Chapter 45. K-12 and Beyond Section 10. Education System The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 45. K-12 and Beyond 1

Outline Introduction K-12 education Unequal distribution of K-12 education resources College education Road ahead 2 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 45. K-12 and Beyond

Introduction The Chinese education system is effectively a dichotomous system: K-12 and college. During K-12, students do whatever they can get into the best colleges. During college, students enjoy life a bit before doing whatever they can to find good jobs upon graduation. 3 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 45. K-12 and Beyond

K-12 education The National College Entrance Examination (NCEE) plays a critical role in the context of public education and individual development. – since 1952 except during the – there is zero tolerance for unfairness; – “Single-plank bridge” :students, parents, schools and society all place extreme importance on the NCEE; – to prepare for the NCEE, Chinese students are subjected to severe competition from a very young age. 4 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 45. K-12 and Beyond

K-12 education Many students, parents and teachers are under extreme pressure to perform. ⁻such pressure generally originates with parents; ⁻“winning at the starting line”; ⁻over 80% of pupils suffer from exam anxiety, for fear of being scolded by parents because of poor grades. ⁻Score based education 5 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 45. K-12 and Beyond

K-12 education Teachers are also under tremendous pressure ⁻Teachers’ promotions and incomes are determined by student performance; This system has created generations of Chinese who are extremely well trained to solve quantitative problems. 6 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 45. K-12 and Beyond

Unequal distribution of K-12 education resources Developed regions like Shanghai have facilities that rival those in the United States, as well as the best teachers. In less developed places, educational facilities are barely sufficient. The government is actually capable of building much better facilities in poor regions, but these conditions persist. E.g., contrast expenditure on government office building and schools 7 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 45. K-12 and Beyond

College education Chinese students begin to enjoy life when they enter college. College degrees these days are worth less than they were a decade ago. E.g., 6.99 million fresh graduates in 2013 Many college students are fond of obtaining certificates to differentiate themselves. 8 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 45. K-12 and Beyond Bicycles parked near the teaching building, Fudan University, Shanghai.

Road ahead Students trained under this system are not creative and lack maturity as adults. What Chinese students do lack in general is the ability to discover important problems on their own. While the complains about the educational system, there currently is no better alternative. Change will eventually come, but in small doses. 9 The Chinese Way, Ding and Xu, 2014 Chapter 45. K-12 and Beyond