American education system

The United States is one of the most developed countries in education in the world. The American education system began to take shape as early as the founding of People's Republic of China (PRC). After more than 200 years of development and gradual improvement, today's three-level system of primary education, secondary education and higher education has been formed.

More than half of American colleges and universities are private, because these universities were originally founded mainly by churches and other religious groups. Although these schools are still inextricably linked with the church today, they no longer focus on religious education. Almost every of the 50 states in the United States has at least one public university funded by the state government or local government. Although the source of funds is different from that of Morley University, the academic system and curriculum are not much different.

The existing institutions in the United States mainly have a two-year or four-year academic system. Two-year programs are mostly technical colleges and community colleges, which are the bridge between high schools and regular four-year universities. They mainly cultivate the skills and professional knowledge needed by American society, and the tuition fees are low. Regular four-year schools are mainly liberal arts colleges, independent professional colleges and comprehensive universities, which represent the highest level of scientific research and teaching in the United States and cultivate a large number of high-level professionals. In addition to teaching, these institutions also undertake a large number of high-tech scientific research tasks of the US government.

American colleges and universities have strong teachers and high academic qualifications. Teachers who want to teach in four-year colleges and universities usually have to get a doctorate and adapt their teaching methods and contents to the needs of their majors. In the United States, 18-year-old high school graduates can enter universities without examination, and more than 60% of high school graduates can enter universities for further study.

American universities implement the credit system. At the beginning of each semester, teachers arrange a large number of reading books and materials for students to cultivate their self-study ability and academic research ability. On this basis, they strive to get 6- 18 credits in each subject. Four-year undergraduate students must complete 120- 128 credits in accordance with the regulations, pass the examination and write a dissertation before they can obtain a degree.

According to American institutions of higher learning, you are eligible to continue your master's degree after graduation. The degree system adopts five-level system, namely, associate degree, bachelor degree, master degree, doctor degree and first professional degree. Among them, there are two kinds of master's degrees: one is to write a thesis, the other is not to write a thesis, but it requires higher points, and there are oral and written tests. A master's degree usually lasts for two academic years, and a doctor's degree lasts for 2-3 years. Doctoral students are guided by a steering group composed of several experts and professors. They passed the professional examination and signed their doctoral thesis to get their degrees.

American higher education institutions provide various financial assistance to college students through various channels, such as scholarships, grants, long-term low-interest loans on campus, short-term loans, long-term low-interest loans off campus, work-study programs by the federal government, and part-time jobs inside and outside the school.

Classification of American universities

principle

American higher education institutions are classified according to the highest degree they can offer, the scope of disciplines and the degree of research work. The most widely used classification is Carnegie Institution Classification.

It should be noted that the classification of American schools like Carnegie is not the ranking of school quality, but the classification of school types.

Large research university

The schools included are those that almost all departments attach importance to research, offer advanced degrees in many majors, and a large part of their income comes from sponsoring research.

A smaller university that awards doctorates.

The schools included are those that offer doctoral degrees and conduct advanced research in relatively few fields, although there are many majors.

Comprehensive mechanism

The schools included are those that can provide the highest master's degree and the first professional degree, but do not award doctoral degrees in research fields or pay less attention to advanced research.

Bachelor degree institution

Such schools only offer bachelor's degrees to prepare for higher-level study.

Associate degree institutions

This kind of school mainly refers to community colleges and other colleges, which provide qualification certificates and associate degree, but do not grant bachelor's degree or above. What students can learn in the future is similar to that in China.

specialized agency

Such schools only offer one or several related majors, or prepare students for a specific career in the future.

Vocational/technical institutions

These schools provide students with short-term non-degree vocational courses, generally not exceeding 2 years.

classify

Two-year schools are usually called community colleges or junior colleges, and Associate of Arts (A.A) or Associate of Science(A.S) is awarded after successful completion of two-year full-time study in a college. There are two basic types of community colleges, one is to prepare students for transferring to four-year bachelor's degree universities, and the other is to provide vocational training in specialized fields. The second type of schools are usually not prepared to transfer students to four-year universities, although four-year universities still accept some credits. Some two-year schools only offer the last two years of undergraduate study, and award bachelor's degrees instead of associate's degrees. Most community colleges are supported by state and local communities, and there are also private community colleges, some of which are for profit.

A bachelor's degree is awarded by a college or university (sometimes called a graduate school when it focuses on engineering or other technical courses). B.A. or B.S. is the most common bachelor's degree, but there are many other names. Usually you can get a bachelor's degree by successfully completing four years of full-time study, and some majors or schools have studied for more than four years. American universities are both public and private, and some universities are directly related to religion.

Public schools are usually state universities or 2-year community colleges, and they mainly receive funding from their states. Since the main funds are not from the state and federal governments, private schools generally charge higher fees. Universities with religious relations are private universities, most of which are Christianity (Roman Catholicism and protectionism) and a few are Judaism and Islam. These schools usually don't interfere with students' own religious views.

With a few exceptions. Some schools are Christian, emphasizing their own culture and organizing according to the principle of believing in orthodox Christianity. Students with orthodox Christian or Protestant backgrounds feel quite comfortable, the Bible is necessary, and social life is strictly regulated. Carefully understand the regulations of these schools, they may not provide the environment you want.

The only difference between private schools and other schools is that private schools should be profitable. They are educational enterprises, providing services and courses similar to those of other schools, and their learning contents tend to be skills and courses that prepare them for careers.

At present, almost all American colleges and universities are coeducational, and there are some boys' and girls' schools. There are men and women in the teaching staff and management of any school.

East and West can be represented by China and the United States.

1. Differences between Chinese and American higher education

There are many differences, only talking about educational model and educational content.

After liberation, China abandoned the tradition of higher education and copied the higher education model of Soviet professional education, which continues to this day. Due to the specialization and differentiation of disciplines and the lack of communication between different disciplines, the research and courses conducted by various disciplines, even those conducted by different branches of the same discipline, seem to have nothing to do with other disciplines or other branches, so what students learn is nothing more than some fragmented knowledge. The knowledge system established by human beings as a whole has become a fence that separates people from knowledge, even thoughts and behaviors. This professional education mode and content provide students with professional training in a certain subject, so that students can engage in corresponding professional research or obtain corresponding occupations after graduation and become a part of the social production machine. This kind of specialized education is objectively equivalent to vocational education in western education. Even now, the main orientation of university education in China is still specialty and employment. This may also be the reason why China's higher education as a whole is at the level of vocational education in western countries, and there is no high-level university education.

Different from the professional education mode in China, general education is another important tradition of American undergraduate education since the late19th century, and almost all universities have detailed general education plans. Take Harvard University as an example. 1978, Harvard University launched a "quiet revolution in academic circles". The professors of the College of Arts and Sciences passed a resolution with 182 votes to 65 votes, using "basic courses" to represent the original "ordinary courses". The so-called basic course is a curriculum that integrates the basic contents of traditional independent disciplines and provides all students with a common knowledge background. The basic course consists of six categories and ten fields: literature and art (including three fields of ABC), science (including two fields of AB), history (including two fields of AB), social analysis, foreign culture and moral rationality. All arts and science students must take eight courses from these ten fields and complete them in the first two years (mainly the first three semesters) of university. [ 1]

In order to ensure that general education can achieve the expected goal, the teachers who undertake the teaching task of general education courses must be professors or senior lecturers, and the teaching effect must be excellent after evaluation. [2] General education courses involve natural science, social science, history, culture and many other aspects. Through the teaching of high-level teachers, students can have a general understanding and experience of the achievements of human civilization in various fields before entering university professional courses. Therefore, their specialized courses should be built on the solid platform of the achievements of human civilization, which will lay a good foundation for them to continue studying a specialized course and provide a very valuable platform for their future work or research.

General education makes higher education stand on the "giant shoulder" of human civilization and progress, directly listen to the profound experience and understanding of famous professors in some fields, and stand at the forefront of civilization development. Every step they take may be innovation. However, in our higher education, teachers who teach public courses are often people who are ignored in schools and whose level is questionable. The whole public course education is placed in a dispensable position, and professional courses dominate the world. No wonder the people trained by the higher education program in China lack a big scientific and cultural knowledge background, and the narrow professional education has shaped them into machines without ideological ability. Few students can figure out where the frontier of science is, and even if they take a hundred steps forward, they may not know what innovation is.

When will China's education respect the basic laws of education, and when will China's higher education stand on the shoulders of giants?

Education determines success or failure.

Since 1995, the World Bank has organized experts to redefine and measure the wealth of the world and countries, and put forward a green national account to measure national wealth. In the green GDP system, national wealth includes production assets, natural capital and human resources. The most significant difference between developed and developing countries in the composition of green national economy is that the proportion of human resources in developing countries is far less than that in developed countries.

The decisive factor of development is people, and human resources are the most important resources for social development. Education is the main way to cultivate and develop human resources. It is no exaggeration to say that education determines success or failure. The research of Carnegie Group shows that 50% of the economic strength of the United States is obtained from its education system. With world-class higher education, the United States can have a large number of independent intellectual property rights, far-reaching outstanding scholars and a strong knowledge economy, and become a powerful country in science and technology. The difference in education has a great influence on the respective development of China and the United States. China must give full play to the important role of education in order to realize the transformation from a populous country to a big country in human resources. Only education can provide a good development platform, the strong backing of human resources and the foundation of knowledge capital innovation for the future society.

2. Differences in senior high schools between the two countries

Objectively speaking, it is much easier for an average student to attend high school in the United States than in China. What is the reason for this result? Is it the ideological difference between China and the West, or the educational system and methods?

Comparison of American high school students:

campus life

The campus life of senior high school students in China closely revolves around the word "learning", and the vocabulary derived from it, such as textbooks, workbooks and exams, has a strong learning atmosphere on campus. In contrast, the campus life of American high school students is much easier. Besides studying in class, students can take part in many other activities. These colorful activities cultivate students' interest in new things, thus effectively helping students find their own interests and laying the foundation for choosing their goals and majors in the future.

Example 1 school uniform

High school students in China must wear school uniforms, so as to unify everyone and eliminate the psychology of keeping up with the joneses. In the United States, there are no uniforms in public schools, only private schools have them. Usually, students in public schools can dress freely, but they must abide by the school regulations.

Case 2 course

China's senior high school is a three-year program. High school students have eight classes every day from Monday to Friday. Not only that, most of them go to school to attend the so-called "cram school" on Saturday. Students start classes at 7: 30 every morning and finish school after 4: 30 in the afternoon. The content of the study is also stipulated by the Education Bureau. Only one class is optional, and the rest are compulsory. For example, senior two students must learn Chinese, mathematics (algebra and plane analytic geometry), English, physics, chemistry, biology, history, politics, art and physical education. In a word, high school students in China are very nervous about their studies.

In the United States, high school is a four-year system, and junior high school is a two-year system, so the education in middle school is six years in total, just like in China. American high school students only have six classes every day, starting at 7:30 in the morning and ending at 2: 15 in the afternoon. As for course selection, every student will be guided by a tutor. The general principle is that as long as he completes the required courses in four years of high school and passes the examinations in all subjects, he can choose any course according to his own interests in the remaining class time. Such as pottery class, stage effect, drama performance, musical instrument, law, accounting and so on. Ordinary American students begin to design their own future according to their own interests as soon as they enter school. While completing the compulsory basic courses, students will choose courses related to their major and start to enter the professional field, laying the foundation for future study and work. Some students completed all the required courses in three years and passed the exam. If a student fails the required course, he must study the course again next semester until he passes the exam. In the fourth year, students can take the AP course, and if they pass the AP exam at the end of the semester, they can be exempted from this course at the university. Tuition in American universities is expensive, and it is charged according to class hours. Therefore, students with good grades complete the freshman course in high school to reduce the financial burden for themselves and their families.

Here are some interesting classes in American high schools:

Student Union: A class responsible for organizing school activities, which is divided into five parts: freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors and student groups. Each department has a chairman, a vice-chairman and a vice-chairman. In addition to the student subjects, the other four grades are responsible for the activities of each grade, and the student subjects are responsible for the activities of the whole school. But the students in the student union must be selected by the whole school, which is equivalent to the student union in China, so the student union is also called the student union. The funds for activities organized by the Student Union are all earned by students taking this course working on campus. For example, teachers help students buy candy from outside the school and sell it to students in the student government, and the profits earned by students of different grades are handed over to the financial management of each grade; Students can open a temporary car wash shop at the school gate and sell souvenirs with the school logo. In addition, students can also sell tickets, food, gifts, etc. when the school holds a dance. The student government uses the earned funds to organize activities. For example, the student union holds a teacher appreciation meeting once a month, and students will give teachers cards and candy, or some lovely stationery. It is worth mentioning that students will prepare a grand and rich luncheon for teachers in the classroom or playground to thank them for their hard work in teaching. There are many activities organized by the student union, such as a formal prom); Every academic year; There are lunchtime Bashes and student gatherings); Every semester; Sometimes variety shows are held and winners are selected to present prizes. Newspapers: In this course, students learn how to edit, publish and print newspapers. The students' masterpiece is the school newspaper. The school newspaper is generally published once a month, with a wide range of contents, showing students' personalities and talents.

School yearbook: students who choose this course need to make an annual yearbook at the end of a school year and sell it to students. Usually, some students are responsible for taking photos on campus, some students use computers to design layouts, some students collect interesting stories on campus, and some students engage in art design. Every year's yearbook is different, and each school's yearbook has its own style.

Ceramics: Students design their own style by kneading clay. After the work is dried, it is fired by the teacher, glazed and then fired, and the work is completed. With a certain foundation, students can start to shape pots, vases, plates and so on with wheels. While dealing with clay sculpture, students also learned some knowledge of ceramic art, which not only cultivated their sentiment, but also improved their artistic and cultural accomplishment. Students' works will be exhibited in the hall and will participate in the selection of outstanding works.

Interesting lessons in China High School:

Art Appreciation Course: This is a relatively easy course. Half the students in the class have art classes, and the rest like art classes. In art class, students can draw pastels (still life paintings), carve and print, and use plasticine as relief. Appreciation class is to appreciate works of art, which is undoubtedly a kind of relaxation for the brain immersed in the ocean of problems, just like a machine that can't turn, stopping to apply a little lubricant and then starting to spin quickly.

Comparison:

Perhaps due to historical reasons or cultural differences, China people and Americans are different in many ways. High school students in China are more like students than those in the United States, at least at school. High school students in China have more respect for teachers, more serious learning attitude and stronger learning atmosphere. An American high school teacher once said half jokingly, "If teachers from China High School are invited to teach in American high schools, within a day, Mr. China will definitely be sent to the hospital."

High school students in China think that sitting up straight in class is a respect for teachers; American high school students, on the other hand, like to sit around in class. They think it is more efficient and comfortable.

Compared with high school students in China, American high school students seem to be more flexible. In addition to the basic knowledge, most of the courses they study in school are to cultivate their abilities, not only their learning ability, but also their organizational ability, creativity, thinking ability and communication ability. American high school students can choose a course on how to find a job in society, such as how to apply, fill out forms, what information they need, and how to show their abilities and talents. This is a very practical course, which will undoubtedly be of great help to students, whether working in high school or getting a job after further study in university.

High school students in China have a major that American high school students envy and sigh. China high school students are first-class in mathematics, physics and chemistry (at least compared with most American high school students), especially in mathematics and calculation. They can do oral arithmetic, mental arithmetic, addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, and even open square roots and hand-drawn parabolas. American high school students don't have this ability.

High school students in China also attach great importance to after-school study, and the time allocated to study naturally accounts for more than half. In extracurricular activities, there is less time to contact the society. American high school students generally like to play. After school, they finish their little homework and play. They take part in various activities. They also take part-time jobs, just like social practice in China. The difference is that they will be paid for their work and truly experience the life of adults.

Comparison between Chinese and American High Schools

Formal differences:

China's senior high school is a three-year program. Traditionally, students study arts and sciences in senior three. However, in recent years, due to the educational reform, China will gradually transition from exam-oriented education to quality education, so high school students may take both arts and sciences in the future. High schools in the United States are four-year, and there is no division of arts and sciences. Students can choose their own subjects according to their hobbies (except basic compulsory courses), so American high schools are more flexible in form.

Case 1

In high schools in China, every class has a fixed classroom. In addition to the third year of high school, students studying literature will go to another class, and the rest will attend classes together for three years. Most classes are in the classroom of this class, but different teachers come to the classroom for different subjects. In this way, students are basically inactive during recess, but teachers have to keep rushing to the next class.

In American high schools, teachers have their own classrooms, and students change to different classrooms according to the courses they study. Students have to walk from one classroom to another during recess. Classrooms of different disciplines are often far apart, sometimes not even in the same building. Therefore, during the break, students should seize the time to ensure that the class goes to the classroom. In addition, during the six minutes between classes, some students have to go to the small cupboard to change their textbooks, others have to go to the bathroom, and all the students are moving quickly. Teachers can prepare lessons in their own classrooms without walking around.

Example 2 Military training and recess drills with China characteristics. High school students in China must take part in military training. Militarized management makes students more disciplined. Most families in China are only children now, and they have been spoiled since childhood. Military training makes students stronger and more able to overcome difficulties. At the same time, they live in a military camp without parents and classmates, which cultivates the independence of students to some extent.

After two or three classes, students go outside the classroom to breathe fresh air, relax their brains and prepare for the next class.

Case 3 Course Types

China's senior high school curriculum is mainly based on basic courses, focusing on cultivating students' problem-solving ability to cope with the national examination and college entrance examination.

American high schools offer a variety of courses, and students can choose other courses except basic courses according to their own interests, so that each student can give full play to his own specialties. Students have many hands-on opportunities in the classroom, and the location of the class is not limited to the classroom, and sometimes there are field trips.

China High School in the Eyes of High School Students in China

questionnaire

Question 6: What do you think are the advantages of China High School?

Student A:No.. (a bit too absolute. )

Student B—— Exercising people's will quality and giving full play to their problem-solving potential.

Students' c- basic knowledge is solid.

Student D- standards and discipline.

Students' E time is tight and strict.

Summary: Except 1 people think that China senior high school has no advantages, the rest 19 people say that it has advantages. The specific summary is as above.

Question 7: What do you think are the shortcomings of China High School?

Student A—— Less spare time and great study pressure.

Student B-Too much useless work and lack of social practice.

Student C-lack of creativity.

Student d-obey the rules and be rigid.

Summary: Among 20 people, 7 people think that they lack creativity, 6 people are under great pressure to study, 4 people follow the rules, and 3 people lack social practice.

Question 8: If so, where do you want China High School to improve?

Student A-too many. Let me see. First, cancel the 100 scoring system and change it to excellent, good, pass and fail. Cancel the college entrance examination and the university will admit students according to their usual grades. Cancel military training, and the school will increase social practice time. Schools should evaluate students according to their comprehensive quality, not just their scores.

Student B— Assess different students with different scales, increase the chances of practical operation and application of knowledge, and reduce the study of written theory except basic knowledge. Schools should add more subjects.

Student c-teaching students in accordance with their aptitude.

Student D— Can you speak the college entrance examination? I think universities should take separate exams after the college entrance examination.

Summary: All 20 students put forward improvement plans.

Comparison:

In fact, the purpose of high schools in China and the United States is to teach students knowledge, educate them and enable them to have certain learning ability after leaving school. However, the courses taught by high schools in China and the United States are not exactly the same: high schools in China attach importance to knowledge learning, textbooks, exercises and students' test scores; American high schools attach importance to ability, practice and students' own value.

Conclusion:

The educational system and methods in China are different from those in the United States. There is an image metaphor: China's education is to train scientists, and everyone should be trained as scientists. In fact, this is impossible. Among the students in a class, there may be few or no successful scientists in the end, and most students will engage in basic industries. What the country and society need are all kinds of talents. Not only scientists are talents, but anyone with a certain specialty can be called a talent. In China's senior high schools, students in the same grade (Grade One and Grade Two) study the same subjects, that is, each student receives the same education, so the students' personality is bound. China senior high schools should arrange diversified courses so that each student can find a suitable learning direction and pay attention to the cultivation of ability and interest, instead of just treating students as a calculator and a machine for taking exams.

American education is to cultivate diverse people, let different students develop their own specialties, and allow students to choose their own educational direction. If a student is a gardener's material, it is necessary to cultivate him into the best gardener, which fully embodies teaching students in accordance with their aptitude. However, the basic knowledge courses in American high schools should be properly strengthened so that students do not rely on calculators when doing a simple mathematical calculation.

Postscript:

From June 2006 to June 2002, the author participated in a one-year cultural exchange activity between Chinese and American middle school students in the United States. He studied in two high schools in the United States, first in an art high school, which belongs to a charter school specially set up by the government, and then transferred to a famous local public school, which belongs to a traditional regular American school, so it can be said that he heard and experienced the process of American high school education from special to ordinary. So I chose this topic to discuss the differences between Chinese and American high schools, hoping to provide useful reference for the ongoing education reform in China.