A Comparison of Eastern and Western Education

When I was a little kid, I liked reading very much, and one of my favorite magazines is Readers. I remember two articles from Reader clearly, one is titled as “Competition of Chinese and Japanese Kids in Summer Camp”, which described different behaviors of Chinese kids and Japanese kids when they set out to climb a mountain together. Chinese kids were fatter, slower, and often turned to their parents for help while Japanese kids strived towards their destination without complaint. This article ignited an heated discussion on whether out kids have been spoiled and whether we should learn from the Japanese. The other article, however, described that American students wrote their essay entirely on their own. They did their research by referring to libraries, Internet and field trips and then they made brilliant summaries. The author of this article felt surprise because it was how he wrote his dissertation as an undergraduate in China. In the end, he strongly suggest that we should take up the same system.

These two articles left deep impressions on me, not because their ideas were fresh, but because their attitudes were so contradictory. One said we should be completely easternized while the other said we’d better be westernized. But I’m afraid neither path is easy. When talking about Eastern education, the words that come to mind might be “remember and recite”, “respect for teachers” or “obedience”. Traditionally speaking Eastern education has always been suffering from harsh criticism because it yields to little innovation and creation. Western education has often been regarded as a better way since it highly values independence and free thinking. It’s true that fruits of Western education are more attractive than those of Eastern education are. However, while Western education is overwhelming nowadays, it has certain byproducts. With independence and liberation comes a series of social problems, namely drug abuse, gun fighting, promiscuities and etc., which I believe far less under Eastern education.

Now you may think that I will propose that we should blend the advantages of Eastern education and Western education, to keep the obedience in Eastern education as well as the creativity in Western education. But it is simply not going to happen. All societies, be they in east or west, have been putting so much value on education in hope that it will bring out a better generation that they seem to forget that education is the outcome of a culture instead of the cause. Reshaping educational system, which is only a reflection of social culture, will never make a society, or a culture, change for the best. All the kids around the world have the same potential to be obedient or creative. What matters is how the culture allows him or her. So in short, education only brings out what society and culture wants. If we want a better generation, we should change ourselves to make a better environment rather than blindly hope a systematical reform can do all that.