FINAL VERS Education in China Essay

Student Name: Noah Nishihara HG: ____T09_______

Task Description: Year 10 Chinese Task (individual task) Explore some facts or cultural elements about Education in China from an Australian Perception. Write an essay according to the following guideline: Content: Introduction – a general description about Chinese education (suggest about 100 words). You may briefly mention: How do Chinese people consider about education. What do Chinese parents expect from their Children in learning? How is Chinese education structured?                                                                    Body part: identify the differences between Chinese education system and Australian education system? Elaborate five major differences which are most appealed to you based on your own research. You may consider from the aspects: year level settings, subject choices, class size, school times, after-school activities, parent participation, test-oriented learning, textbook usage and so forth.  (suggest 300 - 400 words) Conclusion: highlight your findings and reflect on your own learning experience (suggest bout 100 words) No first person pronoun – “I or We” Format: Hand in a printed word document in A4 (PLEASE KEEPthis front coverpage and the marking rubric);provide appropriate pictures to help your explanation for the best sense of audience; font 11 or 12 for English, font 18 or 20 for Chinese characters. Keep the overall word count in less than 1000 words. Present Chinese characters for the key words (normally specific nouns in Chinese cultural settings); Concise, clear explanation and correct grammar are expected; and Pinyin is needed whenever Chinese Characters are presented. Presentation is highly regarded as it reflects your ICT skills in formatting bilingual texts into a quality document. Bibliography and in-text reference are required.   Due Date: 11/11/2016

 

 

Australian Curriculum Achievement Standard:

By the end of Year 8, students use spoken and written Chinese to sustain interactions in a range of social and personal contexts. They exchange ideas and opinions, for example, 你要去看电影吗？；我们可以六月份一起去. They summarise the main points of information about known content from a range of spoken and print sources (for example, 电视节目，podcast, 电话留言，广告，老师推荐的网站，书籍，图书馆目录，游记), and convey the relevant information in a range of texts. Students respond to and create simple imaginative and informative texts. Sentences generally contain two or more ideas connected by cohesive devices (for example, 不但…而且…；因为… 所以…), as well as time expressions (for example, 先…再…), and tense markers such as 了、完 to sequence events and ideas. Students make comparisons (for example, 比; 跟…一样), and provide explanations or reasons for opinions or decisions, using phrases that order and link their ideas. They use reported speech to refer to the ideas of others, for example, 他们认为. They speak with attention to pronunciation, tone and phrasing, using intonation and pitch to add emotion or emphasis to their message. They demonstrate intercultural understanding by varying their language use for different audiences and purposes. Students describe the distinctive spoken and written language systems of Chinese using metalanguage. They know that character components can contribute to both sound and meaning of words and they understand how they can be combined to make different words, for example, 中国，城，中国城. They identify features of text types such as letters, emails, descriptions and narratives. Students identify how information is structured in Chinese texts, and understand the importance of cultural and contextual cues to correct interpretation of meaning.They explain how features of Chinese culture impact on communication practices, and reflect on their own interactions with Chinese-speaking people.

Grade	-E (- 29%)	D (30% - 49%)	C (50% - 69%)	B (70% - 84%)	A (85% -)
Phrases & Expressions		Makes a limited attempt to write basic phrases to express ideas and feelings in a limited range of everyday situations.	Writes some basic phrases in to express ideas and feelings in a limited range of everyday situations.	Writes a variety of phrases to express ideas and feelings in a limited range of everyday situations.	Writes a wide variety of basic phrases effectively to express ideas and feelings in a limited range of everyday situations.
Organisation of Information & Use of Cohesive Devices		Has difficulty organizing basic information, and basic cohesive devices are not used.	Organises some basic information and uses a limited range of basic cohesive devices.	Usually organises basic information and uses a limited range of basic cohesive devices.	Organises basic information and uses a range of basic cohesive devices.
Vocabulary & Grammar		Has difficulty using basic vocabulary, grammatical structures and conventions; many errors.	Uses a limited range of basic vocabulary, grammatical structures and conventions; some errors and inappropriate word choice.	Makes good use of a basic range of vocabulary, grammatical structures and conventions, generally accurately.	Makes excellent use of a basic range of vocabulary, grammatical structures and conventions, generally accurately.
Sense of audience		Makes a limited attempt to write with a sense of audience.	Writes with some sense of audience.	Usually writes with a sense of audience.	Writes with a sense of audience.

 

               

Feedback: positive, linked to learning and improvement.       Grade/Mark: __________

 

Facts or Cultural Elements about Education in China from an Australian Perception

It has long been recognized that Chinese education is different from Western education and that it is sometimes less effective. This is not the case, indeed, the stereotypes may say so, but within this essay the facts are the key to the answer.

Parents would expect their children to complete their education to the best of their ability if they were in selective schools. If not, then they would allow their children to just ‘do whatever’. The Chinese education is based on following the textbook and studying hard. Tests in all or most of the subjects are for checking the mastery of knowledge to determine grades. The teacher must teach efficiently and solve any problems that may arise in the course of learning. By contrast, Western style education takes little or no responsibility for teaching knowledge. Most of the grades will be determined by tasks. The structure of Chinese education is 6 years for primary education, 3 years for middle school and 3 years for high school. University will usually take 4 years. Before entering primary education, there is a preschool stage, however, it is the business of the parent to send their children there.

          The many differences between Chinese education and Australian education vary somewhat between different schools, but one of the main differences is subject types. Comparing an Australian selective school with a Chinese selective school, the Chinese students are required to be at school for longer hours than the Australians. Consequently, the Chinese are able to study English, Maths, Chinese, Physics, Geography, History, Biology, Political History, and Philosophy up until Year 10. (Some subjects vary) In Australia, they may study 2 hours per week (60 hours per year) for each subject in Year 11. In Year 9 and 10, they may have studied many compulsory subjects and some ‘skipped’ subjects. In both Chinese and Australian schools, the high-achievers are all very hardworking.

Chinese students also clean classrooms and the school, as well as other work. There are many more parent meetings, which most parents will attend very regularly. There is also a ranking within the class based upon test results.Students in China work longer, harder and face more pressure than in Australia.High school in China is about three things: eating, sleeping and learning. School is more competitive due to the extremely large population. A lot of time is spent on homework as well as 9 hours spent at school, and weekends are also filled with study schedules. Families and teachers place a lot of pressure on students. Secondary education in China focuses on problem-solving and actual skills of mathematics rather than perhaps sports. (ABC 2013) The entire country will have varied teaching and learning styles. Some parents may bribe schools, making the system corrupt too. British teachers don’t feed students information; instead they guide their students to discover things on their own. The education system in China puts a heavy emphasis on rote memorisation, so students are usually too good at tests instead of problem-solving, leadership abilities or their interpersonal skills. These skills are not necessarily developed in the Western education system either. As usual, in every country, resources and opportunities vary widely between different states. There have been efforts to focus on moral development, citizenship and ambition. (Guardian News and Media Limited, 2014) Chinese students in general prefer structural programs and guidance rather than Western ‘free study’. They would benefit from developing independent study techniques that are effective in a less structured educational environment. In addition, they are not passive, uncritical and dependent. Students do not behave in certain ways due to culture or country of origin. (Monash University 1999) The Chinese focus on education is the reason why they achieve higher standards in education. They do more homework and attend coaching classes at a higher rate. It is the cultural context and not the teachers that explain their successes. (Save Our Schools 2014) Australian students have more holidays and time for part-time jobs. Minor differences in class structures also exist. The number of students in classes are on average twenty students more than those in Australia. The students generally stay in one class for most subjects but not for some special subjects. They will move classes for science lab usage or computers. Computer usage in Chinese education is limited, and this may be a contributing factor in the high level of achievement.

The history of study in China has very much been dominated by the “civil service examinations” or “imperial examinations”科舉制度(kē jǔ zhì dù)which was abolished in 1905. Anyone could sit the exams and merit was based on performance. Most of the population was obsessed with these exams, and this may have been one factor in the reasons for the education in China being rooted in the culture today. Interpretation of literature and the classics was important in those days, while real skills and applicable knowledge are more required nowadays. For example, Chinese students are required to learn Chinese characters, in-depth history knowledge and other concepts covered within subjects which can only possibly be completed with memorisation.

The current emphasis on memorisation and test preparation may arguably be the best method of education. However, it is not a matter of comparing, and it is difficult to ascertain which type is better. There is no way to determine whether it is better to have experiences of education in both Chinese and Western education styles. Through my years in Australia, I have always wanted to achieve ‘academic excellence’. I eventually did not enter the Opportunity Class of Year 5 and 6, and did not enrol in at least a mid-level Selective School. Indeed, I moved schools constantly, eventually entering a Japanese school, where I may have grown used to the Chinese education style. It was probably the transition between primary and secondary schools that made me feel as though the Chinese education style is better. At MHS, in Year 9, I put in the highest effort in completing set work. It has become obvious though, that word limits must be met and independent study undertaken as the priority. Without any necessary knowledge, I cannot progress in the senior years. Australian education, even now, can still be used as an opportunity to develop potential skills and also study. I feel that the Australian way of study (research, think and write) is most suited to me. Instead of memorising concepts which may be forgotten anyway, good lifelong learning skills will enable me to study for a lifetime.

Bibliography

       I.            ABC 2013, Australian exchange students say Chinese peers 'driven by competition' http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-12-04/chinese-and-australian-education-systems-compared/5135440 (accessed 7 November 2016)

    II.            China Outlook, 2014, Combatting the effects of academic stress in Chinese schools http://chinaoutlook.com/essays/1201-2/ (accessed 7 November 2016)

 III.            Guardian News and Media Limited 2014, Nine-hour tests and lots of pressure: welcome to the Chinese school system, https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/22/china-education-exams-parents-rebel (accessed 7 November 2016)

IV.            Monash University 1999, Comparing the learning behaviours of Australian and Chinese university students in various situationshttp://www.aare.edu.au/data/publications/1999/cha99607.pdf (accessed 13/11/2016)

   V.            Save Our Schools 2014, Australia’s Chinese Students do as well as Shanghai Students http://www.saveourschools.com.au/national-issues/australias-chinese-students-do-as-well-as-shanghai-students (accessed 13/11/2016)