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Coming from an Asian background and later studying in the UK at a young age, it is always assumed that the other education system that one system is better than their own. This article will analyse the Asian, British and US education systems to see the benefits, drawbacks and what at the end of the schooling period provides the best worker for a company.
First on the map is Asia. According to the Global Index of Cognitive Skills and Educational Attainment, 4 out of the top 5 countries are Asian countries. So what makes this system so good at producing top students? Many argue that the Confucian culture that emphasises the value of education is the key to success in the Asian education system. This is further emphasised by the fact that in Asia, the position as of teacher is one that is greatly respected and in countries like Singapore, salaries are competitive with bonuses for high-performers. From personal experience, this is all somewhat true, the values instilled in a child from a young age through ‘cram’ school and being in constant competition with their peers moulds them into determined, focused individuals, which is what many businesses want to attract. This situation however, causes a young child to be stressed which leads them to become impatient and close-minded because there is a set system of rules that have to be followed.
Next is the UK’s system of education. When comparing the two curriculums it is blatantly obvious that studying in the UK is somewhat easier, especially in the fields of Mathematics and Science due to the emphasis of these subjects in Asia, hence creating a slightly more advanced system in place for these subjects. This being said, the Humanities subjects such as Law, Psychology, and Politics are on a similar or even higher tier. This is because these subjects more often than not rely on opinion and having the ability to write essays effectively. Although, mathematics does help one achieve a certain level of logical thinking, the argument starts to lack when you truly question the student on the justification of their opinion. This is because this field begins teaching students through memorising formulas and how to apply them with no supporting evidence needed to back up these answers, they are simply right or wrong. In that sense many view the Asian system to be robotic merely regurgitating answers that have been drilled into their mind whilst the UK system allows students to cultivate an opinion and build up an understanding of the topic in depth. This in the long-run will help students become better employees because in order for the world to continue forward they need people who can think outside the box and be innovative rather than recycling old, wasted ideas. This education system falls short where some schools simply cannot get the funding and push great minds to their fullest potential because it does not fully challenge children at a young age. Hence, it is often the case that students do not have a set goal or the drive to reach their true worth.
Lastly, I will focus on the American education system. This has become a highly controversial topic in the political arena due to its what many critics believe is low in quality but high in expenses. Statistics show that over the years America has begun to lag behind that of the UK. Many believe this is due to the lack of preparation in high school for the oncoming college courses. The staggering 41% of students that graduate college in America compared to the 91% in the UK illustrates the difficulty students are likely to suffer in the future. Nowadays, attaining a college degree is expected in order to get a good job. Universities like Harvard, Yale, MIT may be the top in the world but delving deeper into the system we have to question ourselves how many of these students actually graduate the university? The system itself doesn’t have many issues because it is so flexible and differentiated. On the other hand, the high school and college system is seen as far too general; besides writing reports there is no need for an engineering student to study English or a Law student to study maths; it wastes both the time and money of the student and the system. The employees that come from these top universities are seen as the crème de la crème but their student loans hold them back from being able to really give something back to society.
In conclusion, each system has its flaws, depending on the business the criteria for an employee changes with each business they apply for because goals, culture and motives sets businesses apart from each other. One thing is certain though, education plays a key part in todays job market and it is more competitive than ever before.
