Reflection 6 - Chilean students

Last week I attended a round table discussion with a group of Chilean students that were visiting Northwest. The education students that were there were able to meet with these students in small groups to discuss the Chilean education system. I was very surprised at how rigorous their education seemed as compared to U.S. education. They have to basically pick their lifetime career path before their junior year and that path will dictate which math, science, and electives they need to take. They also have a massive exam at the end of their senior year that will allow them to pass high school and enter a university. Many of these students had lofty career goals: engineering, medicine, environmental scientist, etc. They seemed to take their studies seriously, unlike many U.S. high schoolers. I'm sure you could find the slackers in the Chilean schools, but I think their culture tends to put a much higher emphasis on academic success. All in all, it was a fascinating meeting and I am thankful for the opportunity to interact with another culture.