Jayden Szeto - Week 6 - Education In America
For the entirety of my life, my mom has always told me about the education system in China when I complained about school. She would say “My school days were much longer,” and “We learned this in 6th grade.” Whenever these conversations arose, I would just sigh and zone out as the words she said came in one ear and out the other. These “stories” felt like some sort of folklore—tales of Chinese education being more strenuous than the ones in America to make children in America work harder. But as I grew older, and my schoolwork started to get harder, I started to hear more people saying the same thing. My friends would tell me in India or China, they learned this math topic in some early grade, and a quick Google search confirmed this.
In my mother’s time, the school day would begin just as the sun came up, and she would walk to school with her backpack full of books, and also the weight of expectation. She told me that she was always the top of her class (my grandma has confirmed it) because her mom pushed her so hard. There was also the societal and peer pressure, where your grades would be posted on the walls. It was like a ranking that everyone could see. If you did good, everyone would see, and vice versa. My mom told me that if teachers caught students doing something against the rules, chalk would suddenly fly across the room. “We had to be quick,” she told me. She told me instances of when she had to dodge a couple herself because the teachers were aiming it at someone behind her.
The contrast between my mother’s educational experiences in China versus the typical schooling experience in America might be one of the explanations behind the different outcomes of the various educational systems. Many claim that China and India’s mathematical education far exceeds the one in America. I am pretty confident that teachers in China do not attack their students anymore, which means it is mostly the culture. The rigor of the Chinese education system, with its long hours, competitive atmosphere, and the strict discipline from the teachers are often conveyed as a means to produce students who work harder and are smarter. Of course, this system is both praised and criticized for the pressure it places on the students. In America, education is generally more focused on getting that creative juice flowing, critical thinking and a more balanced educational experience. People who argue that American education is better claim that it prepares students to more innovative and adaptive—skills that are becoming increasingly important these days. Of course, some educational systems might excel in one area and be worse in another—India (or China), for example, both rank 32nd and 22nd by country respectively but exceed in mathematical education. Ultimately, the question of which system is “better” does not have a clear answer, as both systems have their own positives and negatives.
Hi Jayden! I liked the ideas you talked about in this blog post—the first half felt relatable to me, since my parents have told me about how their school was much more rigorous than mine. Also, I agree with the points you made in the conclusion, that each country’s education system has its ups and downs. For example, the American education system encourages students to develop into well-rounded citizens, with emphasis on both the humanities and STEM fields; meanwhile (as you said in the blog) countries such as India and China have a much greater focus on math and science in their education system, creating students who have less experience with language and history. In addition to this, American education is generally more relaxed than in India and China, creating an environment where students are more able to lead healthy lives outside of academics—I have heard many stories of students in India who are not able to do anything other than study intensively in order to pass their classes. Generally speaking, depending on the needs and aspirations of the students, different countries may be the best for them (although high schoolers cannot necessarily choose which country they happen to live in); regardless, I am definitely happy to be at an American school.
ReplyDeleteHi Jayden! My dad also talks about how he had to climb moutains and wake up early to go to school. Whenever I get a "bad" grade my parents would tell me how much they studied from elementary to college from day to night. I agree that every education system has their pros and cons but I would like to agrue that America's education is better. My brother roomate in college is a transfer from india. We invited him to eat dinner with us and when discussing small talk, he mentioned how he likes living in America so much more than India. He said that it was a breath of fresh air from the rigorous testing and studying he had to indure in india. I don't believe putting this much pressure on people is any good, making everyone go onto the same "most succesful
ReplyDeleteroute only enforces this idea.