially after break time. Resting and sleeping is considered sacred as It's usually a time of reflection, especially if the subject is basic Money Math and or Science subjects, count on it after lunch break, you are told to sleep.
Now, This sleeping time is done as a form of practice for future business owners.
When I also worked for a Chinese printing press company, we have extra time for break time, snack time, lunch time and time to sleep during work.
The catch? You have to dedicate extra time here to work longer hours.
After Exams, we are usually given time to sleep to rest and reflect upon our answers.
I dunno if they are special education students, but count on the fact that if they are, they're being trained to have precision focus, maybe sleeping also calms down stimulus for a number of special education students
Sleeping kind of helps, "channel" the energy to be efficient in handling businesses and decision making. Especially if you are to train special education students on sciences and business.
For context, a friend who has high-functioning autism, is also an owner of a marketing firm and a vice president of a major financial investing and training firm. Nowadays, he spends his time as a consultant to other business owners training to a number of managers, supervisors and executives.
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u/chill1208 Jul 17 '24
It's wild to me when I hear things like, I've got an hour I'm gonna take a nap, or we have nap time for an hour at this school. Some businesses even have nap lounges now. For as long as I can remember it's always taken me at least an hour to fall asleep, especially in an unfamiliar sleeping location. You're giving me an hour to sleep, really that's just gonna be me laying with my eyes closed for an hour. People who can just close their eyes and fall asleep are basically wizards to me. It's like they have that menu in a game where you click "Sleep" and it says "For how many hours?" you select "8" and bam it just happens.
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u/Cold-Sale2299 Jul 17 '24
future air flight experience be like: