Education
Great Britain
class school age
Nursery school, Playground 3
or Kindergarten (optional) 4
reception class Infant C E 5
year 1 School O D 6
year 2 Primary M U 7 (1st standard assessment test)
year 3 Junior School P C 8
year 4 School U A 9
year 5 L T 10
year 6 S I 11 (2nd standard assessment test)
year 7 O O 12
year 8 Secondary R N 13
year 9 School Y 14(3rd standard assessment test)
year 10 (High School) 15(start studying subjects for GCSEs)
year 11 16 (take GCSEs)
year 12 Sixth form college 17 (start studying for A-levels)
year 13 (further education, college) 18 (take A-levels)
first year (fresher) University or Polytechnic 19
second year 20
third/final year 21
postgraduate University 22
23
In Britain all children have to go to school between the ages of 5 and 16. Infant Schools and Junior Schools are Primary Schools and are frequently in the same building.
In England and Wales the subjects taught in school are laid down by the National Curriculum, which was introduced in 1988 and sets out in detail the subject that children should study and the levels of achievement they should reach by the ages of 7, 11, 14 and 16, when they are tested (English, Maths, Sciences, Technology, History, Geography, Music, Art, Physical Education). Between the ages of 14 and 16, pupils study for their GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams. Here is 7-point scale :A-G. Pupils must take English Language, Maths and Science for GCSE as well as a half GCSE in a foreign language and Technology. In addition, they must also be taught Physical Education, Religious Education and Sex Education, although they do not take exams in these subjects.
At the age of 16, pupils can leave school. If pupils stay on, they usually take A (Advanced) levels in the age of 18. Pupils taking A levels study traditional subjects, such as French, Physics or History, usually not more than 3 subjects. To go to university, pupils usually need 2 or 3 A levels.
Whereas British school usually have prayers and religious instruction.
The National Curriculum does not apply in Scotland, where each school decides what subjects it will teach. In Scotland students take the SCE examinations. A year later, they can take examinations called Highers, after which they can either go straight to a university or spend a further year at school and take the Certificate of Sixth Year Studies. In Scotland the university system is different to that in England and Wales. Courses usually last four years rather than three and students study a larger number of subjects as part of their degree.
In Britain, there are no formal dances or social occasion associated with school life. Some schools have a Speech day at the end of the school year when prizes are given to the best students and speeches are made by the head teacher and sometimes an invited guest. However, in many British school students and teachers organize informal dances for the older students.
The VI form classes may be in the same building as the High school but often there are VI form colleges in the centre of towns.
Most secondary schools in Britain are comprehensive school. There go about ninety per cent children after primary school. Comprehensive schools are state schools, which take children of all abilities. They are free and boys and girls are educated together. About six per cent of students go to grammar school, where they offer academic education and which take only students who pass an exam at the age of eleven.
About seven per cent of students go to private schools. Theses schools do not receive any money from the state: parents pay for their children to go to school instead. The most expensive private schools are called public schools. Most of these are single-sex boarding schools and students can live there during term-time. Public schools are in Eaton, Harrow and Rugby. Another fee-paying are independent schools. Children can also attend church schools.
Most pupils in British schools wear school uniform. The favourite colours for it are blue, grey, black and maroon. Many of the schools are now less strict about wearing uniforms. The school decides what colours must be worn. The uniform normally consists of a shirt, blouse, sweater and blazer for boys. Both have ties
The school day generally starts at 9:00 a.m. for all students of all ages in the state schools. Every student belongs to a class or form. Each form has a form teacher and a form room. Every morning the form meets in the form room while the form teacher marks the register (list of students’ names) to check who is not at school. Sometimes there is an assembly (a short meeting of the whole school) in the school hall. Afterwards, the students go to the rooms where they have theirs classes.
At midday, there is a long break. Students often have school dinners. In the afternoon, they have some more classes. School finishes around 4 o’clock, but that’s not the end of the school day. At home, the students have to do their homework.
Cheating is very rare in Britain, if someone is found cheating; he will fail his exam and be in serious trouble. Exams are very closely supervised and rules about talking, looking at someone else’s work and taking papers into the exam are very strictly kept.
It is customary for teacher in high school to always teach on the same room because of the resources needed for the lessons. As there is no time allowed on the timetable between one lesson and the next, pupils have to move quickly to their next lesson.
Throughout the British Isles the schools use a three term pattern:
Autumn Term = September – Christmas
Spring Term = January – Easter
Summer Term = Easter – July
Another 4% of British children don’t go to school at all. By law parents have the right to educate their children at home, if they can show they can do it properly. Usually children who have been educated at home go to secondary school at 14 in time to prepare for the main state exams, the GCSE which pupils take at 16.
At the age of 18 there are a variety of educational establishments for post-eighteen year olds: Universities or Polytechnics which recently have been renamed as universities. The basic qualification for university admission is the GCSE, A-level qualification. There are 5 grades of pass – A,B,C,D,E. But as there are more applications for places at universities, the entry is competitive. The competition to get to one of Britain’s universities is fierce and not everyone who gets A-level can go.
Students apply for universities months before they take A-levels. They come to a personal interview. The applicants who have been most successful in their A-levels or who make a good personal impression are accepted. The more popular the university, the higher the grades it will ask for.
Universities offer three- and four-year degree courses, colleges of higher education offer two-year HND (Higher national Diploma) courses, as well as degree courses.
A degree is a qualification you get from university when you pass your final exams. You are then awarded a BA (Bachelor of Arts), BSc (Bachelor of Science) or Bed (Bachelor of Education).
Undergraduates, students who are studying for degrees, go to lectures, but most of the work takes place in tutorials (seminars): lessons in groups of then or more when the students discuss their work with the lecturer.
Most British students choose to go to university a long way from their home town: they want to be independent, to live away from home and develop new interests.
Not all students study full-time at university or college. Many of them combine their studies with work.
There are three groups of English universities:
- Oxford and Cambridge – They are founded in the 12th and 13th century and are built of stone. They are the oldest British universities and also the most prestigious ones. The have the highest academic reputation and are most highly regarded. Many Oxbridge students come from public schools and graduates from O. and C. often become influential and powerful in British society.
Most of their colleges are built around courtyards called quads with lawns in the centre. Oxford is situated on the Thames, Cambridge lies on the River Cam.
Oxford and Cambridge are collections of independent colleges. Each of them has its own Dean, chapel, dining hall, library and its own atmosphere.
Annually the two universities compete in a rowing race held on the Thames in London. The Boat Race takes place in March.
Punting is a common picture you can see both in Cambridge and Oxford. It is very popular in these ancients seats of learning.
- Redbrick universities – They are founded in the 19th century and built of red brick. For example in London, Durham and Manchester they provided technological training in industrial areas. Another are founded in the 20th century and they are in Bristol, Liverpool and Birmingham.
- Universities opened after 1960 – Sussex in Brighton, Kent in Canterbury
The Open University established in 1969 is for adults.
USA
class school age
Nursery school 3
(optional) 4
reception class Kindergarten 5
first grade 6
second grade 7
third grade Elementary 8
fourth grade School 9
fifth grade 10
sixth grade 11
seventh grade Junior High 12
eight grade School 13
ninth grade (freshman) 14
tenth grade (sophomore) Senior High 15
eleventh grade (junior) School 16
twelfth grade (senior) 17
freshman 18
sophomore College 19
junior 20
senior 21
Graduate 22
School 23
In the US children must go to school from the age of 6 to between the ages of 14 and 16, depending on the state they live in.
The subjects taught are decided by national and local governments.
American school are not allowed to include prayers or to teach religious beliefs.
In the US school exams are not as important as they are in Britain. Students in High schools do have exams at the end of their last two years, but these final exams are considered along with the work that the student have done during the school years.
As well as exams at school, American high school students who wish to go to college also take Sats, national exams. A student’s Sat results are presented to colleges when students apply for entry, along with a record of the student’s achievements at high school.
In America high schools there is a formal ceremony for Graduation (=completion of high school). Students wear a special cap and gown and receive a diploma from the head of the school. Students often buy a class ring to wear, and a yearbook, containing pictures of their friends and teachers.
There are also special social events at American schools. Sports events are popular, and Cheerleaders lead the school in supporting the school team and singing the school song. At the end of their junior year, at age 17 or 18, student attend the junior-senior prom, a very formal dance which is held in the evening. The girls wear long evening dresses and the boys wear tuxedos.
Czech Republic
School attendance in the Czech Republic is compulsory from the age from 6 to 15. Most children attend state school, but there are also newly established private and church schools. Education at state schools up to 18 is free of charge but students at secondary schools must pay for their textbooks. Private and church schools charge school fees. All schools are coeducational. Children in our school system do not wear uniforms. Handicapped children are educated separately.
The school year starts on 1st September and ends on 30th June of the following year. The school year is divided into two terms (September-January, February-June). A school day is different at different types of schools. The average number of lessons at a secondary school is around thirty a week, primary schools have fewer lessons, while specialized schools often have more. Classes begin between 8 and 8.15 and there are from 4 to 6 lessons in a row, followed by a lunch break, usually 45 minutes long, which is one period, and then afternoon classes. Afternoon classes end between 4 and 5 at the latest. Breaks between the lessons last from 5 to 15 minutes.
Pupils and students are evaluated by marks from 1 to 5, 1 is the best, 5 is the worst. Each term students get their school report with marks from both compulsory and elective subjects.
Education in our country includes these stages: pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary.
Pre-school education is provided by creches for children up to 3 years of age and nursery schools for children aged 3 to 6. Not many children attend creches but quite a lot of them attend kindergartens. At 6 children start to go to primary schools and they stay there until 15. At the age of 15 the pupils transfer from primary to secondary school. Some pupils, whose parents wish then to, can transfer to grammar schools at the age of 11 after they have passed an entrance examination.
At the age of 15 pupils can choose among a variety of secondary schools:
- grammar schools with general and rather academic education which prepare students for university study
- special schools which include technical colleges, specialized in building, chemistry, engineering etc., business, academies, agricultural schools, nursing schools, music and art schools which offer professional education
- vocational schools training would-be workers for practical jobs.
Secondary education usually lasts for 4 years and at grammar and specialized schools it is finished with a school-leaving examination which is required by all universities and colleges. This exam is taken in four subjects at grammar schools (Czech, a foreign language and two optional subjects chosen from foreign languages, science subjects or humanities) and in five or more subjects at specialized schools. The exam is held in May and is mostly oral expect Czech in which an essay is written about a month before. The oral part of the exam takes about two hours, half an hour for each subject. A student chooses one of 25 to 31 topics by drawing a number and after 15 minutes preparation he speaks on the topic and solves given tasks. After the graduates have passed their school-leaving exam they receive the School-Leaving Certificate and they can apply for study at universities and colleges.
Universities and colleges provide tertiary education which lasts from 4 to 6 years. Each secondary school graduate can apply for as many universities and colleges as he likes but before he is accepted they have to pass and entrance exam in the subjects in which the university specializes. The exam consists of a written test and an interview.
Every large regional town in our country is a seat of a university or college now, but the oldest ones are the most renowned. Our oldest university is Charles University in Prague, founded by Charles IV in 1348 as the first Central and East European university. Other notable universities are Masaryk University in Brno, Placký University in Olomouc and Purkynì University in Ústí nad Labem. Prague has also one of the two technical universities in our country (ÈVUT), the other one is in Brno.
Undergraduates can study a variety of subjects such as economics, foreign trade, architecture, law, journalism, the humanities, foreign languages, medicine, science, music, art, drama, engineering or computer science at various schools e.g. School of Economics or Architecture, Law, Medical or Science Faculty, Faculty of Journalism, Arts, Teachers’ Training College, Art School, College of Agriculture, technical universities or polytechnics.
The university or college students can enroll at three-year courses for a Bachelor’s Degree or four and five-years courses for a Master’s Degree. Medicine usually takes 6 years. The universities and college study is finished with a state exam and every undergraduate also has to write a thesis in order to receive a diploma in a certain field of study, which may be also individual, and completion of another thesis.
Full-time university students are expected to bear the expense of their tuition and they must also pay for their accommodation and board. The students from distant places usually lodge at a hall of residence (dorm). Only a limited number of students get a grand or a scholarship.
For those who do not want enter the university there are various types of two-year training courses such as for managers, businessmen, social workers, specialized nurses or language experts.
In Britain children go to school from 5 – 16. The names of the various stages of primary and secondary education are : infant school (5-7), junior school (7-11), comprehensive school (11 – 16 or 18). About 6% of all school children go to private schools, they are called prep schools (up to 14) and public schools (14-18).
At the age of 16 pupils také examinations leading to the General Certificate of secondary education (GCSE). Those who get good results can stay on at school, in the sixth form, until they are 18 are prepared for the Advance – level (A-levels). The A-level examination is set and papers are marked by examing board connected with the universities.
The most famous and expensive public schools are: Eton, Harrow, Rugby, Winchester.
The englisch universities can be divided into 3 groups:
- Oxford and Cambridge (= Oxbridge) – the oldest and the most famous
- Redbrick universities which were founded in 19th century ( London, Durham, Manchester)
- The new universities opened after 1960s (Sussex, York, Kent…etc.)
In the USA school begins at the age of 6, There are 12 grades in the school systems; pupils first go to elementary school and than to high school. In most states pupils leaves at the age of 17, but pupils from poor homes often leave earlier or do not finish the last grades because they failed. The school systém in USA is uniform and free but there are great differences in the standards of various hogh schools. About 10% of the school population goes to private schools.
In the USA is education under state and local control. A new systém is called the six – three – three plan, sic years of elementary school, three years of junior school and three years senior high schooll. Compulsory attendance at school has been legislated in all states although standarts of age lenght of the school year vary. Considerably. There are wide differencies in the educational systems of the various states. About two . thirds of high school children work part – time jobs during the school year. They work in food stores, at fast food restaurants, at the local libraries and gasoline stations. They want jobs to have a little bit of freedom and independence and to have their own spending money.