By Kate Taylor, ‘11, Contributor
After years of rotating schedules, drop days, free bells, exams, sports, and endless-upon-endless piles of homework, it seems that every other school in the world must do it the same way we do. But international perspectives among the students of CCDS, provided by exchange students and ex-pats, offer a window to the world which reveals that there are many differences between American schools and schools in Asia and Europe.
Complaints about homework and studying abound in the hallways of CCDS. However, according to Yichen Dong ’12 and Ella Kim ’11, students in China and South Korea have a lot more work to do.
“At least five hours,” said Dong, from China.
Although this may not seem like too much more, especially after studying for that double-bell chemistry test last week, Kim, from South Korea, added that in her original country, learning doesn’t end with the school day.
“After school, students go straight to a tutor until late at night,” she explained, “then they have to do their homework.”
They also have school on Saturday. On the other hand, schools in English-speaking countries give a similar workload to ones in the US.
American students are accustomed to taking one class in each of the four core subjects – math, English, history, and science; also frequently foreign language – all four years of high school and sometimes even in college.
In contrast, students in England begin to specialize at age sixteen, when they choose three or four subjects for their A level exams. For example, a student inclined toward the humanities might choose to take English, history, and Spanish, while a person interested in the sciences might choose physics, math, and chemistry.
This method is employed to some degree in China, where everyone takes Chinese, math, and English, but students can then choose other specialized courses. In complete contrast, no specialized or even honors courses are provided in most schools in South Korea, so everyone takes exactly the same classes. Kim explained that if they want to learn more, students receive extra education “from a tutor.”
One aspect of education that unites students around the globe is the terrifying prospect of exams. Mid-terms and finals are pretty much a global phenomenon, though in China students are subjected to double torture. Chinese students take mid-terms and finals over the course of one semester, so by the end of the school year they have taken four sets of exams, unlike the two sets typically taken in the US.
Then there are the exams for college, which are more varied internationally but maintain a similar level of pressure to the SAT and AP tests in the US.
In China, students take exams in all of their chosen subjects in June after their senior year. These exams are the only way for students to get into college and Dong says that this make-or-break situation puts students under “a lot of pressure to do well.”
Similarly, in England students ask universities what grades they need to achieve to attend that school, take A level exams during May, and then receive the results in August. This system applies a great amount of pressure because if you don’t achieve the required grades, you cannot attend your chosen university. However, according to student Sarah Daniell of George Abbot School in Surrey, next year the system “will change to modular exams taken throughout the year.” This will allow students to re-take exams if necessary and is meant to reduce stress and pressure.
In South Korea, an annual standard exam, similar to the SAT, combined with grades from mid-terms and finals, is extremely important for applying to college. Kim highlighted the extraordinary level of competition between students to get the best grades in these exams and to get into top colleges. She explains that “because there are a few top schools that everyone wants to get into, students are very competitive.”
Australia has a completely different way of grading students. During grade 12, all work counts toward an OP, which, according to student Alex Lantzsch of Matthew Flinders Anglican College in Queensland, is “like your final grade, 1 being the best and 25 being the worst.” This grade encompasses achievement in the classroom, scores on standardized numeracy and literacy tests, as well as comparing students against each other.
Finally, clubs and athletics usually provide a much-needed break from the rigors of academics.
Dong said that although “most of the school day [in China] is spent in the classroom, there is some time for clubs.” She pointed out that there is “less emphasis on sports” than in the US.
A more drastic difference is observed in South Korea, where “students are either academic or athletic or artistic. They can’t do both” said Kim. She added that most students choose academics and then they “study hard and have no time for sports or extra-curriculars.”
Contrastingly, in England and Australia students are more free to participate in sports and clubs. In England, sports have less importance but are just as popular. Some sports offered in England may be unknown to American students, such as netball (similar to basketball), badminton, and rounders (similar to baseball). There are also academic clubs ranging from business to critical thinking to philosophy.
Thus, the global connections provided by the international diversity at CCDS reveal that there are many differences between schools in America and schools in other countries.
“In the US the focus is on being creative and an individual, but in South Korea the teacher tells you the information, you memorize it and then you are tested. It’s unity, not individuality,” said Kim.
“One thing about going to school in Australia: it’s a lot more outdoor-orientated. It’s very laid back,” said Alex Lantsch.
Sarah Daniells said she would like American students to know that movie stereotypes of English schools are not true.
“On all the American films everyone is so much more strict than in real life! And [the English] have no sense of style and speak amazingly posh. It’s not like that at all,” she said.
Editor’s note: To view an article on the showing of the film Two Million Minutes, which addresses differences in the educational systems of the United States, China, and India, please click here.
Picture courtesy of rebeccanelson.com.