In almost every Hollywood flick, the Asian kid is always smarter than their American counterpart. In reality, this is not farfetched, as various experts in the field of education have realized. One of the reasons Chinese students outdo American students is that their system holds different beliefs about education. 

The Purpose of Education

In America, education seeks to bring out a student’s creative side. Educators intend to help students use their skills and talents in society. teachers will give out homework and expect students to use the intrinsic knowledge to not only complete the tasks but even challenge prevailing beliefs.

Chinese education is all about soaking up knowledge. Chinese educators will teach young students the intimate relationship between education and success in their professional lives. These lessons are imparted with strict commitment from teachers, and students are rarely allowed to use learning aids such as calculators.

The Organization of the Education Systems

Since both systems have different objectives, their structure will vary as they seek to achieve their goals. Firstly, the Chinese education system uses a pair or three teachers in a group of at least 40 students. The educators will maintain their students from the elementary level until they reach primary school. Also, teachers are concerned with how the group performs, and they take measures to ensure constant improvement after each level. Therefore, there is plenty of homework even during the holidays.

On the other hand, American educators will train smaller student groups to impact individual students. There are tailored education plans to help with specific student needs. Also, many schools have a relaxed view of end-year tests, and the pressure to ace them isn’t as high as in China. Therefore, more schools continue to eliminate homework from their curriculum.

What Does The Society Expect From The System?

Evidently, Chinese society highly regards education, especially since it is tied to future success. Parents are normally involved in their children’s learning. They will pile pressure on their kids from an early age to ace their schoolwork because of the perks associated with academic success. As a result, this education system is highly competitive, and students have to contend with long hours at school and homework.

On the flip side, Americans have a somewhat relaxed view of education. Since it is another stage in the children’s lives, students routinely have plenty of free time for sports and other extra-curricular activities. Moreover, education is rarely pegged against future success, especially as children are frequently exposed to talented individuals who succeed without formal education.

The American education system is evidently not as competitive as the Chinese one. Also, American educational leaders aren’t keen on shifting to a performance-based alternative. Nevertheless, the world is slowly becoming a global village, and everyone has access to available job opportunities, whether American or Chinese. Therefore, students could consider implementing some tactics from the Chinese system to be at par with their oriental counterparts.