High Schools in Australia and China Essay

High schools play an important role in teenager education. Each country pays high attention on it, so they try their best to improve the high school education system. Because of different cultures, high schools have many differences in various countries. For example, comparing high schools in Australia and China, there are several similarities and differences in three areas, including the teaching styles, the curriculum, and the time spent. First of all, the teaching styles in high schools between Australia and China have a similarity, but they have many differences. The similarity is that both Australian and Chinese teachers expect students to ask questions and contribute to discussions, and they ask students who break the rules to leave class and wait outside as a punishment. However, teaching styles in China and Australia have many differences. Chinese teachers stand in front of the classroom during the class, while the Australian teachers move around the room and sit on the tables. Moreover, sometimes Australian teachers have class outdoors. Whenever Chinese teachers call the students, they use the full name, but the Australian teachers use the first name. The students in Australian who have a various table arrangements sit more free than the Chinese students, for Chinese students usually sit in a steady desk arrangement. The main reason causing these differences is that Chinese classroom atmosphere is formal and strict; however, Australian atmosphere is relaxed and informal. On the other hand, the curriculum in China is completely different from Australian. One difference is that they have various subjects. The academic subjects in China are English, Chinese, and Math, although the Australian is English. Chinese students usually choose the English as the second language, but Australian chooses the Japanese. After that, another difference is the exams. For instance, Chinese students have to attend the Senior High School Entrance Examination and the College Entrance Examination, in which they can pass into the senior high schools and universities; nevertheless, Australian students only have exams at years from ten to twelve. Finally, a comparison of time spent between two countries receives several similarities as much as the differences. Some arrangements in Australia are the same as the Chinese. For example, the students go to school from Monday to Friday; furthermore, they have physical education at least one hundred minutes, like the sport time every week. Then two countries both divide high school years into junior years and senior years. In China years from seven to nine are junior years; in contrast, years from ten to twelve are senior years. However, in Australia years from seven to ten are junior, though the years after ten are senior years. Every year Australia has four terms, while china has two. And Australian students spent about six and a half hours at school; still, Chinese students stay at school for nine hours. To sum up, it is clear that high school education various from China to Australia in three different areas, even though they have some similarities. China and Australia have their own history and culture so that they create their own education system. However, each system has advantages which are better than others.