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Q: Why are Chinese children's schooldays so long
Given the overall level of education of most Chinese people and the fact that Chinese degrees are not accepted outside of China, with the exception of those from about half a dozen universities, can anyone tell me why the school day here is so long and the amount of homework so large.
11 years 45 weeks ago in Teaching & Learning - China
Because they have a lot of stuff they need to memorize in order to prepare for the gaokao. They start young.
Because they think that more time in the classroom equals more knowledge in the head. They don't think about how efficient use of their time would be better.
Or maybe its more calculated.....In keeping them at school up to their necks in mundane homework, they do beat the creativity out of them. Which does keep them out of trouble and less rebellious, but also takes away the capacity for innovation... keeps everything status quo
bill8899:
Yes, and this way the spend less on babysitters. Keep 'em busy!
So they can claim to the rest of the world that their students are the most studious and because they study the most, they are the smartest.
I agree with everything said above, and will add one more.
Nap time. They have about 1.5 to 2 hours for nap/lunch. if you deduct 5 pm - 2 hours you arrive at 3 pm which is the same time I finished class when i was a kid.
In my mind, the reason for such long school hours is a combination of things. Most of them have been said above, but there is one which I also consider important, and has not been mentioned yet.
In China, both baba and mama work, And many do not work 8 hours per day, five days per week. Here, a normal working day is anywhere from 10 to 14 hours, or sun up to sun down. So, where do you keep the kids ?. At school, of course. My daughter enters school at 7:30 am, and she is there until 5:30 pm or some days to 6:15 pm. And that is for 6 days, she gets Sunday off.
So, here in China, from pre-kinder between two and three years of age, until they finish high school, kids are either taken care by teachers, or ayis or grandparents at home.
