The U.S Vs. China in Education

The Chinese education system was founded from an idea that every student can succeed in every subject. I take this as a way of saying there is no excuses for failure if the student applies himself. Now compare this to the way we do things here in America. If a student is having trouble in a math class, then we say “Ehh, he is just not good at math.” You can see why China has a way better results in reading, math and science compared to the U.S. Instead of looking at a classroom filled with individuals, they see the class a whole. If a student in China is falling behind he/she will spend extra time with the teacher. The students are expected to put in the extra effort needed to keep up with the class’ pace. In America we get this idea if we are failing then we will just drop into a lower level class, and our problem is solved. This is a great example why the education system in China will outclass the United States’ Education system any day of the week. One of the many reasons the U.S can’t use an education system like China’s is because most students in the U.S really don't care that much about school. Of course there are the students who get perfect GPAs and try to do everything they can to get an advantage, but that is only a small fraction of students. The American education system is trying to have its cake and eat it too. The U.S can’t be the best in academics, when it is ok to quit whenever you want. We as Americans thrive off of short term rewards. So if a student is failing a class, would he rather work extra hard get A’s for the rest of the semester or just drop down to a lower level class: you can see why this option can be so appealing to so many students. This mentality of never give up, no excuses, is helping China to have the best education system in the world. The U.S is trying to up their game but there is so much you can when you are this behind.

Cites

1.Http://sitemaker.umich.edu/vanschaack.356/comparison_of_teachers_and_teaching_strategies

2. http://www.degreematch.org/economyed/

3. https://www.kpmg.de/docs/Education-in-China-201011.pdf