Education: A Reflection of society
Visit schools anywhere in the w orid, and you w ill probably not1<e a
nun^bcr o f siinilailUes. Tliere are students, teadicrs, books, blackboards,
and exams everj^'here. However, a school system in one <u)iiiii.ry i no!
id e n tic a l to the system in any other country. It cannot be cxactb the same
because each culture is dilferent. The educational syslpni l a. riiirin r flial
re fle c ts the culture. Look a t the school system, and you w ill see tl\c social
structure and the values o f iUs culture.
Mexico
In M exico, the educational sj^stem rcflccts some o f the country's many
co n trasts. O n th e one hand, it is believed that the nation c-ari atiifevw
equalitj^ o f rigltts fo r everyone through education. The basis o f the Mejdcan
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educational system is the countrys c o iiH titu tio n , w liich was w ritten in
1917. It requires education to be free, com pulsory, and u n to rs a l. It also
staf.es iJiat education should support national im ity and lead to social,
economic, and cultural im provem ent of Ihe people. A t low er levels, lids
means iJmt there is emphasis on the couniiys rich cultural liistory. Ciuldren
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\viiXe historical essays, participate in ac:Uvilies fo r nalioncil holiday's, and
read about national heroes especially n a tiv e people (Indians). Howevw,
it is often d ifficu lt to provide? education in ru ra l areas, where many o f the
indigenous people live. People in these areas ai*e poor and icolatd
geographically. Then: ar(urt. enougli schools, and rural tcachcrs m ust be
abl(i to Uiach all six grades o f prim ary scrhool. Also, tradition.9 among some
indigenous people do not typically include school attendance.
Japan
The Japanese valu e education highly. One s ta tis tic rcflccts this: the
Japanese place such im portance on education tlia t 88 pendent o f all studenifi
complete not only p rim a ry school but also tiig h school. Public schools are
all both free and egalitarian; all students ai'c considered equal and ioam tho
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same m aterial. For social reasons, its irnporiim t fo r a student lo receivc a
im iversity degree ^and a degree from the right university." To reach this
goal, students have to go through exam ination hell. Tliere aie difficniT
exams fo r cntraticc to all universities, to many o f the bettor priniary and
secondarj' schools, and even to some hindergart-ensl Japanese students
need great d iscip lin e; in order to make tim e fo r th eir studies, they nood the
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selfcontrol to give up hobbies, sports, and social life. Resnlls o f thase
exams affect the e n tire fam ily bccausc there is high statu s, or social
position, fo r the whole fam ily when the chiUiren have l\igh test scores.
I m m Education and Student Life
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B rita in
In the United Kingdom (B ritain), the educational system rcflccts the
class system. All state schools primary, secondarj^ and university are
free, and the first nine years are e g a lita ria n ; all studenis learn ttie same
m aterial. A t age eleven, students take u\ im portant national exam. A fter
this, they attend one o f three possible secondary schools: (U)llege ao
preparatory, v o ca tio n a l (fo r job training), or comprehensive (w ith both
groups o f students). However, 6 percent o f Brifl.c:h students attend
expensive private schools. These are istudcnts from upper-class families.
H a lf o f the students at Oxford and Cambridge im iversities come fl'om such
expensive secondary schools. It m ight seem that anyone can a ffo rd to go to
a university because all universities are free, but only 1 percent o f the low er
class goes to university. Because graduates from good universities get the
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best jobs, it is clear that success is largely a result o f ones social class.
The united states
Education in the United States is available to everyone, but not aJl
schools are equal. Public prim ary and secondary schools are free fo r
everyone; there is no tu itio n . Almost 80 pcrccnt of all Americans are high
school graduates. Students tliemselves decide if they w ant collegcpreparatoo' or vocational classes in high school; no national exam
d eterm in es this. Higher education is not free, but it is available to almost
anyone, and about 60 percent o f all high school graduates attend coUcgo o r
university. O lder people have the opport.unlty to attend college, too, because
Americans believe that V o u re never too old to ieam . O n th e o th e r hand,
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there are also problems in U.S. schools. In many secondary schoob, there
are problems w ith lack o f discipline and w ith drugs and crime. In addition,
public schools receive their money from local taxes, so schools in poor oo
areas receive less money. As a result, they dont have enough good teachers
or laboratory equipment, and the buildings arc often not in good condition.
Clearly, U.S. education reflects both the best and the w orst o f the society.
C o n clu sio n
It is clear that each educational system is a reflection o f the larger
culture ^both positive and negative aspects o f its economy, values, and
social structure. Look at a countrys schools, and you w ill learn about the
society in which they exist.
Chapten
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