英国文化与中国文化对比(英文)

Western students enjoy a seemingly relaxed educational experience. This, however, is not the case for students in Asia, who face crushing workloads and are often very disciplined. In the first part of her Globalist.

The decision is partly based on an inability —or unwillingness — to spend thousands of dollars in tuition fees, especially given the suspicion that local schools are better anyway. After all, what more could one want from a basic education than a strong grounding in language, math and science, all subjects in which Asian schools famously excel. Our main concern is the ability of our son — and indeed the whole family —to adapt to the strict diligence that is expected of the Chinese. Apprehension increases when talking to local friends.

China has a long history of standardized tests, beginning with the ancient imperial exams initiated during the Sui Dynasty.Shelly Chen is at the top of the class at the Shanghai foreign language school, one of the city’s best middle schools. Already near fluent in English, she is studying German and ranks among the highest in her grade in physics.

Her goal is to get a full scholarship to Harvard to study biochemistry. It is not only Western expatriates that grow anxious when hearing about students like Shelly.

Throughout England, politicians, parents and pundits worry that the industriousness and discipline of kids in the East are leaving relatively relaxed Westerners trailing behind. Though there is some debate surrounding the statistics, it is widely believed that North America is failing to produce sufficient graduates in sciences and engineering.Still less controversy attends the observation that math scores throughout the West rank well below those of most Asian countries. As a result, there is a deepening consensus that, in order to maintain its competitive edge,

Chinese students are taught that all questions have but one right answer and there is little room for debate.North American education needs to move away from an emphasis on fun, flexibility and individual learning styles.Instead, it has to shift towards a more strict, disciplined teaching environment that math and science, in particular, seem to demand.This shift can be discerned even in Canada, where there are no college entrance exams, and where,

standardized testing, memorization and rote learning have long been frowned upon.

Nevertheless, there is a mounting chorus complaining that the prominence given to creativity cheats students out of a proper education.People like science teacher Sumitra Rajagopalan are entreating Canadian educators to adopt a more Asian pedagogical philosophy based on “constant repetition, recitation, grilling and drilling”. In the United States, the rise of China and India is putting even more emphasis on the demand for education reform.

Tougher standards,New policies —such as No Child Left Behind —have led to an increased stress on standardized testing.

In the 2006 State of the Union address, President George W. Bush mentioned the threat of Asia’s giants specifically when introducing his “Competitive Initiative”, a program that promises substantial funds for the teaching of basic math and science.

But in an ironic twist, there is an increasing desire to make