Korean Job Discussion Forums

[Sophocles]

I was talking with a student's mom the other day and she was saying that Koreans are under the impression that the education system in the US was better than in Canada. She was so convinced of this that even after having paid the tuitiion for her two boys to go to school in Canada, she chnaged her mind after recieving some advice and lost a bunch of cash just to change their destination to the US.

I'd have to say that overall, for elementary and junior high education, they're about on par. This, I believe, is variable depending on where you live in each country, but being Canadian, I always thought they were about the same.

Has anyone else encountered this idea?

[RACETRAITOR]

I was under the impression the American school system is under a lot more pressure than the Canadian system is, and they're always a few years ahead of us in terms of violence, drop-outs, and overcrowded classrooms.

But anyway, there are some places in the US where they teach the Bible in science class, maybe not everywhere, but that itself is a blemish enough to taint the whole institution.

American universities are definitely more prestigious than Canadian ones though.

[blynch]

[captaincrick]

Canadians get a 5% GPA boost when transferring into an American post secondary institution. (However, I believe this may be limited)

Even the American school system thinks the Canadian one is better.

Truth is, who cares. When you get the piece of paper in the end, no one cares where you went to school or what your GPA was.

If American Schools where cheaper I would have no problem going to school in the USA.

[ChuckECheese]

[reactionary]

Well, a couple of points:

-Canadian universities, I've heard, count 80%-100% as an "A" grade. All the others are pushed back by 10%. Lowered standards?

-There is no "American public education." Public schools receive very little of their funding from the federal government. The biggest funds come from the individual states, followed by the city/school district taxes. Basically, Alabama's public schools are completely unrelated to California's are completely unrelated to Michigan's. Impossible to compare Canadian and American public schools.

[spliff]

[leebumlik69]

[stevieg4ever]

Might be slightly off the point but Korea's total university budget is less than Harvards. That came from a Korean friend of mine.

[reactionary]

I'm not sure that list is exactly an indication of public school quality. You'd have to keep in mind that a large, populous country like the US (getting close to ten times the population of Canada) is going to have a higher proportion of dropouts or the impoverished who never make it to school.

Korea (Canada) outranks Japan (United States) - to put it in terms people on this board might better appreciate. Is it because they are smarter? Have a better system? I'd tend to lean toward the explanation that 40 million people (40 million people) are easier to educate than 120 million people (300 million people).

And to reiterate, public education depends entirely upon what state you live in. A large state like CA tends to have an average reputation, while, true, the deep south tends to have more problems, which is why you often hear of the "prayer in school" debates originating from there.

[stevieg4ever]

exactly! thats why China and India arent on the list as well.

Its all relative for eg India produces more science graduates than Europe but still has low levels of comparative literacy per head of its -huge- populus (mainly in remote and rural locations).

[leebumlik69]

[passport220]

With a standardized national Korean school system, I think one thing Koreans have a hard time getting there head around is that the quality of an American school can vary wildly depending on the local school district. A high % of funding and important policies are in the hands of local school boards. A well funded, well managed American school can stand up to any school in the world. On the other hand there are plenty that are shite. I don�t know about the Canadian system.

[billybrobby]

[ajgeddes]