In education, China is a nation whose star is clearly rising. Over the past twenty years, the country has made leaps and bounds from being near the bottom of the globally accepted (if informal) standards to rivaling and in some cases excelling over America’s public school students. This is due to some key differences in the way education is implemented in each country. For example, the average age at which formal education begins in China is now 2, while in America, students typically do not begin their formal education until Kindergarten at age 5.
Now, China’s students lead the world in standardized testing in both Math and Reading scores, while America lags behind in 26th and 11th place, respectively. China has been spending a much larger percentage of its GDP each year on education, and apparently that investment has paid off. Furthermore, China is investing a lot in technology right now, and graduating more people with computer or tech related degrees than the United States, which has seen a 37% decline in tech related studies and graduations in the last 6 years. For more surpising information about education in China, examine the infographic here:
Make a Difference
Every teacher is faced with a choice. They can either teach what is required of them and drop all ties with students at 5pm when they go home or they can take an active interest in bettering the students that come before them. Teachers are more than instructors. They are life coaches and deserve our respect and admiration.
