Although Chinese and Western school systems are organized similarly into elementary school, high school and college phases, the spirit found in the two systems is quite different.
國立師範大學教授林玉體認為，嚴格來說，傳統上中國從唐朝開始，就有一套完整的考試制度，卻沒有一套有形的教育制度。現在將就學的過程分為小、中、大三個階段，完全是西方的產物。制度或許是西方的，精神與方式卻可能是十分傳統的。