Western and Eastern Educational Culture, Which One Is Better?

Education is a very important aspect of human life. In fact, many countries in the world consider education as part of a culture that is inseparable from their daily lives. 

Certainly, countries all over the world have different education systems. These differences are because these countries are spread into different regions, which we generally divided into Western and Eastern worlds. These two worlds have different educational systems because of the culture and the people's way of life.

The cultural differences between the West and the East often show inequalities, especially in the education field. The Western world which consists of North America, South America, Australia, Europe to New Zealand is famous for its individualistic and "to the point" people. This is very different from people in the Eastern world which are spread across Asia and the Middle East. Eastern people generally like to compromise with others. This personality difference causes these two regions to be different in the educational field.

Education in the West prioritizes the students' innovation and creativity. Teachers in the West will do a special approach to find out the students' interests. It is in contrast with the education in the East, which relies more on hard work. Eastern people believe that success can be achieved if students are willing to work hard. 

From research conducted by Julie Lythcott Haims in her book entitled "How to Raise an Adult", it is explained that children who habitually help their parents' work are easier to succeed. That is why most of the parents in the East often give a lot of chores to their children. 

Although Eastern people are known to be hard workers, they tend to be more passive. The learning system in the East is teacher-centered, so students tend to be passive. Unlike education in the East, Western people tend to be more actively involved in activities. In the West, students are required to be active in discussion, debate, and opinion expression.

These learning systems also lead to differences in the teachers' and students' relationships. In the West, the relationship between teacher and student is very close. The teachers often help students in learning and are willing to be friends with the students. Whereas in the East, the students must obey orders given by the teachers (Hassan et al. in Chory & McCroskey, 2010). 

The close relationship between students and teachers also determines the type of greetings to their teachers. In the West, students often call the teachers by their first names. It will sound strange if students call their teachers "Madam" or "Sir" as they think the teachers are in the same generation as them (Fajri, 2021). This phenomenon is in stark contrast to Eastern culture in which highly values older people. Students always use the greeting "Ma'am" or "Sir" when addressing older people.

The cultural diversity of the West and the East is often very contradictory. Something that Westerners think is normal, likely be very taboo for Easterners. In educational culture, for example. Both worlds have their own advantages and disadvantages. No side is better than the other. Instead, from these differences, if Western and Eastern educational cultures can collaborate, it may be able to create a superior education system.

References

Michael, The Differences Between East And West In Terms Of Culture And Education Retrieved October 31, 2021 https://www.globalfromasia.com/east-west-differences/

Romi Rinando, Anak yang Suka Bantu Orangtua Sejak Kecil, Cenderung Lebih Sukses Retrieved October 31, 2021 https://lampung.tribunnews.com/2019/05/23/anak-yang-suka-bantu-orang-tua-sejak-kecil-cenderung-lebih-sukses

Hassan, A., Jamaludin, N., Sulaiman, T., & Baki, R. (2010). Western and Eastern educational philosophies. In 40th Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia conference, Murdoch University, Western Australia.

Fajri, M. (2021). Missionaris Zaman Kolonial di Tanah Batak: Refleksi Urgensi Komunikasi Dakwah Indegenous. AL MUNIR: Jurnal Komunikasi dan Penyiaran Islam, 12(01), 88-105.