Creativity and innovation are considered the most crucial skills for students to have in order to compete in the current global economy. Today, the international community needs inventive, resourceful, imaginative, and problem-solving individuals who will make significant contributions to the current society and other generations to come. Some of these individuals include Steve Jobs, Jack Dorsey, Bill Gates and many others, whose works have impacted the lives of many individuals around the globe. The similarity of their origin poses a question to the education system of China, which according to research, a 15-year old math student outperforms their counterparts in the United States, U.K, Australia, and many other countries leading the global hegemon. While Chinese parents consider their education system to be the best for elementary, middle and high school level children, a growing number of Chinese students choose to study abroad for college. In comparing the Chinese to the American educational system, one can easily spot that most Chinese students are gold medal winners of most Math Olympic Competitions, but few are Nobel Prize winners. This essay will compare the Chinese education system to the United States and how it hampers innovation and creativity, a quality that is critical in the current global economy.
Much of the current literature on education pays particular attention to creativity and innovation. According to the Mathematics Curriculum Development Group research, one of the most prominent weaknesses among Chinese students is a lack of creativity in mathematics. While definitions of mathematical creativity are diverse, most researchers conclude that it is the ability to distinguish acceptable and unacceptable patterns through nonalgorithmic decision-making (Ornstein et al., 2015 ) . Mathematical creativity is one phenomenon in education that researchers have used to illustrate the impact of innovation on a student's overall creativity. In China, mathematical creativity and learning are used as a tool to accumulate knowledge. From the age of 2-3 years, students are taught that learning is critical to success and it requires discipline and strictness. As a result, the education system in China has a high focus on memorization and fundamental understanding of calculations. On the other hand, the American education system focuses on creativity and how students utilize this knowledge in society. Assignments are not based on memorization of facts but application of original work to challenge the status quo. Additionally, teachers in the United States have more freedom to build unique curriculum to meet student's needs. These flexibilities engage the student's problem-solving and critical thinking skills, traits necessary to foster their entrepreneurial abilities.
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In China, every student is expected to succeed in each subject during their education, regardless of their personal weaknesses and strengths (Ornstein et al., 2015 ) . Additionally, students do not change rooms and cannot ask questions when they do not understand anything in class. With these characteristics, the Chinese education system fosters a culture that deters creativity. To summarize the education system, Chinese student's life is dominated by studies to please teachers, parents and the society in preparation of the future. However, American students' lives are significantly easier exhibited by reduced class workload, increased critical thinking, and original content's importance. While memorization practices are important in the learning process, the Chinese education system removes critical thinking, and inventive skills recommended to concur the global economy.
Compared to China, the United State's education system uses more innovative approaches to foster creativity in students. However, the system has more concerns about becoming the world leader in education. Even though Steve Jobs is considered one of the most creative individuals in the technology space, he barely attended college education in the American system. Similarly, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, Larry Page, and Sergey Brin are other American billionaires in the technology space who barely attended college education. In his commencement speech, Steve Jobs admitted that he has never been so close to college graduation as during his invitation to the Stanford graduating class of 2005. After dropping out of school, Steve Jobs learned about typeface fonts and calligraphy, a creative activity that shaped how fonts were used in Macintosh and eventually other computers globally (Ornstein et al., 2015 ) . Based on his creative approach, teachers in America have enhanced their teaching processes by guiding students into an out-of-the-box thinking style that develops entrepreneurial abilities. According to PISA test results, China ranks first in three subjects: mathematics, science, and Reading. However, the country lacks inventors and innovators due to a lack of creativity in its education system. Through the example of China, which is similar to Singapore according to PISA test results, the United States should consider practices such as high-stake testing, which hinders creativity.
Reference
Ornstein, A. C., Pajak, E., & Ornstein, S. B. (2015). Contemporary issues in curriculum . Pearson.
