-Dr. S. Vijay Kumar
In
this article, I haved tried to explain the similarities and differences in the education
system of India and USA. While, there are some similarities, there are also some significant differences too between
the two education systems. It would be difficult for me to mention here in detail regarding all
the differences, but I will try to highlight a few key differences that would turn
the attention of the academicians, teachers, students and policy makers towards
the best practices adopted by USA in its education system.
Similarities in Education System of
India and USA:
·
Structured Curriculum / Syllabus
·
Reasonably qualified teachers
·
Concept of Private, Public schools/Colleges and
Universities
· A willingness on the part of children and parents to
get the proper education
· There are different standards throughout both the countries;
each state determines the curriculum/syllabus and different types of
examinations.
Differences in Educaton System of
India and USA:
Indian Education System:
The
official public school system starts with Primary School. A child has to
complete 5 years to go to Primary School (1st Class to 5th
Class). After primary school, child has
to go to Upper Primary & Secondary School (6th to 10th).
After Secondary School (SSC), the students go to Junior College (1st & 2nd
Year Intermediate i.e. 11th and 12th). After Junior
College, students go to Degree College (3 Years), PG (2 Years), Ph.D and Post
Doctoral.
Unlike US, students in India chose their Courses not by interest, but on the
basis of job opportunities available in the market. For example, if there are
more job prospects in the computer field, most of them run for computer courses, burying their interest which they had in other subjects. Thus, people in India
have to suppress their interests or develop them personally on their own. More over, in India in most of the Universities/ Colleges there are no Campus jobs.
American education system:
The
official public school system starts with Kindergarten. In most states, a child
has to complete 5 years to go to Kindergarten. After Kindergarten, child has to go 1st grade, then 2nd grade and so on until 12th grade. Some public schools offer
a Pre-Kindergarten as well. This is not a formal education level. In some
schools, Pre-Kindergarten is meant for poor children, homeless kids, kids who
cannot speak English etc. The pre-kindergarten is generally meant to prepare
the backward children to get ready for formal education next year. After 12th
grade, UG (4 years), MS (PG - 2 Years), Ph.D and Post- Doctoral.
On
the contrary to India, in US no one would
say that I am interested only in a particular Course. Generally all people have
some interests in different areas like music, dance, physics, economics,
history, geography, psychology, philosophy, astronomy, etc. In US, they can
take a few courses in the areas in which they are interested – which facilitates
"learning what you want to". All people would not run behind a few
particular courses. Unlike this, in India most of the people are mad of doing a
few particular courses like medicine or engineering. In US, bright people are spread out in
different majors (Courses) and brightness is rooted in interest and not as a
necessity. In the US, effort is made to make a course easy to the student i.e.
student concerns are taken into account while designing the course, because of
the philosophy of not to unnecessary trouble a person. This might lead to
easier undergraduate courses. Since they have choice of course selections atleast
as early as the 9th grade - so many people don't take all fundamental courses -
some people avoid courses they hate like maths, geography etc. This is a demerit in US education system.
More social activities on campus - more parties, more
clubs (want to fly a plane? join the flying club at University Campus), more
facilities like the Gym, having friendships with people in different majors
(major field of study) giving a broader perspective of life in general,
opportunity to participate in totally different activities like writing for the
college student newspaper, etc. All these develop a better well rounded
individual. The quality of
life in general in the US is high and there are lots of facilities and
infrastructure for the people who really wants to learn.
Sex Education in US and India:
Gender Gap in Certain Courses
(Majors):
In
US, according to a source: blogs.payscale.com and Ask Dr.Salaryblog by Katie Bardaro there exists a big gender gap for certain majors. It further expresses the doubt
that ‘Is it really a bias or the bias due to future pay’. Some courses are
chosen for study keeping in fiew of the future pay, while in case
of certain other courses there is a bias towards men or women for various
reasons. Here, I give some examples:
Fashion design stands as the most gender-stratified
college major these days — quite a shock for anyone who mentally gravitates
toward the STEM fields (some of the best-paying and have the
greatest potential for job) whenever the subject pops up. A staggering 95% of the discipline is made up of females, while men
make up 93% of construction management
degree programs, making it the most male-dominated major these days. According to the American
Society of Mechanical Engineers, the few women who pick the college and career
path tend toward medical and energy applications. Though they slowly seem to
seep into mechanical engineering, 92% of
majors are still of the masculine persuasion, and even within the industry
everything stays rather gendered. Ninety-one
percent of electrical engineering degrees wind up in the hands of men,
owing to the history of being painted as an inherently “masculine” pursuit.
Interior Design Course much
like fashion design, the home-and-business-decorating degree plans remain
almost the exclusive domain of women — to the point that academic
inquiries have been launched on the topic. Once
again, rampant homophobia ruins it for men hoping to pursue such careers,
meaning ladies make up 90% of interior design majors. 91% Physics degrees are
conferred to men, and The American Physical Society (as well as similar
institutions) continuously searches for sustainable solutions encouraging women
to enter into the discipline. With
regard to Social Work and Nursing Course, men rarely sign up to major in either
subject, leaving women to dominate at 88%. Aerospace Engineering entertains the male
demographic, claiming 87% of the majors like most of the other
engineering disciplines largely entertains a history of limiting gender
stereotypes (which cut both ways, obviously) roadblock women from entering into
fields they might otherwise consider. 86%
of female opot for Occupational Therapy. Civil engineering and Computer science, each dominated by 85%
male. Thus, majority of Majors (main field of
study)/ Courses are male biased.
Almost all students in the
U.S. receive some form of sex education at least once between grades 7 and 12;
many schools begin addressing some topics as early as grades 4 or 5. However,
what students learn varies widely, because curriculum decisions are so decentralized.
Many states have laws governing what is taught in sex education classes or
allowing parents to opt out. Some state laws leave curriculum decisions to
individual school districts. Most U.S. sex education courses in grades 7
through 12 cover puberty, HIV, STDs, abstinence,
implications of teenage pregnancy and how to resist peer
pressure. Other studied topics, such as methods of birth control and
infection prevention, sexual orientation, sexual abuse, and factual
and ethical information about abortion. In India, sex
education is not imparted in schools and colleges.
Public Schools in USA and India:
In most states in USA, government offers free education to
children through public schools operated by government. There is no fee
in such schools. Schools are funded by the government through the taxes
collected by federal/state/county/city
governments. A significant portion of the taxes from residents goes to the
school/education fund. Unlike the government schools in India, the public
schools in USA are well maintained and managed. Most schools get a lot of
government fund and so provide great infrastructure. There are several
educational programs organized and funded by various educational boards for the
benefit of the children. Academic programs for each school are defined by the
state board of the respective states.
Public schools are free in both USA and India. However, the Indian
government schools are not preferred schools for most people due to the lack of
infrastructure and committed management. Most government schools in India have
poor infrastructure and facilities. Teachers are usually qualified, but since
only children with poor academic background and family background choose
government schools in India, teachers eventually lose interest.
Private
schools in USA and India:
There are several private schools in USA, which offer a similar education like public schools. Private schools require heavy fees from students to meet the huge expenses in running the school. However, in many cases, private schools cannot compete with the infrastructure and programs offered by public schools in USA. There are several well known private schools in USA which are very famous and attract the cream layer of the talented students.
Private schools are chosen by parents for many reasons:
1. Social status: Some parents choose posh private schools to show their social status.
2. Racial reasons: Some parents may not like their kids to go to certain public schools due to racial reasons. This may or may not be for racial discrimination or could be other social reasons.
3. Public school may not be good: Kids can go to only designated public school and they cannot choose which public school they can go. For some reasons, if the parents/children do not like their public school, their options are limited to going to a private school of their choice.
4. Academic standard: In some areas, public schools may not offer good education or the infrastructure of the building may be poor. In such cases, parent would choose private schools.
5. Convenience: If public schools are too far and there are private schools at very convenient location (like near the work place of parents), they would choose private schools.
6. Religious Education: Lot of parents wants to give religious education to their children. There are hundreds of Christian schools in USA, which focus on Christian as well as value based education. In general, such religious schools offer relatively low fees.
There are several private schools in USA, which offer a similar education like public schools. Private schools require heavy fees from students to meet the huge expenses in running the school. However, in many cases, private schools cannot compete with the infrastructure and programs offered by public schools in USA. There are several well known private schools in USA which are very famous and attract the cream layer of the talented students.
Private schools are chosen by parents for many reasons:
1. Social status: Some parents choose posh private schools to show their social status.
2. Racial reasons: Some parents may not like their kids to go to certain public schools due to racial reasons. This may or may not be for racial discrimination or could be other social reasons.
3. Public school may not be good: Kids can go to only designated public school and they cannot choose which public school they can go. For some reasons, if the parents/children do not like their public school, their options are limited to going to a private school of their choice.
4. Academic standard: In some areas, public schools may not offer good education or the infrastructure of the building may be poor. In such cases, parent would choose private schools.
5. Convenience: If public schools are too far and there are private schools at very convenient location (like near the work place of parents), they would choose private schools.
6. Religious Education: Lot of parents wants to give religious education to their children. There are hundreds of Christian schools in USA, which focus on Christian as well as value based education. In general, such religious schools offer relatively low fees.
Home schooling in USA Vs India:
This is another form of common education system in USA. As the
name says, in this form of education, kids will not go to any school. Rather, a
parent or a tuition teacher will teach the students at home itself. There is no
formal timetable, but in most cases, parents would define a timetable for the
kids at home schooling. In home schooling, parents can teach the kids at the pace
they want and they can. They can give individual focus to the needs of their
children. In case of super smart kids, they can teach a lot and cover a lot of
syllabus than the formal school. In case of children who need special attention
and care, they can go at a slow speed giving proper care to the needs of the
child. Most parents purchase educational material, books and syllabus and
follow the formal process at home. One of the main disadvantages of
homeschooling in USA is, kids will lack social skills. They do not get many
opportunities to interact with other kids. To overcome this problem, parents
will form groups with other parents involved in home schooling and then arrange
group discussions and activities at scheduled time in various locations like public
libraries and parks.
Stress
on the students in India and the flexibility of the American Education System:
The basic and most important difference
between the two educational systems is the stress on the students in India at
the primary and high school level itself. The Indian education and social
systems are very hard on kids and completely ignore their feelings, opinions
and ambitions. Kids are pushed to study from the age of 3 and non-performers
are treated as dolts and ostracized by parents and society. The preferred
choice of learning and teaching is memorizing. The memorization approach to
study does not allow and teach kids to think independently. On the other hand, the
flexibility of the American education system is its greatest strength. Students
can choose among a host of classes and courses in high school and college. This
means they can change their major (i.e. field of study) midway through college.
This usually means that students in the US receive more exposure to a variety
of subjects and hence, are more aware of their career options and
opportunities. The American school system lays stress on individual ability
development and encourages kids to express themselves and their opinions from
an early age. As a result, most Americans are way better at getting their point
across as compared to people from other countries.
Students
in the US who are more out-spoken, when compared to students in India:
Students in the US who are more out-spoken do
well in class and outside class too only because they are more effective
speakers. In the Indian system, individuals’ speaking is only done with the
teacher one-on-one during "oral" examinations, where students are
asked questions on the subject matter. While students in the US build more
self-confidence and are much better at public speaking. Classroom discussion
and asking questions to the professors is encouraged. Indian students on the
other hand find it hard to learn to speak up or express their opinions.
Professors expect to treat them like God and often use their almost dictorial
powers against students who upset them in some way.
American education system is designed
not to reduce/hurt the self-esteem of any kid, when compared to India:
American education (high school and college)
system is designed so as not to reduce/hurt the self-esteem of any kid in
class. It is designed in such a way that nearly everyone can pass the
high-school level. On the other hand, most Indian
children fear failure in each class.
Trained/Certified teachers:
In India it is very common for teachers at all level (primary
through high school) to have obtained their undergraduate degree. In addition,
teachers needed to be specifically trained in a particular teaching training
programme i.e. by joining Teaching Training Course (TTC) or Bachelor of
Education (B.Ed) after passing entrance test for the concerned course. In the United States, according to the
No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB) which went into effect during 2002-03, teachers
who teach core academic subjects are required to be “highly qualified.” The law
defines a highly qualified teacher as an individual who:
·
Has obtained full state certification;
·
Holds a license to teach in the state;
· Has not had certification or licensure requirements waived on an emergency,temporary or provisional basis.
· In addition, there are requirements for demonstrating
subject-matter knowledge that varies depending on what grade level an
individual is teaching, and whether he/she is new to teaching or is a veteran
teacher.
The "highly
qualified" teacher requirements do not apply to all individuals, such as
supplemental service providers and charter school teachers, who teach public
school students. It is common that para-professionals are not being
provided with the range of options necessary to demonstrate that they are
qualified, nor the financial support necessary to meet the requirements. Often
in private school settings, teachers are exempt from needing to be fully
licensed or are given a few years leeway to obtain their
license. Therefore, there is a vast difference in being “highly qualified”
in India, than in the United States.
Role
of the Family, Teachers and Society:
Indian families take education very seriously and believe that a
solid education is the key to success in life. While many American families
certainly share the same sentiments.
But, the American education system is designed according to maintaining
students’ high self-esteem. Therefore, nearly everyone in the class will pass
so long as ‘feelings’ aren’t hurt and the teacher is not looked upon as doing
an inefficient job in his/her classroom; regardless of what the actual
students’ proficiency levels are in that subject area. Instead of pushing the
students harder to achieve beyond their current potential, teachers often “dumb
down” the subject material to ensure that students’ grades remain high. On the
other hand, most Indian children have the fear of failure in the classroom and
push themselves to work harder and longer by being self-motivated. This is also
true of their parents and teachers, as school administrators pride themselves
on being able to recruit new batches of students based on the academic
achievements of outgoing classes.
Mathematics:
Mathematics develops logical and rational
thinking; it lays the foundation of independent and lateral thinking. Indian
schools start teaching maths, like multiplication tables, at the elementary
level itself. It is given a lot of importance and is a must for students who
plan to do science related study in college. On the other hand, high school in
America is so flexible that a lot of students who end up majoring in sciences
in college do not take advanced maths and calculus in high school. This
emphasis on maths in high schools and engineering programs is also the reason
why India produces so many "good" software engineers. This is one of
the main reasons why most of the graduate students in computer science in the
US are foriegn students.
Curriculum:
Indian
education curriculum, for example, the curriculum for clas IX, in India, builds
on the things a student learned in clas VIII. This is not necessarily true in the
US curriculum. In US, for class they say grade.
Extra-curricular
activities:
In America, parents and school systems place a
strong emphasis on extra-curricular activities and pour vast amounts of funding
and resources into giving their children and students the best experiences in
athletics, fine arts and social clubs. While these extra-curricular activities
are necessary, however, in India, the focus remains on academics, as Indian
parents, teachers and administrators realize that it is by getting good grades
and high scores on tests, that children will go on to becoming successful
adults. Instead of investing in private athletic coaches or additional gym
time, Indian parents place the priority on investing in tutors to accelerate
their child’s learning. Tutors are used to help their children excel in a
subject area, not just for remedial work.
College
Education System:
The American college education system is
industry-oriented and hence, is structured so that it produces people who can
do a certain type of job efficiently. So it is like a custom-design factory
which produces engineers/workers who can do one or two jobs very well but
require massive retraining if they have to do something new. In contrast, the
education in India is more towards teaching the basic concepts and a broader
mass of information. The products of this education system are therefore
capable of taking up several different types of jobs and are not masters of any
single job. To do any single job well, they have to go through some amount of
training at work. In USA, students are always
being told to read something, do some assignment and essentially, being given
goal-oriented tasks to perform, works great when students are being trained to
work in the industry. And this is an admirable goal - America is built on the
strength of these students who can perform what they have been told to do.
However, in the long run, these people are not able to adapt quickly to changes
in the industry. And they are definitely not prepared to go to graduate school i.e
for a master's or a Ph.D.
Graduate school is very different from
undergraduate school. There is no single book being followed; the reading and
writing assignments require paper chases and are ambiguously defined. Also,
most courses do not have regular evaluations such as quizes etc. but rely on a
final project or term paper - this makes it very hard for one to know how much
effort one needs to put into the course. One has to come out of the
"spoonfeed me" mode and learn to think independently. This lack of
spoonfeeding in graduate school also means that one has to be motivated by
themselves - especially in PhD programs. The amount that you get out of your
master's or PhD depends on the amount of work you put in (more work also means
faster graduation). There is no one motivating you to work harder or checking
on your progress regularly. This is the situation described for public
universities in the US. But, private liberal arts universities provide much
better personalized attention to students besides a broader education. Also,
non-science programs are stronger in general in the US due to the fact that
they follow regular quarter or semester systems. In India, on the other hand,
though semester system is prevailing most of the university students waste
their whole year doing nothing; attendence requirements are very low and
usually can be bypassed.
To conclude, the flexibility of U.S education
system is its greatest strength. The flexibility allows the students to know
better of themselves regarding their talent, capabilities and interest, which
is hard to find in Indian education system. Thus, US education system is
freedom oriented (learn what you want to), and Indian system is forced (you
gotta learn this). In India, all the decisions are taken by parents and they are
not allowed to think independently. If flexibility is not allowed “Our education produces slaves, but American education produces Inventors.” We
need to promote the 'creativity' in Indian education. Graduate programs in the US
are far ahead of most other countries due to the critical mass they have and
the fact that they attract the best students and faculty from all over the
world. In spite of many good things in US education system, one must be careful regarding
the youth are being more obsessed towards sex, alcohol, drugs, violence, etc.
in USA, because India is taking up western culture very fast and once this
culture occupy India, it will not take much time to ruine our education and
culture.
