中加教育比较

前几天国内高考，儿子看到一个相关视频，问我的看法。下面是我的回答，不知大家看法如何？

In popular media, both in China and Canada, education in China is portrayed as tough and robotic. I would like to briefly compare education in China and in Canada, based on my personal experience.

In China, one's educational opportunities are determined by very few major exams, the most important one being the college entrance exam. In Canada, the success of application to a program depends mainly on one's average grade in the past and other factors that we may or may not be aware of. Essentially, in China, one is measured by few but grand milestones; in Canada, one is measured by numerous but puny meterstones. 

Many people are intimidated and burdened by the massive milestones. Some are tragically crushed. This is the main complaint about the Chinese educational system. They prefer the minute scale of the meterstones in Canada. But milestones don't have to be intimidating. They can be inspiring. With few milestones to reach, most of the time, we can enjoy the breathtaking views in our journey of life. Meterstones, while puny, are numerous. They can become unending nuisance that distract us from pursuing our real passion.          

There is another major benefit of the Chinese college entrance exam: fairness. Everyone is measured by the same standard, however flawed it might be. In the North American systems, many factors, such as one's skin color, are in play. If someone happens to wear the incorrectly colored skin, his chance is diminished. 

In the Chinese educational system, the time intervals between any two major exams are so vast. Instead of fixing on the next major exam, we can take the opportunity to explore afar. The experience and skills we gained will help guide us tackling future challenges, including those major exams. In the Canadian system, we probably should focus less on short term grades and more on our own passions.