Differences Between China and American Education Systems

Key Differences in Education Start Age

• Formal Education Start Age:
  • America: Children start at age 5.
  • China: Children start at age 2.

Learning Tasks in Early Education

• First Grade Tasks:
  • China: 400 Chinese characters to learn and 100 characters to write.
  • America: 26 uppercase and 26 lowercase letters to read and write.

Youth Literacy Rates Over Time

• Historically:
  • 1950s Literacy Rates:
    • China: 16%
    • America: 29%
  • Current Literacy Rates:
    • China: 96% to 99% (not confirmed)
    • U.S.: 99% (as of 2018, with no increase since 2015)

University Attendance Rates

• Percentage of Secondary School Leavers Attending University:
  • China: Over 60% of high school graduates attend university (up from 20% in the 1980s).
  • Student Enrollment: Increased from 1 million in 1997 to 5 million today.

Education Expenditure as a Share of GDP

• China:
  • Achieved expenditure of 4 to 5.5% of GDP since 2012.
  • Still lower than the world average.
• United States:
  • Average public spending on education at 4.95% of GDP from 2012-2014.
    • Minimum: 4.93% in 2013
    • Maximum: 4.96% in 2014.

International Student Mobility

• Chinese Students in the U.S.: More than 300,000.
• American Students in China: More than 100,000.

Summary

• America: Strong education system.
• China: Rapidly developing education system, offering a high standard of education compared to many countries.

Conclusion

• The video discusses the differences and similarities between the education systems of China and America, highlighting growth and development in both countries.