The similarities and differences between the Chinese and British education systems

Education has always been a topic of concern and discussion among many parents and students. Many parents believe that China's education system should be improved and that we should learn from the West. They believe that Western education is easy and you can find high-paying jobs after graduation. Education in China is tense and full of competition. The “burden reduction” and other education system reforms advocated by China’s education this year all reflect the shortcomings of China’s education. So what is Western education like? The author spent two weeks at Green Bank High School in Liverpool, England, and had few insights. This article takes British secondary education and Chinese secondary education as examples to make the following comparison:

UK

China

1. Subjects of education

(UK 5-16)

(China 7-18 years)

French, artistic creation, scientific and technological creation, environmental science , science, (Russian, German, Chinese, "Elective") drama, sports, tourism, Spanish, economics, religion, mathematics, music, English literature, geography, cooking, multimedia

Chinese, mathematics , English, physical education, computers, art, music, physics, chemistry, biology, history, politics, geography (high school two points in liberal arts and sciences)

2. Education method:

Students walk into the classroom, and the teacher distributes textbooks. Students use notebooks to write down questions or the teacher distributes question sheets. There is an attendance teacher

Everyone has a textbook, the teacher walks in the classroom, and there is a class teacher

There are cost-effective teaching aids.

1. Homework method

Question list, social survey, almost no homework

Most of them are questions

2. Inspection methods and equal assessment

Teachers usually observe and write summaries to parents before holidays. There are also exams (rarely)

Almost all are exams and the scores are given to parents

< p>3． Specific classroom teaching methods

Experiment, let students do it themselves, lecture, student self-study, encourage students to work during holidays, increase social practice

Almost lecture, few experiments

No social practice work

3. Educational results:

Students have strong practical skills, but are generally poor in science subjects. Extensive learning, broad but not deep

Poor hands-on ability, but good at answering questions and getting good scores. Deeper but not broad

In addition, British education likes to allow students to learn independently, giving students more free space to do what they want to do. Therefore, many British students do not choose boring study; while Chinese education is generally an intense exam-oriented education. In addition to studying, students have almost no room for personal development, let alone social practice. The schedule for every study day is full. The following is the work schedule of the two high schools in China and the UK:

Morning class time

Lunch break time

Afternoon class time

Evening time

China

Start self-study at 7:25

12:15-2:30

2:30-5:30

7:00-9:30 self-study

UK

9 o'clock

12:25 to 1:25

You can go home at 3:30

None

In other words, Chinese students spend nearly 10 hours a day studying in accordance with school regulations, while British students Just over 5 hours. Almost twice as much! Chinese students have to make up extra classes at school on Saturdays, and spend a lot of time studying. They have very little time for exercise and play. British students, on the other hand, do not have homework. They work on Sundays to make money and spend the rest of the time doing their own things freely. So when Chinese parents see their children going to bed at 12 o'clock every day, they realize that they are really tired, while British children go to bed at 10 o'clock and don't get up until 7:30 the next day. Isn't this very relaxing?

Similarly, this education system in China commonly causes problems such as lack of sleep and decreased vision among students.

A recent survey in Guangzhou shows that nearly half of middle school students sleep less than 7 hours a day, 80% of students have sleep disorders, and nearly 60% have daytime dysfunction (daytime dysfunction) due to sleep quality problems. (feeling tired and low on energy), while in the UK, the Education Secretary has asked all primary and secondary schools to sign up with parents on some basic guidelines for behavior, punctuality and homework. According to the contract, parents of primary school students are required to ensure that their children have 12 hours of sleep and urge their children to fall asleep on time. grades and lead to psychological problems.

This makes people think deeply, what caused such an education system? Let students become high-scoring, low-energy, nerds with glasses, instead of being as colorful as British students?

I think this is mainly due to two reasons:

1. China is overpopulated and the competition is too fierce. Students have to get high scores in the college entrance examination and seek a good life. The British have less land and more land, so there is no such competition.

2. Due to historical reasons, China's economic strength is relatively backward and it does not provide good social security for the lower classes of society. The UK also has strong economic strength due to historical reasons, so the British will never starve to death, and they still have houses and cars to drive. Therefore, students are more indulgent, and most of them do not worry about their future life.

3. Differences in concepts between Chinese and Western cultures

Because Western children are more independent, children generally leave their parents when they grow up and start their own world. Parents do not need to worry about whether their children will succeed in school. , the important thing is that they live well themselves. Most parents of Chinese students want their children to get ahead and be recognized by society. And such a path is usually achieved through reading. Especially in this era, many parents have not realized their dream of going to college because of the educated youth going to the countryside in the 1960s and 1970s and the cancellation of the college entrance examination, so they place this dream on their children and strongly urge their children to enter college.

The above total reasons have created today’s Chinese education system: exam-oriented education. Under the dual pressure from school and family, Chinese students have to study harder.

There is no other way now. After the "burden reduction" has basically failed, is there any way to change this situation?

The answer I came up with is: Not yet. We cannot blindly learn from the West and complain about our own education system. For example, their students are taught in small classes in classrooms. This is almost unfeasible in China (the flow of students is too large, causing safety problems). The education system formed due to many factors will continue for a while, but it is recommended High school students can increase their knowledge, gain social experience (such as working part-time, etc.) during the holidays, improve their overall quality (such as art, sports), and become a "ten" talent on the premise of "one" talents Type talents. Schools may not issue textbooks in certain courses (such as music, art, etc.), following the British approach to save energy. And to strengthen students' practical ability, organize activities in addition to cram schools during holidays, such as holiday photography competitions, model competitions, etc. Also take the initiative to communicate more with parents.

I hope that in the near future, Chinese students can experience their study life happily like British students and become the pillars of the motherland.