Chinese vs. Bangladesh education system

Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics

Term Paper for International Students of IMIB

Subject : Cross-Culture Business Communication

Title : A Comparative Study on Sino-Bangla Education

System.

Name : Mohammad Tawhidur Rahman

Student’s ID number : 31540051

Date : January 11, 2016

Grade :

Teacher’s signature :

Mohammad Tawhidur Rahman_31540051 IMIB Term Paper_P # 2

Abstract: The Chinese educational system is often criticized by the western observers saying it

cultivates students of “high scores and low abilities”. The Bangladesh educational system is similar to English, so, it may be interesting to compare the education of China and Bangladesh. Though there are different types of programs, but here I just focus on basic educational programs and try to compare. Key Words:

Chinese education, Bangladeshi education, Sino-Bangla education, Education system, Education in China and Bangladesh. Introduction:

The Chinese education system took its current shape between 1977 and 1980. The total nominal duration of primary and general secondary education was set at 12 years. Undergraduate bachelor’s programs were established with a nominal length of 4 years, as well as nominal 3-year postgraduate master’s programs. The system for adult education was also significantly expanded.

When the People’s Republic of China was declared in 1949, all private education institutions were either closed or

converted into state-run institutions. The Chinese education system has a very centralized structure and is supervised by the Ministry of Education. The Ministry creates the policy, which is then implemented at provincial level by the provincial educational authorities.

The official language of education is Mandarin, which is taught to all Students at school. The academic year runs from September until June and consists of two 20-week semesters.

Educational stages in China

Typical Age Levels Education Grade/ Class Compulsory

18–22 Tertiary University or College (Bachelor, Masters, PhD.) Varies No

15–17 Secondary High school (senior middle school)/ Vocational school

Grades 10–12 No

12–14 Secondary Junior middle school Grades 7–9 Yes 6–11 Primary Primary school Grades 1–6 Yes

The education system in Bangladesh encompasses both formal and non-formal education. Both types are available in a religious variant. The Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Ministry of Primary and Mass Education (MoPME) share responsibility for the entire education system, with the MoE responsible for all education after primary

education. This includes religious education (taught at Madrasahs), technical and secondary vocational education. The MoE prepares legislation and regulations, drafts policies and carries out supervision of educational institutions. The MoPME is responsible for primary education and non-formal education. University Grants Commission plays an advisory,


supervisory and regulatory role in respect of higher education in Bangladesh.

Following the country’s independence, many schools in Bangladesh were brought under state control. The Directorate of Secondary and Higher Education (DSHE) is responsible for the administration of secondary schools (state schools and private schools), teacher training programs for secondary education and curriculum development for secondary education. The Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) is responsible for the development of technical and professional education.

To develop higher education at Degree colleges, the National University formed

an umbrella organization for all colleges offering general education programs at bachelor’s and master’s level. It is basically an affiliating institution which administrates examinations and awards diplomas on behalf of its affiliated institutions.

The country’s official language is Bengali and the second language is English. Medium of instruction is English at both public and private universities.

In secondary and higher education at public universities, the academic year runs from January to December. At private universities students are enrolled in academic years of 2 to 3 semesters.

Educational stages in Bangladesh

Typical Age Levels Education Grade/

Class Compulsory

18–25 Tertiary University or College (Bachelor/ Fazil, Masters/ Kamil, PhD.)

Varies No

16–17 Secondary Higher secondary/ Alim/ Vocational/ Diploma

Grades 11-12 No

14–15 Secondary Secondary education/ Dakhil/ Vocational

Grades 9–10 No

11–13 Secondary Junior secondary education/ Dakhil Grades 6–8 No 6–10 Primary Primary education/ Ebtedayee Grades 1–5 Yes Primary and Secondary Education: China:

Primary education lasts 6 years and is intended for children aged 6-12. Subsequently, Students move on to the 3-year junior middle school, which marks the end of compulsory education.

After completing an entrance examination, Students can choose between the 3-year senior middle school or a 3 or 4-year vocational program at a vocational senior middle school. Students must obtain a total of 144 credits in order to complete the program. A distinction is now drawn between compulsory and elective subjects.

One hundred points can be obtained for each subject (sometimes less for electives, this differs between provinces). The points score is then converted into a letter according to a slightly modified assessment system made up of five letters:

Grade Points Description A 90-100 Excellent B 80-89 Good C 70-79 Satisfactory D 60-69 Pass F 0-59 Fail

At the end of the vocational programs, Students are awarded the vocational


senior middle school graduation certificate.

The name of the final examination is ‘general ability test’. The examination is conducted twice per year, and excellent Students can sit the exam from the second year of senior middle school onwards. The highest score obtained in any subject is the one that counts. The results for electives are only valid for the same year, as opposed to the results of compulsory subjects, which are valid for 3 years.

The year is made up of 41 weeks of study (including one week of social work experience) and eleven weeks of holiday. Practical examinations are taken for science subjects, technology subjects, and arts subjects. In most provinces, students can choose from the following foreign languages: English, Japanese, Russian, Spanish, German, and French. The subject ‘research-based learning activities’ encourages students to analyze and solve problems independently and to develop study skills. Bangladesh:

Primary education lasts 5 years (grades 1-5) and is intended for children aged 6-11 years. Two variants are available: general variant and religious variant (taught at madrasahs, called Ebtedayee education). Compulsory Primary education is free and all text books are provided by the government.

Following primary education, students may choose from three programs of study: general, religious or vocational secondary education. Secondary education lasts 7 years (3+2+2) and comprises three cycles: junior secondary (grades 6-8), secondary (grades 9 and 10) and higher secondary education (grades 11 and 12).

Secondary education is concluded with a public examination leading to the

Secondary School Certificate (SSC). This is administrated by seven Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Educations (BISE). Vocational specializations are offered within the secondary education curriculum, and these lead to a vocational SSC. Within the general curriculum, Students can choose from the humanities, commerce and science group.

Higher secondary education is provided by intermediate colleges, degree colleges or by intermediate sections of degree colleges or master’s colleges, and leads to the Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC). Within the general curriculum, students can choose from the humanities, commerce and science group. Here again, it is possible to choose vocational subjects within the HSC curriculum and obtain a vocational HSC or a HSC in business management. With a vocational HSC or a HSC in business management, it is only possible to gain admission to higher education in a relevant discipline and if the institution wishes to admit the student in question. To protect childhood marriage and encourage girls to take higher education, Bangladesh govt. gives stipend and makes tuition fee free education for girls in all state owned schools and colleges.

30% of secondary school students follow a program of Islamic education (at Madrasahs). The secondary level of the Madrasah comprises 5 years of secondary education (grades 6-10, Dakhil education, comparable to SSC) and 2 senior years of secondary education (grades 11 and 12, Alim education, comparable to HSC). The Dakhil Certificate and the Alim Certificate are awarded by the Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board (BMEB).

In secondary vocational education, Certificate programs of 1 or 2 years duration are offered from grade 9, as well


as Diploma programs which require an SSC for admission. Diploma programs are provided by Polytechnics and Technical Schools & Colleges. The Diploma program in Commerce lasts 2 years, while Diploma programs in Nursing and in Engineering last 4 years. With a Diploma in Engineering, it is possible to obtain exemption of up to 6 months of study credits for a higher education study program in a relevant discipline. The Bangladesh Technical Education Board (BTEB) administers the examinations and

also awards the certificates and diplomas. Secondary and higher secondary

examinations results are published in grade system made up of five letters:

Grade Points Description A+ 80-100 1st division A 70-79.99 1st division A- 60-69.99 1st division B 50-59.99 2nd division C 40-49.99 2nd division D 33-39.99 3rd division F 0-32.99 Fail

Tertiary Education: China:

Admission process- The national entrance examination (gaokao) is conducted once a year. Admission to university depends primarily on candidates’ results in this examination. However, it is also possible for a select group of students whose academic performance is outstanding, to be granted an exemption from the entrance examination and be recommended directly to the university of their choice. Some private institutions are exempted from the gaokao and accept all students who can afford the tuition fees. To take part in the entrance examination, students must have a senior middle school graduation certificate.

Institutions- Higher education is offered at institutions that call themselves ‘university’, ‘college’ or ‘school’. These include degree-awarding institutions (including several hundred research institutes), specialized institutions, professional universities, military institutions, medical schools and colleges (both regular and military), and executive training schools, which train staff for state-run companies and ministries.

Currently there are about 292

recognized independent colleges as per 19/6/2013. These kind of educational institutions cooperate with well known universities, private organizations or private investors and do not obtain any governmental funding. Furthermore, the tuition fees for the students are higher than for students at regular higher education institutions. Admission to these independent colleges is through the national entrance examination for higher education, similar to regular higher education institutions.

Of the approximately 1000 private Chinese higher education institutions, 388 are currently recognized (as of 23/5/2011). These institutions are allowed to award diplomas independently, whereas students of non-recognized private institutions must take part in the national independent learning examination at the end of their course in order to obtain an officially recognized state diploma. So far, 79 of these 388 private institutions are authorized to award their own bachelor’s degrees recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Education at the end of a 4-year program. Higher education programs are divided by the Chinese government into 12 program


categories (so-called first level programs): philosophy, economics, law, pedagogy, humanities, history, natural sciences, technology, agriculture, medical sciences, military affairs, management. Among these 12 categories there are several specializations (second level programs), which in turn have their own subcategories. University Education-

A bachelor’s degree is awarded at the conclusion of a 4-year undergraduate program at a higher education institution; the nominal length of programs in Medicine, traditional Chinese Medicine, Architecture and some Engineering and Music programs is 5 years.

A master’s degree takes 2 to 3 years to complete, half of which is devoted to coursework and the other half to writing the final paper. Students who only successfully pass the coursework section receive a Certificate of Graduation, but no certificate of degree conferment. Master’s degrees can be awarded by either higher education institutions or research institutes.

Admission to a Doctorate program requires a master’s degree, an entrance examination and recommendations from at least two professors or (senior) lecturers in the field. Candidates without a master’s degree may still gain admission via an entrance examination. Doctorate programs take 3 to 5 years to complete, including 1 year containing only coursework, as well as a doctoral thesis. Bangladesh:

Admission process- Admission to university education is decided on the basis of the Higher Secondary Certificate (second division) or a certain grade point average (GPA) (usually between 2.5 and 3.5), often in combination with a

university entrance examination. The exact requirements may vary by institution and by faculty. Currently, not even ten per cent of the age cohorts are admitted to higher education. However, the increasing number of private institutions is ensuring that more students have gained admission to higher education.

Institutions- Higher education is offered by a total of around 1,970 education institutions, encompassing public institutions, private institutions, international universities as well as specialized colleges. Examples of specialized programs offered by these colleges include medicine, dentistry, law, teacher training programs, leather technology and physical education. There is also a large category of around 1,800 degree course offering colleges under the National University.

In addition to general higher education, a religious form of higher education is also available (taught at Alia Madrasahs), with a 2-year Fazil program followed by a 2-year Kamil program. The diplomas for these programs are awarded by the Bangladesh Madrasah Education Board.

There is also a category of technical/ technological education covering agriculture, engineering, medicine, textiles, leather technology and ICT.

While universities largely offer a combination of higher professional study programs and research-oriented programs, the degree colleges (like medical colleges, textile colleges) almost exclusively focus on higher programs with a professional focus. University Education-

The education system in Bangladesh encompasses various bachelor's degree programs with a nominal duration


varying from 3 to 5 years. The universities mainly offer 4-year honor’s programs, while the degree colleges, most of which are affiliated with the National University, concentrate on the 3-year Pass Bachelor’s, although they may also offer honor’s programs. Following the 3-year Pass Bachelor, the master's degree programs last 2 years; this contrasts with the 1-year master’s degree program following the 4-year honor’s Bachelor. Universities offer 4 years honor’s programs.

The study programs leading to the Bachelor of Arts, Science, Engineering and Agriculture last 4 years, while the Bachelor in Medicine, Dentistry and Architecture take 5 years. Admission to 2-year Bachelor of Law programs requires a Pass Bachelor in relevant areas other than law. A Bachelor degree is also required for admission to the 1-year Bachelor of Education. Teacher training colleges offer 1-year Bachelor of Education programs, while Physical Education Colleges offer programs leading to the Bachelor of Physical Education.

Master of Arts or Science programs usually last 1 year and requires around 32 credits, and is preceded by a 4-year honor’s bachelor’s program. It is possible to choose a program with or without a final dissertation. In the technical programs, there is a distinction between a

Master of Engineering (M.Eng.) based primarily on coursework and a project but the Master of Science Engineering (M.Sc.Eng.), where the program is based 50% on coursework and 50% on the final dissertation.

Master of Philosophy (M.Phil.) programs take 2 years and are research-oriented. They are usually based on 1 year of coursework, followed by a written and a viva examination at the end of the year, as well as a final paper. Admission requires a master's degree (first or second class) in a relevant discipline or a 4-year bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline. If the bachelor's degree was not taken in a relevant discipline, a first class degree will be required for admission to the master's degree.

Doctor of Philosophy programs last 3 to 5 years and admission generally requires a Master of Philosophy or a Master of Science/Master of Engineering degree with a GPA of at least 2.75. In special circumstances, it may also be possible for excellent students to be recommended for admission to a PhD program following completion of the coursework of an M.Phil. program (with a GPA of at least 3.0). The program encompasses coursework and research, followed by a research paper.

English Education: China:

The emphasis of English education only emerged after 1979 when the Cultural Revolution ended, China adopted the Open Door Policy, and the United States and China established strong diplomatic ties. An estimate of the number of English speakers in China is over 200 million and rising, with 50 million secondary schoolchildren now studying

the language. In China, most schoolchildren are

taught their first English lesson at the age of 10. Despite the early learning of English, there is widespread criticism of the teaching and learning of the language. Schools in China are evaluated and financed based on test results. This causes teaching to be geared towards the skills tested. Students focus on


rote-memorization (written and oral repetition) as the main learning strategy. These methods, which fit very well with the Chinese way of learning, have been criticized as fundamentally flawed by Western educationalists and linguists. Furthermore, newly learned words are seldom put into use. This arises because everyone in China communicates through Mandarin and English is perceived to be of little use in the country. This is further reinforced through the national Band 4 examination where 80% of the test was the writing component, 20% was devoted to listening, and speaking was excluded entirely. According to a national survey, only half of the teachers consider that vocabulary should be learned through conversation or communication. A far smaller percentage support activities such as role playing or vocabulary games.

Bangladesh:

A vast number of schools in Bangladesh are English Medium. These are mainly private schools where all the courses are taught in English except one Bengali Language subject at ordinary level (O Level). English medium schools in

Bangladesh follow the General Certificate of Education (GCE) syllabus where students are prepared for taking their Ordinary Level (O Level) and Advanced Level (A Level) examinations. The General Certificate of Education system is one of the most internationally recognized qualifications, based from the United Kingdom. The Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations are English equivalent to the Secondary School Certificate (SSC) and Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSC) examinations respectively. Most students sit for these exams from the registered schools in Bangladesh who follow the GCE syllabus. Those who do not attend a school that follows the GCE syllabus may also sit for their Ordinary and Advanced Level examinations from British Council. These examinations are conducted under the supervision of British Council in Bangladesh. The GCE examination conducted by the British Council takes place twice a year. Currently there are two boards operating from Bangladesh for Ordinary and Advanced Level Examinations, which are Edexcel and University of Cambridge International Examinations.

Conclusion: China education is the largest

education system in the world. On June 2015, there were 9.42 million students taking the National Higher Education Entrance Examination in China. Investment in education accounts for about 4% of total GDP in China. Today, The Ministry of Education estimates that 99.7% of the population area of the country has achieved universal nine years basic education. International students have enrolled in

over 775 higher education institutes in China. China has a long history of providing education to international students studying in high schools and universities in China. Over the past few years, the number of international students who study abroad in China has significantly increased every year. The higher education sector has growth as well. China is seeking to improve the quality of education through a major effort at curriculum reform. China


has increased the proportion o its college-age population in higher education to over 20 percent now from 1.4 percent in 1978. China has a consistent teacher development system. Teaching has historically been and remains today a highly respected profession in China. Teachers have strong preparation in their subject matter and prospective teachers spend a great deal of time observing the classrooms of experienced teachers, often in schools attached to their universities. Once teachers are employed in school, there is a system of induction and continuous professional development in which groups of teachers work together with master teacher on lesson plans and improvement.

Current government projects to promote the education of children in Bangladesh include compulsory primary education for all, free education for girls up to grade 10, stipends for female students, a nationwide integrated education system and a food-for-education literacy movement. A large section of the country’s national budget is set aside to help put these programs into action and to promote education and make it more accessible. Recent years have seen these efforts pay off and the Bangladesh education system is strides ahead of what it was only a few years ago.

The educational system of Bangladesh

faces several problems. In the past, Bangladesh education was primarily a British modeled upper class affair with all courses given in English and very little being done for the common people. The Bangladesh education board has taken steps to leave such practices in the past and is looking forward to education as a way to provide a poverty-stricken nation with a brighter future. Bangladesh has one of the lowest literacy rates in South Asia. One study found a 15.5% primary school teacher absence rate.

The low performance in primary education is also matter of concern. School drop-out rates and grade repetition rates are high. Poor school attendance and low contact time in school are factors contributing to low level of learning achievement. Further, the system lacks a sound Human Resource Development and deployment system and this has demoralized the primary education sector personnel, including teachers, and contributes to poor performance. Poverty is a big threat to primary education.

In Bangladesh, the population is very high. The number of seats available in colleges is less than the number of students who want to enroll, and the number of seats available in universities is also less than the number of students who passed higher secondary level and want to join in a university. Besides, the cost of education is increasing day by day; as a result many students are unable to afford it.

References:

1. Bangladesh Bureau of Educational Information and Statistics,

2. Ministry of Education, Bangladesh, 3. Ministry of Primary and Mass

Education, Bangladesh, 4. Education board, Bangladesh,

5. en.wikipedia.org 6. www.chinaeducenter.com 7. www.ebeijing.gov.cn 8. www.classbase.com 9. www.unicef.org