The Comparison and contrast of Education Systems in China and the UK

No one could avoid the tremendous influence of going overseas in China, more or less, which is one of the hottest topics of late. Hence, it is essential to compare the two study stages in the education systems between China and the UK. The purpose of the essay is to provide the information for the Chinese students who have the plan to study in the UK.

It is obvious that the curriculum setting in the primary and secondary education is different, whether in the length of time of the courses, the course content and the size of classes. In China，the length of the process of studying the primary and secondary education is 12 years, which is shorter than that of the UK students (Table 2). During the period of the primary and secondary education, China’s elementary education aims to build the foundation of education with more study and less thought, while the education in the UK aims to cultivate the student’s imagination, creativity and the piratical ability (Table 1). Therefore, it is possible to consider that Chinese students’ examination-oriented ability is strong because of the large number of practice and examinations, especially in mathematics and physics. In the UK, there are no more than 15 students in a class; compare with the large size of Chinese class which is approximately 50 people (Table 1). Therefore, the large-class teaching could be a reason that that reducing the possibility of group activities.

However, in the next stage (post-secondary and higher education), students in China use almost twice time to graduate from university than students in the UK, with 4 years of undergraduate study and 3 years of graduate study (excepting some Scottish universities). According to Yin (2011), students in China universities still lack the training of practical skills. She also thinks that they only need to use more time to prepare the different type of examinations at the end of the semester, rather than participate in the academic researches in the whole semester. Yin highlights the standard of the success education system should focus on training the qualified people instead of high enrolment rate. Comparing the level of the education system China and the UK, the advantage of the education systems in UK is obvious. Wallace (2013) reports that the UK education system has trained the over 100 Nobel Prize winners, which is the most number of Nobel Prize winners in the world; while, there is only three Nobel Prize winners in China.

In conclusion, as a Chinese oversea student, to recognize the strengths and weaknesses in study is benefit to promote the competitiveness in the UK’s universities.

Appendix
( 中英学制对照表

|中国中学 学制十二年 |英国中学 学制十三年 |
|初、高中部分一般均在6-10门课之间 |第10及11年级为6门课，至第12及13年级，一般仅为3门课 |
|班级人数一般为40-60人，授课形式以大班授课为主。以考试获得高分|班级人数仅为3-15人，除课堂教学外，附有高比例的课外实践、参观 |
|为目标，常布置大量课外作业，且有额外补课。 |工厂、大学实验室、博物馆甚至出国交流、到大学旁听感兴趣的课程 |
| |等活动。课外有一定数量的家庭作业，但多无强制性，注重学生德、 |
| |智、体、艺术等其他兴趣爱好的综合培养和均衡发展。 |
|注重事实和知识 |注重独立思考和分析 |
|多学科总体教育 |专业、深入更细致的教育 |
|考题多为：是什么？何时发生？在哪里发生？谁创造发明的该物？ |考题多为：如何发生？为什么会发生？ |
|中国大学 学制四年 |英国大学 学制三年 |
|大一、大二为基础课学习，大三、大四为专业课学习 |三年均为专业课学习 |
|注重掌握所学知识 |注重综合能力的培养 |
|考试以期末考试为主