When I recall my days as a student in Ireland, I remember having had a great deal of pressure on studying and passing the state exams to gain entry into college. Back then life seemed hard and I was constantly busy with my studies. After my experience in both Brazil and China, I now think back with an alternate view which makes me feel extremely appreciative to the instruction that I had. The precious years spent in school give basic foundations for a person’s personality and I have many reasons to thank my country, Ireland, for preparing me for the challenges I had to face in my adult life as an international citizen. In this article, I will review the differences of my experiences as a student in Ireland and as a teacher in China and Brazil.
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Children are only allowed to be children and have fun up until kindergarten after which serious education starts, with long schooling hours combined with additional classes, such as TOEFL, IELTS and SAT at weekends and during holidays. Whilst it is understandable as China is the most populous nation in the world, having therefore an extreme competitive employment market which makes parents think that students most start getting ready as early as possible, the efficiency of this approach to learning is arguable. According to studies that analyses the pros and cons of the Chinese education system, Chinese students are the world leaders in memorising information through repetition and can absorb vast quantities of information, they also have strong numeracy, reading and science skills. The same studies, however, also point out that when it comes to active participation in class they are at a lost in comparison to students from other countries as they are more inhibited in answering questions in front of their peers. Once a student told me that they don’t ask many questions because they don’t want to lose face and this is perhaps the main factor that justifies the lack of involvement of many students in class. In the west it is quite common for students to ask questions in order to be involved in the lessons as it can help the learners to develop valuable critical thinking
Children are only allowed to be children and have fun up until kindergarten after which serious education starts, with long schooling hours combined with additional classes, such as TOEFL, IELTS and SAT at weekends and during holidays. Whilst it is understandable as China is the most populous nation in the world, having therefore an extreme competitive employment market which makes parents think that students most start getting ready as early as possible, the efficiency of this approach to learning is arguable. According to studies that analyses the pros and cons of the Chinese education system, Chinese students are the world leaders in memorising information through repetition and can absorb vast quantities of information, they also have strong numeracy, reading and science skills. The same studies, however, also point out that when it comes to active participation in class they are at a lost in comparison to students from other countries as they are more inhibited in answering questions in front of their peers. Once a student told me that they don’t ask many questions because they don’t want to lose face and this is perhaps the main factor that justifies the lack of involvement of many students in class. In the west it is quite common for students to ask questions in order to be involved in the lessons as it can help the learners to develop valuable critical thinking