American Investment Immigration focuses on American Education: Every new school year, the topic of reducing student burden becomes a social hot topic. In fact, compared to Chinese students, many American students may have a heavier "burden," but during my more than four years in the United States, I have never heard discussions about "reducing burden."
American students spend a lot of time on academics even during holidays. The recommended homework time for public schools in Virginia is: 15 minutes of homework plus 15 minutes of reading for kindergarten, 20 minutes of homework plus 20 minutes of reading for first grade, 30 minutes of homework plus 20 minutes of reading for second grade, 45 minutes of homework plus 20 minutes of reading for third grade, 60 minutes of homework plus 30 minutes of reading for fourth and fifth grades, 90 minutes of homework plus 30 minutes of reading for sixth to eighth grades, and 3 hours of homework plus necessary reading to understand some advanced courses for ninth to twelfth grades.
This is not all. Especially for middle school students, they also engage in research studies, develop hobbies, participate in social practices, and undergo sports or arts training. Colleagues' children studying in high school in the U.S. practice shooting twice a week and often compete with other schools after joining the school team; some are passionate about tennis and have won awards at the state level; others persist in swimming and piano. Although they have many "burdens," they can still find time to volunteer on weekends and feel happy about these "burdens."
What is the reason? It is simply because these are things they enjoy and are inclined to do. American schools encourage elementary and middle school students to develop diverse interests and focus on creating a relaxed and enjoyable learning environment for students. While doing what they want to do, students are not forced by parents or teachers to worry about their future paths.
Lower grade elementary school students have a lighter burden, as teachers guide them to learn various knowledge through play; upper grade students have very practical assignments, often needing to complete various "projects" to develop different skills. Students generally become proficient in using library systems to find relevant materials and can collect information online. Middle school assignments cover a wide range of subjects, and teachers strive to enhance students' interest in courses in class, for example, by using a lot of visual materials and experiments to explain knowledge or taking students to various museums to understand biological knowledge, historical events and figures, and changes in geographical environments.
Higher education institutions in the United States are independently responsible for admissions, but they all share a common point—valuing students' overall qualities rather than just exam scores, and they also lean towards those with specific expertise, which objectively encourages elementary and middle school students to be versatile and develop personal strengths. For example, while tuition fees at American universities are high, each institution has generous scholarships specifically for student-athletes, which not only cover tuition but also ensure living expenses for these special students. This system effectively promotes sports enthusiasm among elementary and middle school students, and schools have become centers for competitive sports in the United States.
American students do not resent the "burden" not only because they choose it voluntarily but also because, overall, their "burden" is relatively reasonable. The key reason for this "reasonableness" is that educational resources in the United States are relatively balanced. Public school facilities are uniformly allocated by state governments, and there is considerable teacher mobility between schools. In American public schools, so-called "prestigious schools" are much fewer than in China, and parents' awareness of school choice is relatively weak, which naturally reduces students' pressure.