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看过一本书(Talks to Teachers on Psychology, by William James)，这样总结英国和德国的教育：
英国教育的目的：怎样做个英国绅士。
德国教育的目的：怎样解决各种问题。
以我对这两国人的观察，这两个总结够精辟，是他们国民性的产物，也反过来造就了他们的国民性。英国强调的是成为什么样的人(“be”)，德国强调的是会做什么样的事(“do”)。
我自己在中国受教育，孩子在美国受教育，所以也总结一下：
美国教育的目的：怎样成就自己。
中国教育的目的：怎样出人头地。
“Talks to Teachers” by William James
是这几段话：
If we reflect upon the various ideals of education that are prevalent in the different countries, we see that what they all aim at is to organize capacities for conduct. This is most immediately obvious in Germany, where the explicitly avowed aim of the higher education is to turn the student into an instrument for advancing scientific discovery. The German universities are proud of the number of young specialists whom they turn out every year,—not necessarily men of any original force of intellect, but men so trained to research that when their professor gives them an historical or philogical thesis to prepare, or a bit of laboratory work to do, with a general indication as to the best method, they can go off by themselves and use apparatus and consult sources in such a way as to grind out in the requisite number of months some little pepper-corn of new truth worthy of being added to the store of extant human information on that subject. Little else is recognized in Germany as a man's title to academic advancement than his ability thus to show himself an efficient instrument of research.
In England, it might seem at first sight as if the higher education of the universities aimed at the production of certain static types of character rather than at the development of what one may call this dynamic scientific efficiency. Professor Jowett, when asked what Oxford could do for its students, is said to have replied, "Oxford can teach an English gentleman how to be an English gentleman."
But, if you ask what it means to 'be' an English gentleman, the only reply is in terms of conduct and behavior. An English gentleman is a bundle of specifically qualified reactions, a creature who for all the emergencies of life has his line of behavior distinctly marked out for him in advance. Here, as elsewhere, England expects every man to do his duty.
顺便说一句，这本"Talks to Teachers" 是一本很好的通俗教育心理学著作，可能是William James写过的唯一通俗读物。建议对教育有兴趣的人有空读一下。
关于William James, 请参见另一篇拙作
http://blog.wenxuecity.com/blogview.php?date=200706&postID=40070
谢谢！
教育这个词很大，不好用“成功”或“失败”一言以蔽之。但我们一定要懂得借鉴别人的长处，让自己更好。
还不完全一样。“英国绅士”是一个绝对概念。“出人头地”比较强调跟别人的比较。
谢谢！看你的笔名，你一定是住在法国了？据我对法国人的有限理解，你的这个总结，我完全可以想象。
法国教育的目的：怎样享受生活。强调的是enjoy
"中国教育的目的：怎样出人头地。"
所以您现在还在努力出人头地？所以中国教育是成功的？
还是，您现在并不想出人头地，所以中国教育是失败的？