Education has always been important in Chinese history. The government officials were men who had made the highest grades on the yearly government exams, and these were open to every male, rich or poor. If poor families had a son who was brilliant academically, they would make every sacrifice to educate him in hopes of his becoming an official. Girls in China were neer taught to read or write, as society felt that it would "make their heads too hard and stiff" - just as girls were not taught physics or math in the West, thinking it would make them "unfeminine". Today, education is compulsory in China, for both boys and girls. It is still extremely competitive, with many of the best jobs going to those with the highest grades. Who gets the best jobs in the United States? How much does education have to do with "success" here? What does "success" mean in the United States? How are we taught our values? (Do most children in class know that US children spend more time watching television than they do in school?)