The American and Chinese Education Systems (Essay Sample)

Compare and Contrast American and Chinese Education Systems
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Compare and Contrast American and Chinese Education Systems
Education may be one of the most powerful forces in modern society. A good education which nurtures curiosity and intellect can profoundly influence children as soon as they step into the classroom. The current essay will compare and contrast the American and Chinese educational systems. The education system can be defined as a formal system through which knowledge and value operating within a specific society are transmitted. The major areas of education systems that will be discussed are the composition of study time and assessments, student admission and the role of teachers and students on learning.
Both American and Chinese study time and assessments can be compared and contrasted. On average, students in China spend 8.6 hours a day at school (Malleta, 2016). In contrast, American learners stay in school for a relatively shorter duration. High school students remain in school between 7:00 am and 2:15 pm while middle school stay between 7:00 am and 2:45 pm (Bidwell, 2014). In addition, Chinese students pay greater attention to their assignments and on average spend around 4 hours doing homework. However, the American education system is learner friendly, and students spend about 2 hours completing homework thus they have plenty of time for leisure. On another hand, the end of learning cycle exams are different. In China, students sit for a standardized national exam called “Gao Kao” (Bai, Chi, & Qian, 2014). But in the American education system, the federal government did not establish a regular examination, and most colleges and universities accept the SAT (Scholastic Assessment Test) for admissions. The goal of the standardized exams in China is to test the academic abilities and potential abilities of learners (Heaney, 2016). However, the purpose of SAT in America is to use a standardized assessment process to create an objective assessment of learners’ skills and knowledge (Wechsler, 2017).
The American students’ admission system differs from the Chinese admission system. American schools set their admission requirements. The academic qualifications of American students are usually the most important factor but not the sole deciding element. This infers that American students are required to be all round to be competitive candidates. The regular admission process is made up of application forms, admission tests, and essays. Universities and colleges make admission decisions based on three fundamental factors: academic achievements, test scores, and application. Most of the leading