Educational differences between Chinese and American cultures

Every country has its own unique culture, so there are many differences between Chinese and American cultures. In this article, I want to describe the main differences in education between Chinese and American cultures.

In America, many children begin to receive school education at the age of six. Most public schools provide 12 years of training, and children usually graduate from high schools at the age of 18. Five-year-old children have one-year preschool training in many schools. Because of their busy lifestyle, parents usually send their children to nurseries or kindergartens. The school year lasts for nine months, from September to June, with winter and summer vacations. Classes are held five days a week from Monday to Friday.

In China, however, most children start school at the age of seven or eight. There are 9 years of compulsory education from 5 years of primary school to 4 years of junior high school. Then come to high school for three years. So there are 12 years in total. Elemental school has classes five days a week, junior high school has classes six days a week and senior high school has classes seven days a week. That is, China students spend much more time studying than American students.

When a student receives a primary school education, he automatically enters a high school. There is no entrance exam. However, if China students want to go to high school, they need to pass the exam. If they fail the exam, they may go to a vocational school to study a specific occupation.

In primary schools, children's courses are colorful, including reading, writing and social studies, such as history, science and so on. They can also learn cooking and manual skills, such as carpentry and sewing. Compared with American students, China students are often bored with their courses, which are usually more difficult and abstract. Because the content of the exam is formulated by the Ministry of Education, the textbooks and courses in different provinces are almost the same. And American schools can decide what to teach and what to test.

Schools from primary school to university provide a series of extracurricular activities, which can improve students' overall experience. Most schools have intercollegiate sports, including football, tennis, track and field, and ice hockey. Both male and female students can participate. In schools in China, we spend much less time on extracurricular activities and have much fewer kinds of activities. There is always so much homework to do that we always have to have classes. This is because China has a large population, which makes the burden of entering colleges and universities very heavy.

In the United States, although the admission requirements of different schools are different, most schools have some common characteristics. Almost all universities require students to submit high school transcripts and standardized test scores. They usually need a complete application form, written articles reflecting achievements and goals, and letters of recommendation from teachers who are familiar with the applicant's academic background. In addition, some colleges require interviews with college officials, either on campus or by telephone. However, all qualified students who want to be educated have the opportunity to continue their education in public institutions.

It seems very troublesome. However, compared with China students, American students are luckier. In China, in order to get good grades in the college entrance examination, every student needs to study hard. The higher the score, the better the institution you can be admitted to. Although the college entrance examination itself is not so difficult, the huge population makes it more difficult. If you fail, you can choose a bad university, or go back to the third year of high school to take the college entrance examination again, if you really want to enter a famous university. But there are still some students who can't continue their studies.

The most striking feature of the American education system is that it serves a large number of people. So there are some public schools where you don't have to pay tuition. This is because schools can get budget funds from the government, which come from state or city property taxes. In China, schools are usually public schools. The difference between public schools in the United States and China lies in tuition fees. In China, you always have to pay your tuition. Tuition fees in primary schools and high schools are lower than those in junior high schools. Because the former is compulsory education, the government shares part of the tuition fees.

In the United States, there are also many private schools different from China. Private schools in the United States are relatively unregulated by the government. Most private schools have relatively high expectations for academic performance. There are many famous private schools like Harvard University. These are very different in China. Private schools in China are usually vocational schools, which are worse than public schools, and you have to pay high tuition fees. So in China, if we want to learn more, we usually go to public schools, unlike American students who can choose which schools to go to.

Those differences are what I know from what I have learned this semester. Culture is a complex and profound thing, so there must be a lot I don't know. I want to know more about American culture in the future.