Education

Values: The Chinese place a high value on education. Scholars are extremely respected. Passion about education has increased as China has moved toward a more modern, Knowledge-based economy. Students at all levels are given large amounts of homework.

How much education can Chinese students acquire? They also must take extremely tough and competitive exams. These exams determine how far a Chinese student will be allowed to continue his/her education. The 1 st nine years of education in China are compulsory.

After their 9 th year, students take an exam to determine if they will be allowed to go on to secondary school. These exams also determine how much a student has to pay for school. The higher the score, the less one has to pay. Secondary school is referred to as grades 1, 2, & 3. They are the equivalent of our grades 10, 11, & 12.

After grade 3, students take another exam. The highest scoring students are able to continue their education at the best universities. After exams following the 9 th year and grade 3 (12 th grade), those students that do not score high enough to continue their formal education are placed in jobs or are trained at technical schools for employment.

Funding: Teachers and professors are highly respected. The demand for education can’t be met by the government; the government has encouraged the growth of fee-paying schools at all levels.

Underfunding is a problem. Parents are increasingly expected to help out and many state schools are charging fees. In poorer regions, access to secondary (and even primary) schooling is restricted. The world bank is working with the Chinese government to improve this.

Responsibility and Ownership: Approximately 90% of Shuyang High School’s 6500 students live on campus. The students demonstrate a sense of togetherness in virtually everything they do. Drive for all to succeed eliminates discipline problems. Students are together all day in the same classes. There are generally about 65 students in each class.

They go from one class to the other together. Tardiness is not a problem. Students also take responsibility for maintaining the grounds. They keep the weeds pulled and keep the campus remarkably clean. Even completing college applications is done together.

This year (2009) approximately 2000 Shuyang High School students completed their college applications together. This togetherness teaches Chinese students the importance of all being successful. For example, a teacher in a class asked who the students thought was the best student that day; they replied “all of us.”

The School Year: Shuyang High School generally begins the year in September and goes until about the middle of June. They also have a winter break of about 20 days.

A Typical School Week: Shuyang students attend classes 7 days a week. They attend classes all day Monday through Saturday. On Sundays, they attend only 4 classes.

A Typical School Day: 6 a.m.- Breakfast 7 a.m.- 45/50 minute class. 8 a.m.- 45/50 minute class. 9 a.m.- 30 minute P.E. class. 9:30 a.m.- 45/50 minute class. 10:30 a.m.- 45/50 minute class. 11:30 a.m.- Lunch

1 p.m.- 45/50 minute class. 2 p.m.- 45/50 minute class. 3 p.m.- 30 minute P.E. class. 3:30 p.m.- 45/50 minute class. 4:30 p.m.- 45/50 minute class. 5:30 p.m.- Dinner/ P.E.

7 p.m. – 10 p.m. – Students are required to attend 3, 1 hour tutoring sessions. The students are allowed to choose which sessions they attend. Most classes are over after 45 minutes but they can run a little over as students have 10 minutes to get to their next class.

Teachers at Shuyang High School are required to teach based on a philosophy of 2+1. This means they are only allowed to take an active role (lecture) for 15 minutes. The remaining 30 minutes are for group work, demonstrations, etc. by the students in which the teacher actively monitors their work. In other words, students spend twice as much time working together as the teacher spends lecturing or leading the class.