AND . And Arseny Drozdov, an English teacher in a Chinese kindergarten and a happy dad, told us about how kindergartens are organized in China.

In China there is a cult of education. He apparently adopted this trait from Japan, where it is critically important in what kindergarten the child attends because it determines which school he will go to next, which institute and, ultimately, go to work. That is, you don’t need to be a Pythia - kindergarten immediately determines your fate and, alas, it is very difficult to break out of this circle.

How to get to Chinese kindergarten

Kindergartens in the Middle Kingdom are accepted only by registration, so parents often choose a tiny studio, but near a good kindergarten or school, instead of spacious apartments, but next to an institution with bad reputation. All gardens are paid. Prices for every pocket: in Beijing from $300 to infinity.

Simpler gardens offer rather modest conditions, in particular, they do not have air purifiers, which is very bad, because the whole world already knows that in Beijing clean air is a real luxury. In the gardens with average cost, and that’s about $600 a month, the purifiers cost. This is exactly where I work. The level of air pollution is usually estimated by eye: you can see the neighboring high-rise buildings - let's go for a walk, if you can't see them - well, let's sit in class. And so on all day.

How does kindergarten work?

The kindergarten's operating hours are from 8:00 to 16:30. There are only three groups: junior (3-4 years), middle (4-5 years) and senior (5-6 years), each of them has an average of 25 children. There are no nurseries in our garden - this is typical for China. Grandparents sit with the kids before the kindergarten. The “one family, one child” policy is making its presence felt; it has been in effect since the 80s and was only abolished last spring. To put it simply, two families often had only one favorite grandson or granddaughter - the “little emperor.” Chinese fussy grandmothers and grandfathers nurse the baby while the parents work (in China, maternity leave is an instant - only 3 months), this is how it is accepted in society. When the time comes to take the children home, I often communicate with the older generation, because, as a rule, old people come to the kindergarten to pick up the children. They bring them in the morning.

How is the day going?

The morning in our kindergarten begins with a light “small talk”. We meet the children, talk about the weather and nature, showing cards on the topic along the way. And on Mondays, the day also begins with the raising of the national flag and the singing of the PRC anthem in unison. The children know the words to the anthem and sing. Residents of neighboring houses must have nerves of steel - it is quite difficult to share this patriotic impulse at 9 am. This American tradition of loving your country has taken root well in China.

Then the children go to their classes. By the way, children study, play, eat, and sleep in the same room. Wooden beds are stacked in stacks of 10 right here; at the end of the week, all the bedding - from mattress to pillow - is taken home by the children to be washed. Before classes - breakfast, it is not too varied - it is glutinous rice porridge and mantou dumplings and ( horrible dream Soviet pioneer) no compote! Children drink water or sweet yogurt all day. In winter, they are also given pasteurized milk in small bags.

After breakfast, free games for about 20 minutes. Then the children sit in a semicircle and the English lesson begins. A Chinese teacher comes to my aid. She helps translate something if it is not clear, but her main task is to maintain discipline. She can even shout at someone if the child does not want to obey at all. And this is quite normal among the Chinese. There is also assault here, but if such a case comes up, very strict sanctions are applied to the kindergarten, up to and including closure.

What is the "Chinese Dream"

China largely follows the example of the United States, and the new chairman of the People's Republic of China even proclaimed a course towards the “Chinese dream” by analogy with the “American dream”, so English is a must, and why earlier child begins to teach him, the cooler, at least that is what is considered in society. Although, of course, the benefits of early development have not been scientifically proven in any country in the world.

Along with English, all holidays came to China, from Easter to Halloween, as well as songs and games. But there are also purely Chinese games, for example, we often play the game “Eagle and Chickens”: one of the teachers is an eagle, the second is a chicken, the children are chickens. Children line up behind the “chicken”. The “eagle” must go around the “chicken” and grab one of the “chickens”.

A simple game, but the children are delighted. Even white-collar workers play it at corporate events to strengthen team spirit. Apparently, they all grew up in the same kindergartens.

Chinese teachers, as a rule, all have specialized education and are under 30 years old. A good kindergarten must have a foreign teacher who will teach children English. Whether he is a native speaker or can simply connect two words in English is not so important. The main thing is that he is not Chinese, otherwise it will not be prestigious.

Children in China go to school for 12 years. As in most countries, training is divided into three stages. Interestingly, since 2008, the country has made it compulsory to complete 9 years of school education, which is free. Then parents and the child can independently decide whether to continue education in the last three grades.

Primary school in China lasts for a child from approximately 6 to 11 years of age. From 12 to 14 years of age, students complete incomplete secondary education, and from 15 to 18 they have the opportunity to complete their education at secondary school, although this is not compulsory. Future first-graders take the first small test before enrolling in school. After completing training at primary school schoolchildren take an exam. In order to start studying in high school you need to score the required number of points.

In China, there are schools at universities, and if a student scores enough points to join one, this almost always guarantees his further enrollment in the university. After completing their studies at school, its graduates take exams, which are both graduation from school and entrance exams to universities.

In order to be eligible to apply to universities, you need to achieve the minimum required number of points. The higher the status of the institution, the greater the demands it can make on applicants. As in Ukraine, a graduate has the opportunity to apply to several universities.

Features of training and schedules

Compared to other countries, Chinese students have a greater workload because the Chinese language is quite complex. Students spend 80% of their school time studying their native language and mathematics. Children study 5 days a week and study from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Typically, the teaching schedule is as follows: From 8 to 11.30, students have lessons in important subjects - native and foreign languages ​​and mathematics. From 11.30 to 14.00 children rest - have a lunch break. From 14 to 16 there are classes in secondary subjects - Physical Culture, labor, art.

By the way, children should do physical education at school for at least 70 minutes a week. Classes in China are quite large - usually starting from 30 students, but usually up to 70 students. The academic year in the country lasts two semesters. As in Ukraine, students are given points at the end of each course, so parents can always be aware of their child’s progress. Discipline in schools is very strict - if a student does not attend 12 classes without a good reason, he is expelled.

Interesting facts about schools in China:

1. Exercises and training sessions are held in schools every day. The morning at school begins with exercises, and then there is a line where students are told the news and the flag is raised.

2. Many schools in China do not have heating, so in winter students can study even in outerwear.

3. During the first six months of schooling, Chinese children learn 400 characters.

4. Chinese students do not have diaries - only a notebook where tasks are written down. Parents can monitor their child’s achievements only using verified tests that teachers hand out to students.

The Chinese Kao Zhong and Gaokao sound no less frightening than the State Exam and the Unified State Exam, which Russia, by the way, borrowed from the PRC.

How else are our educational systems similar and how would your child study in a Chinese school?

Modern China- a state with a highly developed economy and huge prospects. However, economic success would be impossible without a well-organized educational system: compulsory free nine-year education is guaranteed by the Constitution. Today in China, more than 200 million people study in a million, many specialized and different-level educational institutions. But back in the fifties of the twentieth century, 80% of the Chinese population were illiterate!

School everyday life

School education is divided into three levels: primary school and two levels of secondary school. It is interesting that all three levels are different educational institutions. The academic year, like ours, begins on September 1, but consists of two semesters with a break for winter (from January to February) and summer (from mid-July to the end of August) holidays. Students attend classes five days a week, however, if Russian schoolchildren Study on average until 1 pm, then Chinese children are at school until 4 pm and have up to 9 lessons daily. Due to the high level of workload, the school day is divided into two parts with a break for lunch and sleep (“comfortably” sitting at a desk), and physical education lessons are required every day.

Particular attention is paid to the education of patriotism: the morning begins with the raising of the national flag, and the “Chinese dream” (analogous to the American version) has become the obligatory topic of the essay.

We should pay tribute to the PRC government, which not only controls educational institutions, but also provides them with repairs and material and technical base.

With a stick, not with a carrot

In primary school, children study nine compulsory subjects, which include Chinese, mathematics, social studies, natural history, physical education, ideology and morality, music, art and labor training. Starting in 4th grade, students spend two weeks a year on the farm or in the workshops. The children are taught various crafts and the basics of agriculture.

High school involves a large number of homework and minimal free time. After lessons, children attend developmental sections - sports, dance, language, etc., which are designed to develop a highly organized, competitive personality.

The number of students in the class is 40-50 people Therefore, it is very appropriate that it is not the students, but the teachers, who move from classroom to classroom. Assessment of educational results is carried out according to a hundred-point system. The scores are posted in the class journal, and parents, if desired, can monitor the progress of their children.

In Chinese schools, attendance is strictly monitored: more than 12 absences can easily become a reason for expulsion. There are also clear rules regarding appearance: compulsory school uniform and short-cropped or ponytailed hair. Each school has its own uniform color and logo on its cap.

Prestige race

In China, a decent education is treated as a high honor, having received which, a person will be able to improve not only his financial situation, but the life of the whole country. Fierce competition and the problem of unemployment in an overpopulated state forces children to fight for their place in the sun from the first grade.

In order to finish primary classes get into a prestigious high school, you must pass a “tricky” entrance exam, the content of which is unknown in advance. Most often, it takes the form of a math test, and the level of tasks is an order of magnitude higher than what the children took in class. In this regard, the most enterprising parents either hire tutors or, even before the birth of the child, buy an apartment in the area of ​​the school they like in order to be automatically enrolled in it. For those who are lucky, there is another way to a prestigious educational institution - computer program, which, out of ten students recommended by teachers, selects one who will be enrolled in a reputable school.

Exit to the big life

Nine years of education are paid for by the state; for the next three years, parents pay from their own wallets. Only the most outstanding students can count on a scholarship. The last three years of study are devoted to preparing for the main final exam - gaokao (literally “high exam”). Children are trained to perform test tasks that are convenient for teachers to test knowledge, but at the same time do not leave opportunities for children to express their point of view, talk about guidelines and values, and give an emotional assessment.

Gaokao takes place over two or three days. Three subjects are compulsory: Chinese, mathematics and a foreign language - English, less often Japanese, Russian or French. The remaining subjects depend on the humanitarian or technical profile chosen by the child. Maximum amount points vary depending on the importance of the subject. Plus, there is regional discrimination: applicants with the same number of points from Beijing and, say, provincial Kunming have unequal chances of admission to a popular university.

Thus, in China, being first is not just a style of behavior, but a vital necessity. And the first step of a long journey is, of course, school, much like the one you went to.

School education in China: academic year starts on the first of September. As for parents in China, some aspects of preparing a child for school are not that expensive. This primarily concerns school uniform. All schools in China have their own uniform, which students must wear regardless of what grade they are in. A student's clothing usually consists of a shirt, trousers (skirt) and a baseball cap with the school emblem embroidered on it. All other supplies, without which education in Chinese schools cannot be complete, are purchased by parents themselves.

Schools in China provide twelve years of education, which is divided into three levels: primary school and two levels of high school. Every year on the first of September, more than 400 million students from first to twelfth grades come to school. Half of them are first-graders and students of the first stage of secondary school.

In order for a child to receive at least compulsory secondary education, he must attend school for at least 9 years: 6 years in primary school and three years in the first stage of secondary school. Receiving a complete education is carried out at the request of the parents and the student himself. To be able to continue your studies at a university, you must complete all twelve classes and pass final exams. But more on that later.

In order for a child to be accepted into the first grade of a school in China, like ours, they conduct some kind of exams to determine the child’s level of knowledge. But, if in our schools it is written work and interviews, then in Chinese it is testing. The future student must mark the correct answer to the question posed from the 3-4 options offered. Having completed their primary education after six years of study, schoolchildren take their first exams. This kind of cross-section of knowledge allows the child to gain the right number points for admission to high school. High results in these exams allow the student to move on to secondary school at a university, the completion of which guarantees admission to that university.

Chinese schools conduct unified state final exams, which are also entrance exams for entering a university. As mentioned earlier in the article about the Chinese educational system, all higher education institutions are ranked according to their level of prestige, and in order to be admitted you need to score a certain number of points on school exams. The application can be sent to several educational institutions, whose passing score is lower or corresponds to the number of points that was scored during the exams.

It would not be amiss to note that universities and schools in China differ from our educational institutions in their high level of workload. This is due to the fact that students must learn more than several thousand hieroglyphs, which must not only be written correctly, but also pronounced correctly. Taking this into account, the Department of Education in Beijing adopted a resolution according to which school classes begin at 8 am and last no more than eight hours a day. At the same time, the curriculum increased the number of physical education lessons to 70 minutes per week.

Many readers may feel that the above applies to private schools. But I would like to clarify right away that this educational system is used in public schools.

Schools in China operate on a five-day basis. working week. But if in our schools first-graders study until a maximum of 13 hours, then their Chinese “colleagues” are in the educational institution until 16 days. Due to the heavy workload, the school day is divided into two parts. From 8 to half past twelve children study basic subjects: Chinese and foreign languages, mathematics, which are on the schedule every day. Then, children can rest and have lunch until 2 pm, and then continue their studies. In the afternoon, students in Chinese schools study secondary subjects: singing, labor, physical education and drawing.

Chinese schools are special in that each class has an average of 30-40 students. The learning process is divided into two semesters, the results of which are displayed on a report card. It is worth mentioning that the assessment of children’s achievements during school is carried out according to one hundred point system. All current results are posted in the class journal and parents, if desired, can monitor the progress of their children.

A big plus in the Chinese educational system is that the educational process is carefully controlled by the government, and schools constantly receive funding from the treasury for ongoing repairs of buildings or updating their material and technical base.

China is a modern, promising country that last years occupies a leading position not only in the world market, but also in the field of culture and science. From our article you will learn how the system developed from antiquity to the present day. We will also tell you about the most important universities in the country and how foreigners can enroll in them.

Education in ancient China

Since ancient times, the Chinese have been sensitive to everything related to knowledge and learning. Teachers, scientists, philosophers and poets were respected people, often holding high positions in the government system. Children received their initial knowledge in the family - they were taught to respect their elders and follow the norms of behavior in society. In wealthy families, children from the age of three were taught to count and write. From the age of six, boys went to school, where they learned the art of wielding weapons, horse riding, music and writing hieroglyphs. IN big cities Schoolchildren could go through two levels of education - primary and higher. Usually the children of the nobility and wealthy townspeople studied here, since the cost of classes was quite high. In rural schools, students sat reading books all day, they didn’t know holidays And fun games. It was not uncommon for children to bring a bamboo stick to the teacher instead of flowers, although in beautiful packaging. However, the knowledge they received within the walls of the school was rather meager. The students were taught that China was the whole world and the children had a vague idea of ​​what was happening in neighboring countries. I would like to note that the girls were not allowed to go to school, as they were being prepared for the role of wife and mother of the family. But in noble families, girls learned to read and write, dance, play the musical instruments and even possession of certain types of weapons. With the popularization of the teachings of Confucius, the history of Chinese education shifted to new level. For the first time, students began to be treated with respect, taught to ask questions and find answers to them. The new approach promoted respect for educational sciences, and contributed to the fact that education became an integral part of government policy.

Education system in China

These days the government of this great country does everything so that citizens can learn. This is despite the fact that in the middle of the last century, 80% of the population was illiterate. Thanks to government programs, schools, technical colleges and higher education institutions are being actively opened throughout the country. However, the problem persists in rural areas where people still live according to ancient traditions. The main feature of education in China is that education at all levels can be obtained free of charge. The system itself is very similar to the Russian one. That is, from the age of three, children go to kindergarten, from the age of six to school, and upon graduation to an institute or vocational school. Let's look at all the steps in more detail.

in China

As you know, most families in this country raise one child at a time. That is why parents are glad that their children can be raised in a children's group. Kindergartens in China are divided into public and private. In the first, much attention is paid to preparation for school, and in the second, to the development creativity. Additional activities such as dancing and music are usually paid separately. Much of the knowledge that children receive in kindergartens can be applied in practice. For example, they learn to plant and care for plants. Together with the teacher, they prepare food and learn how to repair clothes. We can see an original approach to education in the Junin network of private kindergartens. A whole team of teachers, under the leadership of Chairman Wang Huning, developed a unified educational program for children.

School in China

Before entering first grade, children undergo a number of tests and then get involved in serious work. Even the youngest students are not given any concessions here, and parents often have to hire tutors. School education in China is structured in such a way that children constantly have to compete with each other to be the best. Therefore, it is not surprising that the loads in all classes are simply enormous. At the end of seventh grade, all students take an exam that will determine whether the child is ready for higher school. If not, then the road to further education, and subsequently to a prestigious job, will be closed to him. Before entering a university, schoolchildren take a single State exam, which is held throughout the country at the same time (By the way, this is the idea that was borrowed and successfully implemented in Russia). Every year, more and more Chinese pass exams in prestigious universities Worldwide. They are welcomed as these students are very diligent, focused and take their studies very seriously.

Like other educational institutions in China, schools are not only public, but also private. Foreigners can enter any of them by passing the necessary exams. It is, as a rule, much easier to enroll, and training is often conducted in two languages ​​(one of them is English). There is a school in China where they teach in Russian and Chinese, and it is located in the city of Yining.

Secondary education

As in Russia, there are vocational schools that train students in their chosen profession. The main directions of secondary education in China are Agriculture, medicine, law, pharmaceuticals and so on. In three or four years, young people receive a profession and can start working. Foreigners who enter such educational institutions master the language for the first year, and devote the rest of the time to studying.

Higher education

There are many state universities in the country that accept students based on the results of school exams. Training here is paid, but the prices are relatively low. However, residents rural areas often even this fee seems high, and they are forced to take out student loans. If a young specialist agrees to return to the outback after graduating from university, then he will not have to return the money. If he is ambitious and plans to start his own business in the city, then the debt will have to be repaid in full. Any foreign student who has passed the language test. Moreover, he can choose a program for English language, learn Chinese at the same time. To facilitate the adaptation of such students, preparatory language training courses are often opened for them. After a year or two of intensive training, the student can move on to specialty training.

Universities

Let's look at the most popular and prestigious universities in the country:

• Peking University is the country's oldest educational institution located in the Haidan region, one of the most beautiful places on earth. The amazing gardens, which previously belonged to the imperial dynasty, make an indelible impression on tourists. The campus itself consists of academic buildings, dormitories, cafes, restaurants, shops and leisure centers. The local library is the largest in Asia.
• Fudan University is one of the oldest in the country. Known for being the first to replace the semester system with “levels” and proving that this approach was the most effective. In addition, the teachers of this university set a goal to unlock the potential of students in order to direct young talents to serve their country.
• Tsinghua is one of the best technical universities in China, which is also one of the hundred. Among its students there are many famous scientists, politicians and public figures.

Conclusion

As you can see, the educational path in China is very similar to that of students in Russia. We hope that the information we have collected will be useful to you if you decide to become a student at one of the country's educational institutions.