德国教育与早分流之利弊

Education in Germany and Advantages and Disadvantages of Early Streaming

竞争过于激烈、适龄人口中参加高考者比重过高,是当下中国教育的素质的目标让位给应试的根本原因。削弱竞争的釜底抽薪的办法是较早“分流”。德国的经验可以给我们特殊的启示。德国学生10岁分流,进入主体中学和实科中学的大部分学生日后进入职业学校,不参加高考。两个手段支撑分流制度:其一,职业学校实施的课堂与车间的双轨制教学给了学生很好的职业技能,日后求职也有很好的保证;其二,制度安排为当初未读文法中学、日后仍有读大学愿望者留有通道。本文最后一节讨论了早分流与晚分流的利弊得失。

Character education cannot compete against examination-oriented education in China today, because the high proportion of high school graduates who take the college entrance examination results in severe competition for college admissions.A drastic way to lessen the competition could be earlier streaming,for which we can draw inspiration from Germany.By age 10,German children are separated into four different kinds of secondary school,and most of those who attend Hauptshule(least academic) or Realschule(somewhat more academic)enter vocational schools after graduation and do not take the test that qualifies one for university.The streaming system is built on two pillars.First,the system is integrated with a dual-track apprenticeship system,in which students spend alternating periods in a school or training centre and at the workplace.As a result,students acquire enough vocational skills to land jobs after graduation.Second,Hauptshule and Realschule graduates also have the option of pursuing college-level studies at polytechnic universities.The last section of this paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of early streaming.