《The comparison of compulsory education between china and UK》.doc

A Comparison Study on Compulsory Education System Between China and UK Chen Danlin In todays world, the role of education has become even more vital. It is an absolute necessity for economic and social development of any nation. UK and China, which share different cultures, have different education systems. In this essay, I’d like to make a comparison of compulsory education between China and UK. By comparison, we can see the Similarities and differences between the two countries and know that there’s still something we should learn from UK. UK and China has something similar in their compulsory education system. Firstly, both in UK and China, “most children receive free educational financed from public funds, but a small portion attend schools wholly independent of public financial support.” Secondly, both of the two countries have laws to ensure compulsory education. Thirdly, the two countries have same curriculums. For example, According to Zhu Yongtao and Wang Lili, foreign languages are taught as an integral part of the curriculum, reflecting the importance of British’s relationship with Europe and China’s relationship with English speaking countries. Fourthly, students in China and UK both spend 6 years to finish primary education. Fifthly, there are some important exams for students in compulsory education systems in China and UK. In UK, There are two main examinations. The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is usually taken by 16-year-old children. The General Certificate of Education at Advanced Level (GCE A level), is normally taken at the end of the second year by 19-year-old students. In China, except for an exam for the sixth grade graduates in primary school, there is a high school entrance examination for Junior 3 students. There are lots of differences between China and UK in compulsory education. It can be divided into five parts. Firstly, the aim of education in the UK and China is not quite similar with each other