China’s Education System Characterized by Strong National Standards, Vast Inequalities

China uses a dramatically different approach to building students’ mathematical and science skills from the United States', with strong national standards, a structured progression from easy to difficult subject matter, and extensive teacher training serving as core tenets of the communist country’s educational system, a new study finds.

But China also suffers from a large disparity between the quality of education in relatively advanced urban areas and poorer, rural communities, and from a system that encourages relatively rigid teaching methods, according to the report, which was released June 8 by the Asia Society, a New York City-based nonprofit that seeks to promote international understanding.

The report offers a comparative look into the educational model of a nation that is widely regarded as one of the United States’ top, and still-emerging, economic competitors. It also comes at a time when U.S. political and business leaders are becoming increasingly worried about the growing economic might of both China and India and of those countries’ abilities to churn out students with strong science,...