In India, students will be exposed to more content when compared to the US.  In the US, the mode of teaching is different.  When teaching fractions, for example, the classroom is divided into two equal parts to show how ½ looks like.  White boards, projectors, colorful posters and physical objects are used to teach students in a practical way.  Since the teachers are extremely passionate about what they are doing, students do not feel nervous about asking questions.  Furthermore, prizes such as small items or chocolates will be given to students who answer a question correctly or solve a maths problem.  There are group competitions to allow students to learn in a more enjoyable way.  Overall, students have fun while learning the material.

That’s the question that has been asked by many officials and parents.  As a student of both countries, I have studied at both the United States and India.  I have completed my primary education in India and continued with my secondary education in the United States.  Now, I am studying as a first year medical student at University of Alabama School of Medicine in the United States after receiving my Bachelor of Science degree in biology and chemistry at the University of Memphis.

I can say for certain that education in public schools is completely different in US and India.  I vividly remember that as a second class student in India I sat in a large classroom with about 40 students sitting on a bench with five others.  I constantly repeated what the teacher said without questioning her.  Moreover, for homework, I wrote the lesson/problems in my notebook five or six times.  On the other hand, primary education in America is vastly different than in India.  As a student and as a resident of the US for more than 9 years, I had thoroughly experienced primary schools, especially public school education in US.  In the United States, students are taught to understand the science or the maths concept, for example, instead of being forced to memorize.  I do not necessarily imply that one system is better than the other.  I merely wish to convey the differences among the two countries’ educational system.

Of course, in India, students will be exposed to more content when compared to the US.  In the US, the mode of teaching is different.  When teaching fractions, for example, the classroom is divided into two equal parts to show how ½ looks like.  White boards, projectors, colorful posters and physical objects are used to teach students in a practical way.  Since the teachers are extremely passionate about what they are doing, students do not feel nervous about asking questions.  Furthermore, prizes such as small items or chocolates will be given to students who answer a question correctly or solve a maths problem.  There are group competitions to allow students to learn in a more enjoyable way.  Overall, students have fun while learning the material.

One can say that group competitions take away the valuable time that could be used for teaching new material.  This is where there are differences in teaching styles among the two countries.  In the US, teachers feel that students must fully understand the material before they can move on.