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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Of course. American schools are very behind.  We tutor in math mostly. [/quote]

So at age 17 what level of math have kids in other countries reached? Is differential equations really so far behind the rest of the world?[/quote]

I don't know about math but here are some other examples that foreign schools expect more of their students. From my experience in grades 1-6.5 at a public school in Ukraine.

-5th grade English language homework: during the school year, memorize these 23 two to three paragraph passages in English. At the end of the year exam, you will radomly choose a card and recite an assigned the passages word for word.

-In 4th, 5th grade literature class, memorize classic poems that are 15+ lines long, and recite in front of the class. This would be like memorizing poems by Robert Frost, or Shakespeare. When I moved to Brooklyn MS in 6.5 grade, I could hardly believe my ears when I heard how badly my classmate read.

-Those words you misspelled on an assignment? Write each one umpteen times so you remember how to spell it right.

-Our tests were never multiple choice. You had to write/say/show that you know the right answer. 
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[b]I don't think memorizing text is expecting more. I'd rather students analyze, interpret, and infer from the text.[/b]
t
Few assessments that I know of are strictly multiple choice tests. Higher level thinking has been increasingly encouraged for years.[/quote]

I dreaded memorizing, but still grateful for it 20 years later - I still remember the lovely imagery of one poem about winter, and it feels good to imagine the beautiful scene. Also, I've been in a few situations where I was worse off because I couldn't memorize on the spot - I think that reciting poems shows to yourself that memory is a muscle and a resource that's there if you need/use it, so that alone has value.

Also, tests may not be 100% multiple choice, but a significant portion often is. In the US, multiple choice answers are considered proof that you know a subject, when that just ain't so. As a result, students can get passing grades without learning much of anything. I was pretty good at remembering just enough key words to answer most questions correctly, even though I didn't know the answer. At an intense week-long medical certification course, I passed the final with the grade 90-92% on the multiple choice final exam. I can tell you for a fact, I did not have a solid knowledge or any skills at all, only good enough to recognize correct answers. A multiple choice test got me certified to be the first responder to medical emergencies in the wilderness, where trained nurses and doctors may be hours away. I bet you anything that I am far from the only student without skill or knowledge who tested well and was trusted with serious responsibilities though completely unqualified. Why is this acceptable?[/quote]

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