A Review of Our Education System

Image courtesy of Milton Academy

By CONSTANCE LEGRAND ‘21

With hundreds of reviews and lists being released each year, rankings in college education is evidently of utmost importance to our generation. Due to this bombardment of ranks being shoved down our throats each year, we have to question: how are these numbers assigned, and is our education system optimal for supporting us in achieving our goals and preparing us for the ‘real world’? Additionally, how does Milton’s American education system compare to those of other countries and other schools?

In the United States, society strongly encourages creativity and extracurriculars in the hope of building well-rounded students. I feel that most readers of the Paper are familiar with the American educational system, so there is no need to further describe it; instead, I will give a brief overview of the French and Chinese education systems. In France, high school lasts for three years, as students enter at 15 years old. During the last two years of high school, students are required to take the Baccalauréat, the national entrance exam for all universities. In order to boost their chances at getting into top-tier universities, called the Grandes Écoles, many students will attend preparatory classes, called prépas, for a year or two, which will prepare them for the entrance exam of those schools. Furthermore, the French education system stresses analytical thought and individual competition, so teachers almost never use a curve system to grade. And, because France deems the right to education so highly, state university education is completely free to all French residents and citizens. 

France’s focus on these values of consistency, analysis, and individual initiative is specific to its own education system. In China, on the other hand, students attend what is called secondary school from ages 12 to 17. In secondary school, students spend the majority of their time studying mathematics and Chinese, the two most valued subjects, and any additional time is spent preparing for the Gaokao, the national entrance exam for universities. Similar to the U.S., the levels of education are not evenly distributed throughout the country. Students living in more prosperous cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Tianjin, or coming from more affluent families, are able to receive better education. 

Milton’s system, however, strays from those of both China and France. After discussing with a Milton Academy alumnus who recently went through the college process, I have discovered several gaps in our school’s system. He began by critiquing the lack of preparation for standardized testing, stating that students are forced to “go on [their] own and self-study prior to those tests.” He had hoped for classes to be “geared more towards things one would be more likely to see in [standardized tests.]” Although he does credit the Milton Academy’s college office for writing helpful recommendations, he wished there had been more resources available in regards to the low amount of college advisors. With few college counselors available, finding help at times seemed “more challenging.” Consequently, he felt pressured to turn to his parents, his SAT tutors, and his outside-of-school college advisor for support. Even though he wished Milton had provided him with more focus when it came to the college process, he did recognize that Milton offers students a plentiful amount of resources which students can take full advantage of. 

Most students agree that the American college process is a heavily-stigmatized, stressful experience, especially at a competitive school like Milton. Students looking to progress to higher education face large amounts of pressure from family, friends, teachers, coaches, and even themselves, causing them to feel the need to begin the process early, all of which only prolongs this vicious cycle of stress. Furthermore, colleges in the U.S. are becoming increasingly demanding, requiring higher scores for standardized tests, additional tests such as APs and subject tests, supplemental essays, extra requirements specific of different colleges, and many extracurriculars. In stark contrast, students in France and China are only required to take one test. The score from this singular test will seal the fate of the student on which university he or she will be admitted to. On one hand, it may seem stressful to have a system in which the score from a sole test, designed to be representative of your entire highschool experience, dictate your future. Yet, on the other hand, you have the entirety of high school to prepare for just one test; therefore, one can designate all of his or her time into preparation for a singular test, rather than pouring countless hours into other activities outside of school. Moreover, the U.S. has one of the highest annual fees for public universities. This high barrier of entry has the unintended consequence of discouraging potentially exceptional students who lack the means to afford such expenses. France’s free public education for its residents demonstrates the country’s valuing of both education and equality. Although it is apparent that the U.S. places a high value on education, I’m unconvinced whether the government has constructed an education system beneficial to that of all socio-economic backgrounds. 

With numerous factors impacting our education, there is no set model for what the perfect system may look like. Therefore, we should aim to be grateful for the many resources we are offered by our school, environments, and our parents. Obviously, we cannot nationally change the U.S.’ systems, but we can start with more local changes, such as with small shifts at Milton.