Education Around the World

     One common social institution that is present throughout the entire world is education.  Even though each country has its own perception of a highly acceptable education, its purpose is to help younger generations build a bright and successful future for themselves.  An education provides important knowledge of basic facts, job skills, and cultural norms and values to members of society.  You would think education is the same around the world.  Students sit in a learning environment called a classroom, and are taught by highly trained teachers on information such as mathematic calculations, and proper grammar and spelling of the country's primary language.  It is unfortunate to think that children are less privileged in other countries compared to America, one place being a school classroom.  As a future elementary teacher, it is amazing to see the difference in school classrooms today compared to when I was in elementary school.  Then I wonder, what is it like to be taught in a different country?  Do they have computers in each of the classrooms?  Do they use an actual blackboard, or a dry-erase whiteboard?  Does every student have a desk that they call their own?  Unfortunately, some of these answers are no.

     Think about a typical American elementary school classroom.  You have about thirty desks each with a seat and a place for students to keep their school supplies.  You have a large, clean whiteboard and some of the students artwork hanging on the walls.  There are shelves toppling over with picture books of all sorts, and a few bean bag chairs so the students can sit and be comfortable.  As I am an elementary education major, I have started my clinicals in a Kindergarten classroom in a neighboring town.  I can definitely see the change from when I was their age up until now.  They have a projector screen over the whiteboard where they watch movies.  There are about two computers in the room against the wall, and they even have a classroom I-Pad.  The children have their own drinking fountain in their room as well.  It is puzzling to think about how Kindergartners know exactly how to use the I-Pad when given the opportunity, and how I barely knew how to use a computer at their age. So that is the typical American classroom, but what about classrooms around the world?  In our class lectures, we discussed education in India.  I have attached below two pictures of elementary classrooms.  The one on the top is a typical classroom you see in America, and the one on the bottom is a classroom in India.  Notice how the children in India do not have desks or chairs.  They have to sit on hard, cement stones that make up the flooring of the school.  There are barely any pictures or decorations hanging on the walls either, and the walls seem to be very dirty too.

     In addition, I found a website that has pictures of different classrooms from more countries.  Some are closely similar to those in America such as the first picture of a classroom in Japan.  Then you scroll down, and see a classroom in Afghanistan.  Notice how the students are not in a building, but are covered by a large sheet which acts as a "ceiling."

     Here is the website: http://fusion.net/american_dream/story/photos-elementary-school-world-11758

     Now lets compare Great Britain perception of education and school to what we experience in the United States.  I found a website the explains education in Great Britain.  It goes into depth about their education and schools, the typical school day and year, and the different types of schools.  I found it interesting that British students attend school for 195 days out of the school year, and Americans attend 180 days of school which is the lowest number compared to other countries such as Japan where students attend 243 days of school a year.

     Here is the website: http://resources.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/education/

     It is unbelievable to compare education systems around the world to the United States, and to see the differences.  As a future teacher, it is very sad to see that in other countries, students do not even have desks to sit at, but yet we have I-Pads that are passed around our classrooms.  I would love to have the experience of traveling to a different country and having the opportunity to observe what a classroom is like compared to what I have been in.