Education and Democracy
Jiaxin Yin
31 May 2012
Education and Democracy
This paper discusses how the United States and China achieve democracy through education by analyzing what kind of education benefits a democratic society. Problem-posing education, which emphasizes communication and consciousness, seems can benefit a democratic society but cannot profit the oppressors; Paulo Freire believes that banking education prevails for it can benefit the oppressors and a democratic society in terms of equity. No Children Left Behind raised by Mike Rose illustrates how the U.S achieves equity through standardized testing under banking education, which in China is Nine-Year Compulsory Education. Because both the U.S and China are in age of inequality, the equity in education under banking education is of great importance for achieving a democratic society. Therefore, it is the banking education that can benefit a democratic society. (129) Wendy Brown, UC Berkeley professor of political science, points out “without quality public education, there is no future for democracy” (Davidson 2010); also Huang Mengfu, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, during his speech at Harvard University says“A democratic society has been a consistent goal pursued by the Chinese people in modern times” (Huang 2008). As you can see, even tough the United States and China have two different types of government, both are paying more attention to developing an authentic democracy, which largely depends upon education. So as educator Mike Rose asks “what kind of education benefits a democratic society” (Rose 44)? Because of the global economic recession, more and more undergraduates prefer to continue their schooling in order to get a master’s degree or even higher, which to a certain extent equals greater probability to get their ideal jobs, rather than graduate from university with bachelor degree and go through plenty of difficulties to get only
31 May 2012
Education and Democracy
This paper discusses how the United States and China achieve democracy through education by analyzing what kind of education benefits a democratic society. Problem-posing education, which emphasizes communication and consciousness, seems can benefit a democratic society but cannot profit the oppressors; Paulo Freire believes that banking education prevails for it can benefit the oppressors and a democratic society in terms of equity. No Children Left Behind raised by Mike Rose illustrates how the U.S achieves equity through standardized testing under banking education, which in China is Nine-Year Compulsory Education. Because both the U.S and China are in age of inequality, the equity in education under banking education is of great importance for achieving a democratic society. Therefore, it is the banking education that can benefit a democratic society. (129) Wendy Brown, UC Berkeley professor of political science, points out “without quality public education, there is no future for democracy” (Davidson 2010); also Huang Mengfu, vice-chairman of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, during his speech at Harvard University says“A democratic society has been a consistent goal pursued by the Chinese people in modern times” (Huang 2008). As you can see, even tough the United States and China have two different types of government, both are paying more attention to developing an authentic democracy, which largely depends upon education. So as educator Mike Rose asks “what kind of education benefits a democratic society” (Rose 44)? Because of the global economic recession, more and more undergraduates prefer to continue their schooling in order to get a master’s degree or even higher, which to a certain extent equals greater probability to get their ideal jobs, rather than graduate from university with bachelor degree and go through plenty of difficulties to get only
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