Section 101-196Elbert Xuhao WangThe Difference between Chinese and American Education SystemI have made some interesting observations so far. I am from China. After I graduated from high school, I entered Drexel University. As a freshman, I found every science class very easy. My math, chemistry and physics classes were like review classes. So far I have made many friends, some of them are Americans. We spend a lot of time together studying. For many math problems, I think really quickly and write the answer right away, while my American friends have to write all the steps on a piece of paper to get the answer. Although their way of solving problems looks more logical, it takes a lot ...view middle of the document...
He went to elementary schools and senior high schools. He observed the same phenomena in these two kinds of Chinese schools: "there was almost an absence of technology", always an unbelievable number of students in one class, but both the students and teachers have "passion for education, high expectations, and the proper attitude". Mijares Al really admires this attitude that the Chinese students have for knowledge. At last, as an American, he made considerations of the American education system, "Education is the process of acquiring information and applying it to life in order to solve social problems. We can learn from the Chinese just as they can learn from us, and we will be better for it". (Mijares Al) From my perspective, those Chinese students feel excited about the knowledge because of the whole environment. Families focused on their children's grades and were proud if their children did well in getting high points. On the other hand, they felt ashamed if their children's grades are awful. Teachers publish the students' grades and ranks for every exam. The one who gets the highest score will be very proud and will gain great respect from teachers, while others will feel embarrassed even be blamed by teachers. This whole situation makes most of the students have passion for knowledge from a very young age. Maybe at the beginning, students were really pushed to study, but later they gradually have motivation for studying science because studying hard can get teachers', families' and friends' praise. This is how the Chinese educational system works. Most of the Chinese students study really hard.I think Mijares, Al's educational tour is not enough. Those schools which he visited are in cities instead of villages. The differences between cities and villages in China are extremely huge. Cities hold much more resources and wealth than villages, so those students in villages dream of living in cities. Then the easiest way, almost the only way for them to achieve their dreams is going to a college in a big city. So the knowledge to them is not only a tool for higher education, but also a way to open a whole new life. They do not just feel excited about learning knowledge; they use it to struggle against their destinies.A big problem for the Chinese education system is the teaching style. In china, the teachers spend most of the time introducing many theories to the students and helping them remember those theories. In college, Chinese students still work on learning and remembering complicated theories with only a few practical classes. As a result, the students will know many theories but they only know a little practical knowledge. When they go to find jobs after graduation, all the companies have to train these students for a long time to make sure that they can do the job. They are called "stuffed ducks" - "graduates lacking in creativity and problem-solving skills" as in David Zweig's "Education Lessons --- Is China a Magnet for Glo...
