School Education Vs American Education

The United States has the number one economy in the world, some of the newest technology in the world, and one of the highest GDPs. In education, however, Americans are lacking in comparison to the rest of the first world. Our schools are much different compared to the rest of the world in terms of administration and curriculum. By observing some of the top schools in the world, it can be seen what strategies work best for schooling and what makes them superior to the rest. A successful country 's educational system requires elite and highly respected teachers, a well-balanced national curriculum, and standardized examinations.
Elite professors are a necessity in order to drive students to success. Japan believes that education is one of the …show more content…
Many of the most elite schools are very different in regards to their idea of a strong curriculum. Japan, Singapore, and Finland all share a belief in teaching not only advanced knowledge in mathematics, but also important life skills. Their government set guidelines and a national curriculum (although some curriculums are more flexible than others) for the schools so all students share the same curriculum and have similar knowledge (Education: Lombardi: NCEE). Many of the schools require students to clean up after their school, and Japan doesn 't even have janitors to clean the school because the schools believe that the chores create more effective members of society by teaching them to work hard and succeed. This teaching pays off; with more than 4 out of 5 Japanese students surveyed say they are willing to do anything to ensure success, showing how education is seen as personal achievement (Japan). The U.S. Is a mainly comprehensive school system in which they teach you a basic core curriculum that highlights core subjects. All of the children are expected to learn these subjects. However, some of the better programs such as Japan and the Netherlands are preparing students for universities or technical colleges in addition to core curriculum. These types of schools typically do better than the U.S on standardized testing, and many more students go on to much higher levels of education due to …show more content…
has been shying away from the standardized testing and moving towards more standards based grading; Japan, The United Kingdom, and Singapore all participate in heavy amounts of standardized testing. They use the tests to grade their students’ knowledge and place them in schools accurately. It provides a way for all students to be graded fairly and with an equal opportunity. With these standards, governments can use the data given by the tests and determine what learning programs must be prioritized. However, it must be a standardized test that is countrywide and not statewide. If every standardized test is different, then it is much more difficult for the government to grasp what subjects are needed more. When standardized tests are used to grade student performance, it is very accurate. Students will have a very difficult time cheating on standardized tests, helping ensure an accurate reading of their knowledge. Since most parents are very involved in students’ activities in school, the tests give them a general idea of what their son or daughter needs to work on and gets them the appropriate help for the issue they are having. It also holds schools and teachers accountable for testing scores which helps teachers as well as schools determine how they are doing and make changes to the curriculum if necessary (Pros and Cons). Some disagree and proclaim that standardized tests aren 't accurate because some students don 't do well on tests or it promotes anxiety.