Chinese Education System - Essay Sample

Introduction

Education is one of the influential social forces. The universal belief is that a good knowledge helps nurture the intellect and curiosity that influences children afterward. Each country has a different education system. More so, the education system of the east differs from that of the west. China has a diverse school system containing public schools for students of different ages. Similarly, the country has specialized schools that cater for the disabled persons. Other learning institutions are private and vocational schools. However, some cultural aspects of the education system of China differ from that of other nations. Therefore, this paper analyzes the Chinese education system.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Schooling in China comprises of three levels, primary, secondary, and post-secondary. The students have to study three years in kindergarten, six years in primary school, and three years in middle school, which is also referred to as secondary school, and high school. Also, the students have the opportunity to proceed to higher education after completing their high school years. According to Gruijters et al. (2019), the education system of China is a linear sequence of different educational stages ranging from primary school to junior and senior high school and junior college afterward. A central government highly controls the education policy in China.

The emphasis on primary education in the region is based on state socialism, which aligns with the leveling of social inequality (Gruijters et al., 2019). The primary goals of education in China are to allow for efficiency and growth. Since the year 1978, the country has been emphasizing marketing the use of standardized tests to allow for advanced educational levels among learners (Gruijters et al., 2019). Enrolment has increased since the 1980s in China, and primary education is almost universal amidst the high population in China (Gruijters et al., 2019). The Chinese education reforms have had a role to play in allowing most children to access education compared to the United States, where there is a significant education gap. The less-privileged persons, such as the minority and the poor, lack access to proper education.

The second wave of reforms in the education system in China was in the 1990s, where the country expanded access to higher education, which, initially, it had been limited only to be privileged persons (Gruijters et al., 2019). Testing of the knowledge capacity of all the students in China has contributed to a substantial degree of standardization. However, school resources became decentralized hence leading to significant regional differences in the availability and overall quality of education. Importantly, the quality of education differed between urban and rural regions in China. A household registration policy in the country prohibits children from the rural areas to attend urban schools. Learners only get to interact with each other regardless of whether they reside in urban and rural areas in tertiary education levels.

Unlike in China, the United States has no nationwide standardized tests. The available ones are present in states and could differ from one country to another. Similarly, no policy prohibits rural students in America from attending urban schools. People of different colors, religions, and social status can go to any school of their choice as long as they can afford it. Other determining factors are whether the students will cope with situations such as discriminations based on race and culture that has been prevalent in the American education system. In contrast, education in America starts with a year of kindergarten, six years of elementary, three years of junior high schools, and three or four years of senior high school. Gruijters et al. (2019) stipulated that the implications of the education system in America are ambiguous. The system offers flexibility and openness while it has regional differences where children from lower socioeconomic backgrounds attend low-quality schools and tend to drop out of school more frequently.

Consequently, the education system in China is unique in the administration system and the teaching methods employed. In China, students are required to sit for an exam before joining their preferred high schools, which differs from that of America. According to Feng (2008), students should pass the entrance exams that frequently consist of questions from various subjects. The final scores are used to assign students to different institutions. The entrance exams for senior high school expose students to a variety of issues and determine the schools they eventually attend. However, applicants must apply before the reviews, and they rank the schools they desire to attend. They are selected to join the schools of their choices based on their qualifications.

Attending college is an almost similar process to high school, as described above. In the United States, no standardization tests are conducted nationally. Instead, students are graded based on various factors, including volunteer activities, extracurricular activities, and different pother test scores. However, the situation is different in China, where students sit for a standardized test nationally before joining tertiary educations. All students in China aspiring to join universities and colleges sit for the National Higher Education Entrance Examination, frequently called Gaokao. The acceptance to join the institutions is based on the selections made by the learners beforehand. With this in mind, one can see that the Chinese education system values tests and the overall scores attained. In effect, instances of cheating have been frequent. The high stakes associated with failing prompts most learners to engage in malicious activities, which has prompted the country to deploy drones that will identify any suspicious activities involving cheating during an exam.

From the points made in the sections above, it is clear that China's higher education procedure is strict. Students joining tertiary institutions are often exposed to an array of tests. After entering a facility, getting a degree becomes more manageable. The policy has faced intensive criticisms over the years with some scholars such as Feng (2008) claiming that it denies students with the chance of realizing their dreams to pursue higher education. In contrast, America lacks a uniform system of joining higher institutions. Most of the colleges and universities assess the students based on their performances and achievements at high schools. Students are allowed to choose their preferred majors or courses based on their hobbies and individual growth. Therefore, most students can access tertiary institutions in America as opposed to China due to many restrictions.

Lastly, students can earn a bachelor's degree in universities and progress towards a master's and a doctoral degree. Colleges in China require students to select a major in either humanities or sciences, which differs from America, where students can apply as undecided and undertake prerequisite course work. According to Feng (2008), China has implemented a system referred to as 'the professional education' in higher education. The system helps in fostering quick success and facilitating immediate gain of education that could allow students to get the knowledge required for particular employment purposes. Critics claim that this policy leads to narrowed knowledge acquisition among learners (Feng, 2008). In effect, this hinders effective innovation practices.

Conclusion

In conclusion, China has an education system that has favored its large population. The order in the country differs from that of the United States in a variety of ways. One of the significant distinguishing factors is the existence of standardized tests before joining high school and tertiary institutions. The similarity is that students in the two nations start by going to kindergarten, primary school, junior middle school, and senior high school, which then allows them to go to tertiary institutions.

References

Feng, X. (2008). On American and Chinese higher education. Asian Social Science, 4(6), 60-64. https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a87e/9e3eb0c67f0f23efc54870afad6a4a5477bb.pdf

Gruijters, R. J., Chan, T. W., & Ermisch, J. (2019). Trends in educational mobility: How does China compare to Europe and the United States? Chinese Journal of Sociology, 5(2), 214-240. https://doi.org/10.1177/2057150x19835145