China

Will Ye

Translated (Chinese)

全球教育体系存在诸多差异。中国因推行标准化考试制度而广为人知。关于教育机会均等问题，成长于中国的密歇根大学教授李青就中国标准化考试制度与教育公平的关系发表了见解。
“总体而言，中国教育机会是平等的，”李教授指出，“因为所有人都参加相同的标准化考试，只要取得高分就能进入顶尖大学。中国许多成功人士都出身于贫困且教育资源匮乏的地区。”
李教授还谈及中国学校体系结构及中小学入学机制。
“公立学校免费，”李教授指出，“但因教育质量和资源差异形成不同梯队，顶尖学校与普通学校差距悬殊。多数学校——尤其是顶尖学校，甚至小学阶段——都设有入学考试筛选符合标准的学生。”
李教授还分析了升入高等教育的人口比例问题。
“大城市与偏远农村地区存在巨大差距，许多孩子初中毕业后便辍学打工养家，而非升入高中。”李教授指出，“我国大学生总体比例也远低于工业化国家。”

李还就中国与西方国家大学录取的竞争性发表了看法。
“中国教育总体上比美国更具竞争性，”李表示，“大学招生名额远少于高中毕业生总数。每个阶段都存在竞争。从小学开始，学生就定期参加标准化考试，并根据每次考试成绩进行排名。” 进入高中后，学生将根据成绩被分入不同班级。"
李女士继续阐述了大学学历在中国职业发展中的必要性。
“没错，在中国，教育是成就良好职业生涯的必要条件，”李女士表示，"许多职位对学历水平有严格规定。大多数人将高考视为人生最重要的事，因为它可能决定个人命运。当然也有例外，未接受高等教育者仍能取得成功，这种情况在商业领域更为常见。"
中国教育体系与美国存在根本差异。标准化考试可能决定整个学术生涯的走向，而基于考试成绩的高度竞争性分班制度，与美国公立教育体系截然不同。归根结底，教育结构本身并无标准答案。

Original

Education around the world varies in many aspects. China has been widely known for its use of standardized testing in schools. On equal access to education, Qing Li, a professor at the University of Michigan who grew up in China, commented on the use of standardized testing relating to equal access to education in China.

“For the most part, there is equal access to education in China,” Li said. “Because everyone takes the same standardized exams, as long as you get high scores, you can go to the top colleges. Some of the most successful people in China grow up in poor and under-served areas.”

Li also commented on the structure of schooling in China and the entrance into elementary, middle and high schools.

"Public schools are free,” Li said. “But because there are different tiers of schools based on the education quality and resources, there can be a large difference between the top tier and lower tier schools. For most schools, especially the top tier schools, even elementary schools, there is an entry exam to select students who qualify for their standards."

Li comments on the percentage of kids who move onto higher education.

"There is also a big gap between the major cities and remote rural areas where many kids do not go to high schools but instead start working to support their families after middle school,” Li said. “The overall percentage of students who go to college is also much lower than industrialized countries."

Li also made statements regarding the competitiveness for college admissions in China compared to western countries.

"Chinese education is in general more competitive than in America,” Li said. “The overall number of slots for college is much smaller compared to the total number of high school graduates. At every level, there is competition. Starting at elementary school, students take standard tests at regular intervals and will be ranked based on scores on each exam. When they are in high school, students will be assigned different classes based on their scores."

Li continues to comment on the necessity of a college degree for one’s career in China.

"Yes, education in China is necessary for a good career,” Li said. “Many jobs or positions have strict rules and requirements for the level of education. Most people consider the college entry exam as the most important event of their lives because it could determine their fate. There are obviously exceptions where people who did not obtain higher education can become successful. This happens more often in the field of business."

Education in China is drastically different from education in America. The impact of the standardized test which could potentially decide an entire academic career and the high level of competitiveness leading to separation of classes depending on test scores, is vastly different from the public schooling in America. In the end, there are no correct answers in the structure of education.