A cram school is a school that teaches students a highly accelerated curriculum in order to prepare them for exams. These schools are typically set up to provide supplementary education, with students attending regular school during the day and accelerated classes after school or on weekends. Grind schools, test preparation centers, learning centers, and tutoring centers are all terms used to describe this type of school.
Cram schools can be found all over the world, but they are especially common in Asia, where students are required to attend. The goal of most schools is to prepare students for exams using a curriculum that encourages memorization and recitation of information. Students are frequently taught test-taking skills, and they are given numerous opportunities to take practice tests.
Accelerated courses are taken a wide range of students, from elementary and middle school students preparing for school admissions tests to college graduates who want to make sure they pass the exams required for admission to professional schools. Cram schools are particularly popular among high school students who want to prepare for college, particularly in countries where lengthy entrance and proficiency exams are required for admission.
Attending a cram school is typically physically and mentally demanding. Students must balance the regular curriculum from their day school with the accelerated material, and there is a lot of pressure on students to perform well in some countries. Failure to perform well on exams can result in parental and teacher chastisement, as well as a remedial course at a specialized school for students who have taken and failed exams.
Some educators have criticized the Cram school culture. The concern is that the emphasis on memorization discourages critical thinking and in-depth knowledge examination. While these schools may teach students how to perform well on tests, real-life tests of their ability to process and analyze information may be difficult for them to pass. Teacher quality varies widely, as local laws governing teacher training are frequently relaxed. The heavy workload of cram school can also be problematic, with some students resorting to using stimulants and other drugs in order to succeed.