C9 understanding china's education system and youth culture - kongli liu
1. Understanding China’s Education
System and Youth Culture
Kongli Liu
Assistant Director, U.S.-China Institute
Bryant University, Smithfield, RI
kliu1@bryant.edu
4. OECD
Program for International Student Assessment (PISA)
• Started in 1997
• Assessed every 3 years
• 15-year olds
• Three key subjects: reading, math and science
• Currently over 70 countries/regions participate
38. National College Entrance
Examination (Gaokao)
• Extremely competitive
• Exam subjects (Chinese, Mathematics, Foreign
Language, Sciences or Social Studies)
• Total score is the only admission criteria for over
95% of colleges
• Extensive 3-day exams (June 7-9)
• Provinces have autonomy on test contents
• Admission rate: national (72%), urban (80-
90%), rural (30-40%)
40. Emphasis on Math, Science, and
English throughout PreK-12
• Mathematics (begins at age 3; by age 5 students
are doing what American students learn in 2nd
grade)
• English (begins by age 5 or 6 in many urban
schools, becomes mandatory at 3rd grade)
• Elementary teachers are specialized in subjects
(Chinese, math, English, etc.)
• At grade 10 or 11, students choose concentrations:
sciences or humanities
41. Education Values
• Scholarship and academic achievement are highly
valued in Chinese culture
• Education for personal cultivation, career
advancement, family glory, and serving the country
• Every child can learn and it all depends on
individual efforts
• Teachers enjoy relatively high social status
• Teacher authority in classroom
• Good teachers are not born, but trained.
48. China Youth Culture
Online Videos:
China Daily: Post-80s Generation
http://usa.chinadaily.com.cn/video/2010-
12/23/content_11820151.htm
PBS Frontline: Young and Restless in China
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/youngchina/