5 · 40 words

Education systems

How schooling is organised, examined and paid for, and learning that goes on for life.

Debates about schooling turn on a contrast that has no neat English equivalent: 应试教育(yìngshìjiàoyù), teaching aimed at examinations, against 素质教育(sùzhìjiàoyù), education for all-round development. Watch the two readings of one character: it is jiào in the nouns about teaching (教育(jiàoyù), 教学(jiàoxué), 教师(jiàoshī)) but jiāo as the plain verb, 教书(jiāoshū), “to teach”.

The words

Verb (9)

培养(péiyǎng)to train; to develop; to cultivateVerb4

老师(lǎoshī)希望(xīwàng)培养(péiyǎng)学生(xuésheng)独立(dúlì)思考(sīkǎo)的(de)能力(nénglì)。The teacher hopes to develop the students' ability to think for themselves.

升学(shēngxué)to go on to the next stage of schoolVerb5

初三(chūsān)的(de)学生(xuésheng)面临(miànlín)很(hěn)大(dà)的(de)升学(shēngxué)压力(yālì)。Pupils in the last year of junior high school are under great pressure to get into a good senior school.

择校(zéxiào)to choose a schoolVerb5

为了(wèile)择校(zéxiào)，一些(yìxiē)家长(jiāzhǎng)专门(zhuānmén)在(zài)名校(míngxiào)附近(fùjìn)买(mǎi)房子(fángzi)。To get the school they want, some parents buy a home right next to a top school.

辍学(chuòxué)to drop out of schoolVerb5

他(tā)因为(yīnwèi)家里(jiāli)经济(jīngjì)困难(kùnnan)，高一(gāoyī)就(jiù)辍学(chuòxué)了(le)。Because his family was short of money, he dropped out in his first year of senior high school.

减负(jiǎnfù)to lighten the load (on pupils)Verb5

学校(xuéxiào)决定(juédìng)给(gěi)学生(xuésheng)减负(jiǎnfù)，少(shǎo)布置(bùzhì)一些(yìxiē)作业(zuòyè)。The school decided to lighten the pupils' load and set less homework.

Short for 减轻(jiǎnqīng)负担(fùdān).

留级(liújí)to repeat a year (at school)Verb5

他(tā)有(yǒu)三(sān)门(mén)课(kè)不(bù)及格(jígé)，只好(zhǐhǎo)留级(liújí)。He failed three subjects and had to repeat the year.

跳级(tiàojí)to skip a year (at school)Verb5

她(tā)上(shàng)小学(xiǎoxué)的(de)时候(shíhou)跳(tiào)过(guo)一(yì)级(jí)。She skipped a year when she was at primary school.

Separable: 跳(tiào)过(guo)一(yì)级(jí), skipped a year.

普及(pǔjí)to make universal; to populariseVerb5

这个(zhège)地区(dìqū)已经(yǐjīng)普及(pǔjí)了(le)义务教育(yìwùjiàoyù)。Compulsory education now reaches everyone in this region.

识字(shízì)to learn to read; to be literateVerb5

我(wǒ)奶奶(nǎinai)小(xiǎo)时候(shíhou)没(méi)上(shàng)过(guo)学(xué)，六十(liùshí)岁(suì)才(cái)开始(kāishǐ)识字(shízì)。My grandmother never went to school as a child and only learned to read at sixty.

This list belongs to School, university and research — five lists and 201 words that can also be practised as a whole.

Practise this list

Multiple choice and gaps, drawn from exactly these 40 words. Whatever you get wrong comes back tomorrow.