Frontline - Class Act

Television (Full Length) – 1994

In the 1990s, New Zealand schools confirmed a global trend; students of Asian origin were outperforming students of any other ethnicity, especially in science subjects and mathematics. Reporter Michael Wilson interviews professors, teachers, students and parents about Asian academic success. Irene Peng recalls long study hours at her school in Taiwan and no time for extra-curricular activities. Teacher Dorothy Brown rejects the cliché all Asian kids are "clever" and Associate Professor Tom Nicholson says economics affects results, citing immigrant families in South Auckland who struggle at school.

We always believe that we as parents, we have to try our best to push our own children to work harder in order to achieve better academic results.
– Charles Ho on expecting his children to push themselves to get good marks