About the Debate’s Topic
On May 21st, Jan, Claudia and Sibel had a debate with students in grade eleven, the resolution was a Chinese public school education better than an American public school education.
Some people think that an American public school education is better than a Chinese school education, because they think that Chinese public schools education put too much pressure on students, and give them less freedom. They have so much homework to do, that they have no time to play. But a lot of people think children are supposed to play. On the other hand, some people think that a Chinese public school education is better than an Americana public school education, because Chinese public schools provide children with more knowledge and information. This education makes children knowledgeable.
From my point of view, I am in the middle, because I think the two kinds of education have different advantages. For an American public school education, students get more freedom. Their weekends can be planned by themselves and they get less homework than Chinese students. Most of their homework is working on crafts to improve their skills. American teachers think encouragement is the goal for helping children learn faster. On the other hand, Chinese teachers think only criticism can make children improve quicklier. American public schools education teaches students that teamwork is more important than their own study. But Chinese public school education tells children they are only successful if they depend on themselves.
However, for the conscientious students, a Chinese public school education is more fitting for them. The Chinese teachers will focus on your work every day. You have no choice, because you only have to work and focus on your study the whole time. Moreover, Chinese public schools education provides more knowledge to students. For example, the level of Chinese public schools grade three is the same as the level of American public schools grade five. Teachers in China give deeper knowledge to students than American teachers at the same time. So students can learn more in China.
This is what I think foe an American public school education and a Chinese public school education. In conclusion, the two different kinds of education have different advantages. There is no comparison between these two education.
Thank you Marina, for what is an extensive and very well-written post! I think you could have developed this a little more by simply including sources for your arguments. For example, you say that grade 5 in the US is equivalent to grade 3 in China. What is your source for this? Unless you provide sources to back up your claims, your writing will lack academic integrity and read as hearsay.
Also you describe what students learn in China as “knowledge”. This brings us back to our essential questions on what education is and how we measure its success. For example, in Leman, assessments are designed to measure not just “knowledge”, but “skills” and “understanding”. In this sense, knowledge is only useful if we know how to use it and apply it to new contexts.
Anyway, great work and submitted just in time!