Comparison of Education Systems - Essay Example

Community colleges can be considered a better choice for than four-year schools mainly due to the duration of study. Many community collegeshave programs that only last for two years and when compared to four-year schools, this is a bonus because the students involved get to save time, which they can use in the achievement of their goals. In addition, the lesser duration of courses means that students get to spend less on fees, ensuring that they do not go through the hustle of getting funding for their education. It has been found that community college students are more opportunities for employment than those who have graduated from four-year schools. This is because while in four-year schools, courses tend to be quite generalized, in community colleges, students are given particular sets of skills in different areas of trade, ensuring that they have a specialization as soon as they leave college. Community colleges tend to be situated in places that are easily accessible by students, with many of these not having to go away from their hometowns to further their studies. It is therefore easier for these students to get to school with the added bonus of not having to pay rent because they still live at home (Crawford & Jervis, 2011). For many international students, community colleges do not carry the prestige that universities do and this tends to discourage them from applying to them. In many countries outside the United States, degrees from community colleges are not recognized since they are considered to be of lesser value than those from universities. One would agree with this assumption because degrees from community colleges tend to be quite limited, and this may create a problem for the holder if he or she wants to diversify into another profession (Kisch, 2012). University degrees, on the other hand, are quite flexible, meaning that the holder may choose to leave the field they are working within and move to another without any problems. However, international students who are interested in going to community colleges should get to know the educational requirements of the companies, within their countries, before applying. While some companies do not hire community college graduates, there are others, which may be interested in what they have to offer, and it is, therefore, the responsibility of international students to find out whether the degrees they earn will be of any use to them before applying. The high school education system of the United States has become so much eroded that it has now become necessary for students to go to college in order to attain jobs. When compared to the system the way it was earlier, students who came out of high school were equipped enough to attain jobs without having to go to college. One would suggest that the high school education standards of the United States be raised, because of the fact that the time that students spend in college should be better spent doing other activities. Moreover, one would suggest that the education system needs to be reformed to such an extent that only the best students can be attracted to become teachers, especially in high school, so that knowledge can be better imparted on the students. This will encourage students to learn and excel in their academics, because people who know what is best for them will teach them. This is not the current case in most schools because most of those who are assigned as teachers are the ones who used to perform poorly in class. This may be considered to be one of the reasons why there is so little motivation among students to perform in their academics (Blaisdell, 2010). The high school education system of China is one of the most exemplary in the world and it can be used as a model for many western countries, especially the United States. The Chinese system requires that both the teachers and the parents be actively involved in the education of children so that the best results can be achieved. When compared to that of the United States, for example, this is not the case because in many circumstances, parents do not take an active role in the education of their children, this responsibility being left solely to their teachers. In China, students who graduate from high school based on merit, meaning that they have to work extraordinarily hard to achieve the necessary grades. Therefore, it can be said that the Chinese education system is not as difficult on teenagers as one may think, and it is, instead, the best system for them. This system encourages students to not only be focused in their education, but also in the planning of their future, hence ensuring that those who emerge from it are only the best (Cheng & Yuen, 2012). In most cases, the education system of the west concentrates more on university education for students than on vocational training. This has come to create a shortage in people who have the necessary technical skills to deal with such things as mechanical issues, and has instead created an excess in other professional fields, making employment a problem. It has therefore become necessary for teachers and counselors to encourage students to take up vocational training because this is the best way to address the shortage in people with technical skills. Teachers and counselors have immense influence on what students are going to choose to do in their lives, and because of this, they should take the opportunity to push these students into getting technical education. If this were to be done, then not only would the shortage in technical skills be reduced, but there would also be a reduction in the number of people competing for positions in the corporate world, hence the creation of a balance. Technical education has tended to be ignored in favor of other fields and due to the reduction in funding, interest in it has been reduced (Mupinga & Livesay, 2004). Therefore, it is up to the teachers to ensure that a new interest is developed in this field, so that it does not end up disappearing altogether. References Blaisdell, B. (2010). The Death and Life of the Great American School System, Boston, Mass., United States. Cheng, S. & Yuen, M. (2012). "Validation of the Career-Related Parent Support Scale Among Chinese High School Students", The Career Development Quarterly, vol. 60, no. 4, pp. 367-374. Crawford, C. & Jervis, A. (2011). "Community Colleges Today", Contemporary Issues in Education Research, vol. 4, no. 8, pp. 29-32. Kisch, M. (2012). "Recruiting International Students-Community College Style", International Educator, vol. 21, no. 4, pp. 52-55. Mupinga, D.M. & Livesay, K. (2004). "Consider Vocational-Technical Education for Post-Secondary Education", The Clearing House, vol. 77, no. 6, pp. 261-263. Read More