Paper short abstract:

This paper, using Zhonghua High School as a case, will discuss developing an anthropology-linguistics curriculum for Chinese senior high students in the examination-oriented educational context, and how such an curriculum contributes to Chinese quality education.

Paper long abstract:

Pre-university education of China is on its turning point. Present Chinese education system, known to be examination-oriented, is strictly limiting students' freedom of learning, stereotyping individuals, and therefore stifling creativity. Albeit quality education reform has been conducted for a very long time, this pattern still takes the wheel of Chinese education for some reasons, such as the considerably large population.

According to questionnaires from Zhonghua High School, many students described Chinese pre-university education as utilitarian since it totally revolves around college entrance examination. High school students are asked to study knowledge under a same syllabus only. They wrote that Chinese education is, to an extent, strictly limiting students' freedom of learning, stereotyping individuals, and therefore stifling creativity. However, they said there seemed to have no better mechanism of selection.

Being examination-oriented is a stage we have to experience. Confronted with problems caused by a system that temporarily could not be changed fundamentally, educators are supposed to explore varied solutions.

This paper will discuss devising an anthropology-linguistics curriculum for Chinese senior high school students within current system. Anthropology contains a variety of beneficial contents which would help students actively overcome shortcomings, like the narrow understanding of competition and the lack of cross-cultural communication ability, of Chinese examination-oriented education. Knowledge about field work, for instance, may serve to instruct students in treating current educational system from a descriptive perspective, and then further their understandings of Chinese society, which would in turn enable them to hold a more positive attitude toward their study. Linguistics, also, is a social sicence in a good shape to introduce to high school students. It may also serve to improve student's English study.

Based on case-study, this paper would analyze how anthropology and linguistics would benefit quality education, and furthermore, the feasibility of similar projects in China.