Education in UK and US

Quote Bank

The aim of education is the knowledge

not of facts but of values. (A. C. Benson)
If the school sends out children with a desire
for knowledge and some idea of how to
acquire and use it, it will have done its work.
(Sir Richard Livingstone)

The Education System in Britain

compulsory for all children between 5-16
two different kinds of education: -state (90%)
-independent
state schools are divided :

primary school -age 5-11(5-12 in Scotland)

infant school (5-7) junior school (7-11)
-in the 1st 2 years they learn to read, to write and the basics of arithmetic
in junior school geography, history, science, religion & in some schools a
foreign language [physical education-twice a week]
Extra curricula activities: sports, drama, music etc.

secondary school-age 11-16- children wear a school uniform at

school

Private Sector
public school-a school that charges fees

-an elite of about 200 schools (most boarding schools)

the most famous: Eton (founded 1440); Winchester (1382);
Westminster (1179)
2,500 independent schools in UK -2280 in England/122 in
Scotland/71 in Wales and 19 in Northern Ireland
private schools receive no grants from public funds
parents pay fees about 300 a term for pupils at nursery age and
3,500 a term for secondary boarding schools
most pupils attending independent schools come from wealthy
families
home education-is a long-established legal right in the UK
about 50,000 (0,5%) of compulsory school age are home-educated

The National Curriculum

the Education Reform act of 1988 introduced the
National Curriculum which consists of 10 subjects that
all pupils must study
the core subjects are: English, Mathematics, Science
the rest= foundation subjects :Technology and Design,
Music, Art, History, Geography and Physical Education +
a foreign language (usually German or French) at age 11
extra subjects a second foreign language, Computer
studies, Woodwork, Economics, Electronics, Philosophy

School Life
school year is divided into 3 terms:
-the autumn term (from early September to mid December)
-the spring term (from mid January to Easter)
-the summer term (from mid April to mid July)
a five day holiday half-term- in the middle of each term
at Easter and Christmas a ten-day break

summer holidays last 6 weeks

a report is sent to the parents at the end of each term
informing about the childrens progress

Testing
are tested at different levels known as keystages
National tests at ages: 7, 11, 14 and 16
at 16 they study for the General Certificate of Secondary
Education (GCSE)
if they stay at school until 18-it is not compulsory- they take
Advanced Level Examination in 3 or 4 subjects
this exam is traditionally required for entry into higher education
during the last years of school they are provided with
information to help them choose their career
since 1990 all 15 and 16 olds given the opportunity to complete
2 weeks work experience to prepare for employment
schools help them find positions in local firms

University

many universities
Oxford & Cambridge have high standards
have a conservative reputation
they are known as red brick universities
modern ones University of Sussex famous for radical
political activity

Education in America
85% of pupils attend public schools which are free and
compulsory
the compulsory age varies from state to state and is from age
6-7 to 16-18
in the early 1900s a new idea about teaching was developedno more memorizing lists of facts
progressive
education
some communities offer pre-school education/nursery
schools for 3-4-year-olds
public school usually begins with kindergarten at the age of 5

kids learn the basic elements of numbers and the

alphabet, often by watching educational television programs
(Sesame Street)

Elementary and Secondary Education

at 6 the American child kid starts Elementary School by enrolling in First
Grade (the 1st of the 12 possible grades)
usually it goes from 1st Grade to 6th Grade
subjects: Mathematics, Language Arts (Reading, Composition, Grammar and
Literature), Penmanship (handwriting), Science, Social Studies (History,
Geography, Citizenship) and Economics, Art and Physical Education
Junior High School or Middle School- 7th, 8th & perhaps 9th Grade
High School- 9th, 10th, 11th & 12th Grades
Secondary school usually refers to grades 7 to 12
compulsory subjects: English, mathematics, science, social studies and
physical education + electives (optional) studies: foreign languages, home
economics, art, music
not required to wear school uniform
Freshman, sophomore, junior and senior refer to years 1-4 of high school
(as well as years 1-4 of college)

Timetable
starts at about 8.30 or 9
finishes at about 3.30
Students are required to salute the American flag
before commencing classes
in public schools students are provided with pens and
exercise-books
text books are loaned for the period of study required

Testing
upon the completion of each yearly or half yearly course-students
are awarded credits
a minimum number of credits to get high school diploma
to get a good job or a place at one of the selective colleges- also
good grades in subjects are necessary
grades are given on the basis of course work and a written
examination
they vary between A and D (or F for fail)
each corresponds to a certain number of points
A=4 points/ B=3 points/ etc
the higher the students Grade Point Average at the end of school,
the greater chances to get a good job or a college place
extra-curricular participation also counts

Higher Education
colleges
about 3,000 public and private universities
university : Yale, Berkeley- famous for their standards of
excellence
Ivy League group consists of Harvard, Yale, Brown,
Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth College, Princeton and
Pennsylvania (the most selective and expensive)
each college and university is free to organize its selection

College requirements
high school credits and grades
results gained in the Scholastic Aptitude Test SAT
once accepted students are required to study a general
course in the arts or science for the first 2 years
they choose a subject or area of studies (a major )to
specialized for the next 2 years
on completion of each course students are awarded
graded credits
on graduation they are awarded a Bachelor of Arts
(BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree