American public education system failing? Cross-cultural examination of the public school system in China and Japan.

It has been said that America is behind in their education system. The aim of our panel is to discuss the intersections and differences of our cultures within the public school system of respective countries: America, China, and Japan. We will address the public school structure of each country as well as the formation of these systems including expectations within the system, costs, and curriculum. We will also note how the school system is controlled whether that be by the federal government, state or local governments. Our aim is not to minimize or devalue the American education system, but to simply compare and present our research on America, China, and Japan.

There is no one school system that is perfect, with this being said we must discuss issues that are prevalent within these systems that can or may put students at a disadvantage. Issues like racial differences, socioeconomic status, one parent households are a few disadvantages to note. Systemic as well as generational issues may cause students to feel as if college is unattainable or too expensive. There also may not be a push for the need to go to college if the students' parents did not attend a higher education institution. Geographic location is also important in a students' learning career. If a student attends a school that receives more or less funding that could impact the student. Furthermore, we will briefly address teacher motivation and how that affects the classroom.

Careers play a huge part in how we are viewed by our societies. We will dive into a student's preparation for life after high school. After high school many people will go to college, a trade school, the military, entrepreneurship, etc. Prior to graduation there are several steps that must be accomplished before taking off to the next step. In conclusion, we want to take you through the journey that is the public school system. Again, our goal is not to devalue the American education system but to show the similarities and differences within the system compared to China and Japan.

Hunter Newman hnewman2@uncc.edu The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Title: MA Fellow.
Hunter will be comparing the American education system to that of China and Japan. Presenting and discussing topics such as the structure of the state run public school system, socio economic issues that affect the system and much more. Comparing what occurs in America with similarities and differences of that which occur in Japan and China.

Yukie Okada yokada@uncc.edu The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Title: MA Fellow.
Yukie is going to talk about the Japanese education system.

Xiaohong Mueller xmueller@uncc.edu The University of North Carolina at Charlotte Title: MA Fellow.
Xiaohong is going to address the impact of the Chinese government's education policy on China's education structure, and the impact of the urban-rural gap on the quality of education for rural students. As well as thoughts arising in comparisons of the American and Japanese education systems.

Chair: Hunter Newman