My friend told me a story, in Chinese. So I am retelling the story, in English....
He told me that this 11 years old boy who found Math to be the hardest subject in school.
His parents got him extra books, CDs, home tutors, etc... but still no improvement.
At last, the parents send the boy to a private school, after hearing recommendations from friends.
This school is not only a private school. It's a Catholic private school.
On the first day of the new school year, the little boy bravely ventured into the new new world.
After came home from first day at school, the boy went straight to his room, locked himself inside & started studying.
After two hours of study, he came down to have dinner, and went back to his room for more study.
Day after day, the same pattern repeated. Then it was the end of the first school term.
The boy came home with the report card, drop it to the parents, then went to his room to study again.
The parents looked at the report card, and found their son got an A for Math.
They were elated, ran to the son's room, happy tears in their eyes (ok, I made this up, may be no tears, but they were happy.)
"Was it because of the nuns?"
"No." the boy replied.
"Was it the prayer before the classes?"
"No"
"The teachers? the different way of teaching? the text books??"
"No. None of those."
"Then why???!!!" the parents queried...
And then the boy told them the secret....
"The first day I came to the school,
I saw them nailed someone on the addition sign,
then I knew they were dead serious about Math!"
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[Since I went to a Catholic school also, now I know why I am not too bad at math.....]