Gutek Ch. 16 - China

In China, the world’s most populous nation, their educational system has distinctive qualities, that when compared to the United States, set it apart from our schooling foundation. It all starts with their primary schooling; their objectives are different. While we begin to teach students the basics of learning such as reading, writing, counting, spelling, and pattern sequences, Chinese primary school objectives focus on promoting nationalism and developing good living and labor habits. They teach children as young as six to be self reliant and self sufficient. Having been to China, the first observation I made was the strong presence of culture among the Chinese people. I feel that this is due to the fundamental backbone developed at a young age, and if students in the US were taught using some of the Chinese educational objectives along with their current learning fundamentals, we would be better off as a nation.

While our primary education is different, Chinese and American secondary school systems have many similarities. These include homeroom or “ban”, and the core subjects such as Math, History, Biology etc.; they even have an SAT-like test called the “gaokao.“ Gutek states that, “students’ primary goal at academic secondary schools is University admission.” In the United States, high school students are in school for one purpose, to get into a good college. Grades become more important that learning; most students would rather get an A on a test by chance than actually study and learn the material for a B. From my high school experience and that of my peers, this theory holds true. I find it interesting that although our primary education system and our cultures are so different, the goal of the higher education is generally the same; we all are seeking admission to a prestigious university.