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Q: What is taught in high school especially about other countries ?
While subjects such as maths, Chinese and English would be taught with similar basics worldwide and have little political bias I am interested in what is taught in other subjects such as Geography, History and Science. I am interested in high school level where most teenagers have the oportunity to attend.
For example in the Australian education system one would learn aspects of various government styles and political beliefs. Yes it will be biased towards the democracy is the best doctrine, but also covers the principles and ideals of commnism, monarchies, religion based regimes (such as Islamic States, dictatorships etc. You will learn about most counties georgraphy, their economy and lifestyle etc.
Historicaly you are taught (a little biased I guess again) about major revolutions, etc in all countries and the reasons behind them.
Apart from the raw science in physics, chemistry and biology you learn about the great scientific breakthroughs not only from your own country or the west in general but from all nations.
Just a few examples but would be interested to learn if the education system in China is totaly focused in China related aspects or gives a slightly broader glimpse of the rest of the planet. I have been often suprised after speaking to quite a few American friends how narrow and focused on America their curriculum is compared to that in Australia.
I also wonder if the Chinese posters on here feel about the education they receive. Again I might be biased but I feel very privaliged to have been given the background knowlege I have that allows me to understand at least a little about other cultures and why things are what they are.
13 years 7 weeks ago in Teaching & Learning - China
Basically goes like this. Love Mao, Hate Japan, Taiwan is ours. Teaching in a middle school this is pretty much what I can get out of the kids. I don't really see too much outside learning of other countries and cultures at this level, but granted in middle school in the USA I was likely in a similar boat. Wasn't until HS that we really were taught an outside perspective.
Your comment about Australia interests me. I'd say in Australia you're kinda forced to have a really global outlook on world history due to the fact that it's a "Western" nation so close to Asia and is a part of the Commonwealth.
Your question is complex, why, because you don't say whether it is English or Chinese. Okay let's forget the semantics, for a moment, from what I can see education in Zhejiang province is pretty much well rounded with other countries. I would not underestimate the knowledge of the students I teach in University at all. Think about what you learnt at school and ask yourself if it was relevant to you and your friends at the time. Invigorate your students and they will actually suprise you with their knowlege, by the way I hated history at school, but now I think it is very important.
woody:
I am not underestimating their knowledge, I have witnessed the brilliance of some of the great Engineers that have been educated in China etc. I am interested in how aspects of their education are presented. Eg I know even though I only did history for one year about Mao, the long march, the colonial times before that in China, the opium wars and a bit about the Ancient Dynasties/Emperors, war with Japan etc. I also know about the American Civil war, the Spanish Civil war, Castro and communism in Cuba (albeit that when I learnt it it was with a very American slant, Castro is bad bias). So would students in China know about Australias part in the 2nd World War or Russia's, Germany's, Britain's etc. Would they learn at least a little about the various forms of democracy? What do they know about Vietnam war or the situation in Burma or the Middle East?
crimochina:
may i ask are you chinese alex because it seems you are trying to take offense to the question when there is no intent. your english is great but there are some usage issues that make it seem you are not a native speaker
Alex66:
Crimochina, does it matter where I am from? I am not trying to be negative or for that matter a troll. I just made a comment which I thought was pertinent to the question. Maybe I learnt english differently to you. A few years ago, a young guy said to me "Did people speak English differently 100 years ago"? My reply was" I suppose they did , but they probably understood each other" Does that answer my english skills for you?
crimochina:
yes it does alex: you stated that the teaching in zheijiang was well-rounded on par with schools in the west. what's your point of reference? have you ever been to a school in the west? your english is not oldish english it is "i used to use a translator english" words that have similar meaning are being used the way i've never heard them used before. what would you call a well rounded education? math, language, science? or music, art, sports, health, philosophy, plus the basics? simply put if you went to school in china all your life, you may believe your education was on par with schools in the west but unless you go and experience it for yourself you dont really know . that means i can dismiss your statements about this matter because it is based only on a cloud nothing
Alex66:
Sorry Crimochina, I didn't realise I had to be more specific about what is taught in Chinese schools. Can you tell me how many of your school friends who have a job, never went to university and are involved in their own lives in there city or town, really care too much about the outside World? Working in China (or any country) makes one more aware of things especially if you are a teacher. No, I am not be arrogant at all, as the say "If you don't use it, you loose it!!
Yep we get a pretty decent reasonably unbiased look at most things. We are not real big on learning about some of the treatment of our native Australians by the early settlers (invaders in their eyes) but that has improved a lot since my school days and Aboriginal culture is now better understood. I went to high school a long time ago, when Australia actually still had what was known as the white Australia policy that was only fully removed in 1973, but even in that time I learnt about other political systems, cultures etc and that was a long time before we looked globaly and became at times almost a part of Asia. May be just the ones I met but I am amazed at how little Americans of my peer group knew about other countries compared to what I knew. Even names of countries, capital cities etc.
I wouldn't say much as I teach adults and their ignorance about geography and the outside world and world history is staggeringly horrible. They seem to do well in Chinese history though but even Chinese geography is questionable (they seem to think certain independent Islands are "China" and the south China sea is... Theirs... All of it!!! 
Well, they are brain washed from the beginning, opium wasn't made in China, it was brought to China by England in the 1800's. Remind them that the 3rd dynasty had opium banned for making it's citizens lazy and some thieves and they will remember the law but still claim it wasn't opium, it was something different made of the same ingredients. Anything to do with Mongolia, Honk Kong and anything bordering China is theirs regardless if it says China. The only history they are spot on is the raping and stealing of their people and national treasures by the Western Countries but will never admit to the horrendous acts of violence on their own people. Anymore questions?
The easiest way to get a real answer for this.... ask a handful of Chinese one-on-one how World War II ended. Why Japan stopped attacking China. I was shocked how many of university age and older gave me answers on how Japan realized that China would never give up, etc.... Many fail to mention a couple of little bombs that really slowed Japan down.
Most students just accept what they're taught in school and never really bother with learning the truth outside of class which gives them warped views and then they come onto an answers site and spew their garbage.
