Comparing U.S. and Chinese Public School Systems
STRENGTHS AND WEAKENESSES OF BOTH SYSTEMS:Both U.S. and Chinese school systems have strengths and weaknesses. This website proposes that there are thee core strengths of Chinese schools over American schools:
1.Teachers in China are given more respect than teachers in the U.S. [12]. For example, teachers do not taxes on their salary, and they receive their own national holiday, Teachers Day, on September 29th [12].
2. Chinese schools have a hard work ethic, resulting in student success.
3. Chinese schools do not segregate high achieving students from lower achieving students through tracking levels, like in the U.S. This is mostly due to the belief that all students can succeed if they put in the effort.
The U.S. education system has one core strength over the Chinese education system including U.S. institutions of higher learning. U.S. universities and colleges are the best in the world. Students from all over the world come to receive a high quality education in American universities.
One negative aspect of the Chinese education system is that high stakes testing in order to pass into the next grade results in many students left with no other choice but to drop out of the school system all together.
And lastly, two negative aspects of the U.S. education system include:
1. While American students have the same amount of allocated time as Chinese students, the amount of engaged time spent in school is dramatically less than their Chinese counterparts.
2. State curriculums and state testing does not make sense when standardized tests and textbooks are nationally normed and marked, respectively [12]
If schools in the U.S. public school system were to incorporate the positive aspects that make the Chinese school system so successful, schools in the U.S. would in turn be more successful. It is my personal hope that educators and school administrators will compare schools in the U.S. to the successful schools in other countries, including China.Contact Information:Tara L. Van Schaack E-mail:
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