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School and Work in China
By Alex Vtorov & James Hixenbaugh
Introduction
In ancient china, life was not like it was
today. People didn’t get to choose their
jobs. Not many people were happy. It
was hard to make a living. All that has
changed. People get to choose their own
jobs.
School was not so easy. It is still hard
today. Read on to find out more.
The Social Classes
Back in ancient China, you didn’t get to choose your job.
Your job varied depending on which class you were in. The social
classes were:
Shang class-This was the bottommost class. It was made up of
merchants and traders. Even though they were in the bottommost
class, they were important members of the community.
Gong class-This was the class above the Shang class. It consisted of
craftsmen, painters, or people with certain talents.
Nong class-These were people such as peasants and farmers.
Shi class-This was the topmost class. Its members were well
educated.
If you were in the topmost class, you lived a great life. You got good
education, wore fancy clothes, lived in a magnificent house, and were
allowed to do things that lower caste people couldn’t. If you were in
one of the lower classes, life was not as divine.
China’s First Emperor
 China’s first emperor, Qin,
believed that people
should have to work hard
in the fields and the wars.
Qin took over the lands of
the noblemen, which
enabled him to build the
Great Wall of China. Qin
felt that people should not
be educated at all.
The Han
dynasty was a very
different picture.
Public schools were
opened for girls and
boys, and jobs were
given to adults.
Also, China built
the Silk Road,
which made trade
and travel much
easier. The Han
dynasty was a time
of plenty.
Work Given
Today,
everything is
different. When the
China’s last emperor
gave up his throne,
the Chinese
government arose.
For over 30 years, the
Chinese government
has been encouraging
people to make their
own money. People
are now allowed to
choose their jobs,
rather than being
forced to do
something. The social
classes no longer
exist. China is much
different than it was
thousands of years
ago.
The Chinese Government’s
Impacts on Jobs
A kids life
in china is much
more different
than in the U.S.A.
In China kids go
to school six days
a week, instead of
five. Also their
day at school is
longer than ours.
A typical school
day lasts from
7:30 to 4:20 p.m.
But they get a 2hour lunch break.
Longer Days
In the classroom
things are different
too. For instance:
there can be up to
four monitors: class
monitor, homework
monitor, hygiene
monitor, politeness
monitor. All of these
monitors are
combined into 1
person. In China.
Report cards are 30
pages long and talk
also about the child’s
health. The Chinese
kids also decide
where they need to
improve and take a
vow to do so.
School Routines in
China
There are more
people in china
than in any other
country. And it is a
successful country
in many ways,
because of their
rigid schedule and
discipline. But
people in the US
are ruled for
individuality and
creativity. And
people in China
valued skill and
discipline. And they
always will, because
they are Chinese.
A Very Successful
Country!