Pre-Trip Task: China's Education System

Hefei is a urban area in China.

1⃣The modern education system of China is composed of three parts: pre-school education, basic education and higher education. The Chinese education system requires that all children attend school for a minimum of nine years (six years of primary education and three years of secondary education), It is considered to be a crime for the parents to deprive their children of this right in cities of China. With such a large population, there is extreme pressure put on the students to excel, as space in the best senior secondary schools and universities are limited. Students who desire higher education must take two very difficult tests, each only offered once a year.

Schools in China are divided into four levels

•Primary school, for children ages 6 to 11, covers the first six years of their compulsory education

•After primary school, students continue on to junior middle school. In junior middle school students will complete grades 7, 8, and 9, as well as their compulsory education requirement

•If students choose to continue with their education they will advance to senior middle school, the equivalent of high school in the United States, and finish grades 10, 11, and 12

•Afterward, they will have the option of attending university or entering the workforce

Pre-School Education

As usual, the pre-school education starts at age three and ends at age six, and it was also known as a kindergarten education in China. A kindergarten is generally divided into three levels: Lower Kindergarten (小班) for three to four years old children, Middle Kindergarten (中班) for four to five years old children and Upper Kindergarten (大半) for five to six years old children.

The kindergarten provides three meals a day for children, where they spend most of their time playing indoor and outdoor games. Most kindergarten teachers are from childcare schools and are good at singing and dancing, and they are responsible for taking care of the children.

Basic Education

Basic education in China is composed of an elementary school education, a junior high school education, a senior high school education and a vocational school education. The junior high school education and the senior high school education together are called the nine-year compulsory education in China.

Elementary School Education

The elementary school education usually starts at age six and ends at age 12, and the pupils are absolutely tuition-free under the law of the nine-year compulsory education. As a result, they usually prefer to attend a primary school in their own village for convenience.

The elementary school system is slightly different between urban and rural areas of China. The elementary schools have six grades (from grade one to grade six) in urban areas and five grades (from grade one to grade five) in some rural areas. The entrance examination from elementary school to junior high school has been canceled since the 1990s in cities.

The curriculum includes Chinese, math, English, PE (physical education), music, drawing, science, and morality and ethics in primary schools. However, only Chinese, math and PE are set up in many rural areas.

Junior High School Education

The junior high school education usually starts at age 13 and ends at age 15. There are three ways for pupils to enter junior high school from elementary school in cities: by a computer aided allocation system, by selecting a school and by the proximity principle.

Computer aided allocation means the pupils are randomly distributed to a junior high school, which is comparatively equal for everybody. Most parents would rather select well-equipped schools (both in hard and soft infrastructures) for their children although they would need to pay some extra money. The proximity principle means the pupils prefer entering a junior high school in their neighborhood.

The curriculum of junior high school consists of Chinese, math, English, physics, chemistry, history, politics, geography, biology, PE, IT (information technology), music and drawing, which is also combined with practical work experience around the school. The students whose final grades of all subjects are above 60 are allowed to graduate from junior high school and are admitted to senior high school, and those who fail it will stay down at the same level for one year.

Senior High School Education

The senior high school education usually starts at age 16 and ends at age 18. The junior high school graduate students can either study in a senior high school or at a vocational school. Owing to the high tuition fees of senior high schools (usually ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 RMB each year), most students from rural areas choose to study in vocational schools so as to get a job as soon as they graduate.

Senior high schools are very popular among the cities of China, through which most parents hope their children will go to college. Usually, only those who get high scores in the (senior high school) enrollment examination can enter the key senior high schools. Senior high school is divided into three stages: elementary stage in Senior One, transitory stage in Senior Two and the college entrance exam preparation stage in Senior Three. The curriculum of senior high school consists of Chinese, math, English (Russian or Japanese in some urban areas), physics, chemistry, biology, geography, history, morality and ethics, PE, health and IT.

Bureaus of education at all levels in China stipulate that Saturday and Sunday are rest days for all the senior high schools. However, most senior high schools have their own countermeasures, and they make it a rule for students to self-study in the mornings and evenings and even on weekends.

The senior high students are overloaded with studies and a lack of rest, with the aim of passing the college entrance examination held in June each year.

Higher Education

The higher education (usually known as college education) usually starts when pupils are over 18, and its composed of tertiary vocational school (two or three years), a technological academy (three years) and an undergraduate school (four years), but only undergraduate school students will get their bachelors degree.

The undergraduate school students can continue their education through a graduate record examination, and those who pass it will study in a graduate school for three years and get their Masters degree. Those who get their Masters degree can apply to pursue a PhD degree, and it usually takes about three years to graduate.

For more info about the history of China's Education System go to http://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/education.htm

Education System

China wants inventors and entrepreneurs, but its schools, built around the notorious gaokao (高考) exam, are still designed to produce cookie-cutter engineers and accountants. Students are tested on everything from Chinese and math to geography and government over two days for nine hours. How they do on the test will play a big role in determining not just where they go to college but, because Chinese colleges often feed directly into certain industries and fields, what they do for the rest of their life. It is an extremely important part of a Chinese student's life, which is why high schools dedicate months or even years to preparing for the test. China's education system has been great at imparting math and engineering, as well as the rigorous work ethic that has been vital to China's rise so far. However, if the country wishes to keep growing, the system will need to encourage entrepreneurship and creativity, neither of which is tested for on the exam. We learnt in the previous CID lesson that Junior high school students in Shanghai had outperformed their peers in rest of the world in math, science, and reading, beating the U.S. averages by a wide margin for SAT. However, China students are lacking in domestic innovation. The education system reinforces their ability to memorize and emulate instead of to analyze and question. Most students are required to take the same classes regardless of their talents or interests. Their achievement is measured solely by their scores in gaokao, and hobbies not helpful during gaokao are deemed distractions. 

2⃣The school we are visiting is 合肥寿春中学(Hefei Shouchun Middle School). The school motto is "

为成功人生做准备" (Preparations for a successful life). It is a private junior high school, the biggest in Hefei. It's present principal is Mr Lü Daokui. Currently it has 98 teaching classes with over 3400 students. Hefei Shouchun Middle School is inspired by the spirit "CPC Central Committee and State Council on deepening education reform and promote quality education", it was stated in the "National education'95 Plan and the 2010 Development Plan" that by 2010, the basic form of government running mainly under the school system and the public schools and private schools community were to participate in the joint development pattern "in 1999 founded a standardized management, high-grade facilities, mass charge of full-time private junior high school based on new ideologies, a new system, a high starting point, high-quality educational ideas, 

In September 2001 the school moved from the original forty-five to the 11th Caobing CENTRAL Red House Lane. With the further expansion of the size of school, September 2004, Shouchun high school to achieve the second take-off, moved to its present address (eg. the middle of Hefei Suixi Road west of the southern summer garden shop Road). 

To return to the community, the school will educate the new system as an opportunity to perfect the teaching quality of the school legislation of the country, to make every effort to Shouchun accomplishing high school recognized by society, parents satisfied the class schools, the government continues to share those concerns, as Parents drowned their sorrows for students taught a guide for educational reform Pathfinder, contribute to social stability.

3⃣

1)How do students there cope with their studies?

2)How do they spend their free time - with friends or with family ?

3)According to research, children in China spend most of their time studying, so what is it like in real life? What are their opinions on their heavy work load?

Bicultural Studies: A1 Economy (An Hui, China)

OFactory Visit to Wahaha

Wahaha is the largest beverage company in China, as well as one of the leading beverage suppliers around the world. It was started in 1987 by Mr Zong Qing Hou, Chairman of Wahaha Group. Wahaha enjoys the most comprehensive product lines in China’s beverage industry. It is committed to providing safe, healthy, and tasty products to consumers. Through the lasting effort made in food safety, nutrition, health, and innovation in science and technology, Wahaha hopes to strengthen people’s confidence in China's food and beverage industry. The chairman believes that as a Chinese enterprise, Wahaha should not only look at the operating profit, but also take care of social responsibilities. Wahaha strongly believes that corporate social responsibility is the duty and obligation. The business strategy is mapped out with the following cornerstones: creating job opportunities, paying taxes, protecting the environment, taking care of our employees, supporting social welfare etc.

Wahaha focuses on making the beverage business stronger and bigger, as well as developing the international market gradually for more different business opportunities. It is also planning to enter into the high-tech industry in the future. 

Pre Trip: Singapore, the world's most expensive city

1⃣ The cost of a standard 4/5 room HDB flat (around 90-100 sq m) in Puggol is $320000 to $400000
2⃣ The current cost of a brand new Toyota Vios is $120000
3⃣ The prices from a local supermarket
• Cheapest 10kg packet rice is $12
• Cheapest one litre drinking mineral/distiller water is $1.50
• Cheapest fresh whole chicken (refrigerated not frozen) is $6.80
• Plastic bags are provided, used to package items bought. Example. One plastic bag can contain fruits, another contains vegetables, another contains packaged food
• Most of the cashiers are Chinese Singaporeans, age ranging from twenties to forties. Service provided is relatively good, they are patient with customers, however customers could be served faster as most cashiers like to chat with the customers, which takes time
• Cheapest one litre of cooking oil is $8
4⃣ The school fee is $28
5⃣ One litre of petrol(95 unleaded) is $2.20
6⃣ One movie ticket on a weekend is $12
7⃣ The average salary of a Singaporean is $3200
8⃣ One Big Mac Meal is $6

Picture Collage

Singapore teens like to speak Singlish when with peers. They often use social media (eg. Instagram, Whatsapp, Twitter, Youtube etc.) to communicate with each other. Although there is much emphasis placed on studies for students, most teens can still be found at shopping malls. They will also watch television programs that their favorite actors/actresses star in during their spare time.

In China, there is tremendous pressure on the students to pass the exams so that they can advance in their education. Most students will go to Shanghi to pursue their career. However, they still communicate with each other through social media (eg. Sina Weibo, Renren, Tencent Weibo, WeChat etc.) and watch a variety of Chinese dramas.

Picture Collage

Singapore Youth Culture

This seems to be the latest trends and things that are popular in Singapore currently. Some of our Singapore youtubers, such as Jianhao and Wah Banana are very widely known in Singapore and is quite popular among the youngsters. I believe we are also very familiar with social media and their applications, including Snapchat and Whatsapp and because we tend to be very wary of our appearances especially online, we spend most of our time perfecting our photos or taking selfies so that we can post it online. Therefore, I find that this is the current Singapore Youth culture. 

China Youth Culture 

To be honest, I am not very familiar with the trends and cultures in China. However, I have heard from others that this is the Chinese Youth Culture. In fact, I heard that most of them spend a large part of their time online as well. However, instead of Facebook and Whatsapp, they use WeChat and QQ. Not only that, I also found out that there is a trend that is becoming very popular, and that is the graffiti tribes. Recently, more and more people in China are joining graffiti gangs and creating a different kind of art culture. This is what I think is the Chinese Youth Culture. 

Food in Hefei

Luzhou Roast Duck

The Luzhou Roast Duck originally was served to the royal court as the imperial dish. Until the period of Ming Dynasty (1368 - 1644) this cuisine could be found being cooked by local families. You will be attracted by the Duck's golden yellow shininess, crisp skin and tender meat. Compared to Beijing Roast Duck, it has moderate fat and salt, rich taste, and plentiful nutrients. The aroma is heavy, the skin is soft and meat is delicate, salty ,thin and fatty. The flavor is fresh and beautiful thus resulting in its  popularity .

Lord Bao Fish

Lord Bao Fish is another well-known dish. This fish was originally found in a moat called Lord Bao River; hence it got the name Lord Bao Fish. This cuisine is a traditional cold dish - tender meat and dark reddish crisp skin. The bone is soft and meat is delicate. 

 Caocao Chicken also called 'Xiaoyao Chicken' was said to have been liked by the Wei Emperor Caocao during the period of Three Kingdoms (220 - 420). The chicken is made with medicinal herbs, thus is good for health. The color is rosy, the aroma is heavy, and the skin is oil bright .

Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge Cuisine

The last specialty dish called Li Hongzhang Hodgepodge Cuisine is also very delicious. It is said that this dish was an invention of the Li Hongzhang's cook once when Li Hongzhang (a minister of Qing Dynasty who was in charge of foreign affairs) treated some American guests. The raw materials in this cuisine include holothurian (sea cucumber), sleeve-fish, chicken, ham, pig liver and spinach which are all braised with chicken soup, thus it smells fragrant and tastes delicious.

Picture Collage

Chinese Youth Culture

习主席为中国的近期发展作出了巨大的贡献，如反腐倡廉，所以成为了全民偶像，少女心中的男神。

贴吧，QQ，空间等也渐渐成为了中国最普遍的社交应用，还包括微博，微信等。

小米，华为等中国品牌的手机也深受人们的喜爱与支持。

从周围的朋友的谈话中，发现都在聊武媚娘传奇，何以笙箫默，小时代等电影和电视剧。

angelababy，范冰冰，刘诗诗等艺人也通过各种节目在中国越来越火。

我认为，youth culture 其实就是这些青少年们喜欢的，流行干的事，不同地方的人有着不同的culture，并不分对与错。

Singapore Youth Culture

In my opinion, this represents the Singapore youth culture.

Firstly, boys love playing games like FIFA and Brave Frontier, while girls prefer hanging out with their friends at shopping malls, eg ION . Teenagers spent at least 6 hrs in school everyday, and have a mountain of homework to complete at home. We are also heavily involved in social media, such as Instagram and Twitter . I'm pretty sure all teenagers love the local food that can be found in hawker centres too. Such of them include chicken rice, roti prata, char kway teow and of course ice kachang! The brands of the phones that majority of the youth use are Apple and Samsung . Lastly, I think all youths are considered rich as compared to the youths 50 years ago .