- I’m an American living in Shanghai.
- I have been a teacher in China for the past seven years and have no plans to return to the United States.
- English has been a compulsory subject in schools since 2001.
For a country of 1.4 billion people, there is no accurate way to generalize about Chinese schooling. Just as the experiences of an educator in a rural public school in the Midwest and a teacher in an expensive private school in Chicago are vastly different, so too is schooling in China. case here.
China has a wide variety of public schools that teach the national curriculum, a small number of international schools, and a wide variety of private schools in between that integrate local curriculum with international aspects. Boarding schools are fairly affordable compared to the United States, so they are fairly common.
However, as a product of the American public school system and a teacher in China, I noticed many distinct differences that characterize education.
Children of all ages can learn English early and have time for naps and breaks
A typical school day includes the core subjects of math, science, history, Chinese, and English, which has been a compulsory subject in elementary schools since 2001. China represents the largest English-learning population in the world, and this multilingual environment has an impact on schools and students. . Due to school policy and interest in English, I often hear students speaking English in the hallways.
Some clear details are very different from when I was a student in the United States. Students of all ages can take her 1-2 hour nap each afternoon or return to their home, dormitory, or homeroom to rest.
Students also perform eye exercises throughout the day, aimed at reducing stress and eye strain from long hours of study. Student monitors also check to see if their classmates are participating.
My students have a lot of extracurricular activities
When I ask my students about their evening and weekend plans, I get a list of extracurricular activities such as badminton, calligraphy, French or Spanish courses, soccer club, choir, violin, piano, and science fairs.
A rigorous and well-rounded education is a priority and is seen not only as a means of status but also as a means of economic mobility. China has a near-perfect high school graduation rate, and many students begin their education in early programs.
Most of my students are first language Chinese speakers, but throughout elementary school, many quickly reach English reading levels comparable to American students. Additionally, the math materials I use when planning for her first grade students are often her second or third grade materials in the United States.
Violence on school campuses is really low.
Each school has at least one security guard, but their concern is not to police the students, but to protect them from outsiders. Violence on school campuses in China is so rare that most students and teachers aren’t afraid of it happening, and it certainly doesn’t happen as regularly as it does in the United States.
Many international schools are conducting lockdown drills similar to those in the United States, but without bulletproof glass doors, much less strategic safe rooms or bulletproof backpacks. When my car backfired next to the school building, I was the only one who jumped out of fear.
As a teacher in China, I am more respected than in the US
Teaching is a respected and sought-after profession, and Chinese teachers are often more respected by students and parents than their American counterparts. Parents often ask teachers for parenting advice because they are considered experts in their field. Many families are deeply involved in their child’s education and repeatedly ask how they can support them at home and what additional resources and challenges are available.
When I received my teaching license, I thought about what it would be like to return to my hometown. I interviewed at different schools in cities where I could imagine my life and tried to imagine a career there. My perspective is one of thousands, and while many of my friends and colleagues continue to teach in their home countries or new destinations abroad, I have no intention of teaching anywhere else for the foreseeable future.
Harley Rush is an elementary school teacher in Shanghai, China. Rush recently received her US teaching certificate and holds a master’s degree in applied linguistics. She is a multilingual person in her later years and she has a passion for learning languages such as German, Mandarin, and Spanish. She enjoys reading, creating art, and writing about her education and culture in her free time.
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