17. System of education in GB and USA

17. System of Education in GB and USA

state: US

UK

• education is equal in England and Wales

• the great majority of schools in Britain are state schools

• education and equipment are free

• supported by public funds

• majority of children goes there (92%)

• there are also private schools,

  • have to pay tuition fee

  • usually boarding (school terms starts in September and students have some holiday during the year)

• independent schools

• the minority schools in Britain

• and another type of schools are public schools, they are for upper class and they are prestigious

• Eton, Harrow, Winchester

• co-educational (girls and boys are studying together) – Eton

• there is waiting list before child is bored for these schools

• old-boys network (before social network existed this was something like that, connection between boys from same school)

• school for people with old money (heritage and name)

• education in UK starts with nursery school age (from very young age, preparing for primary school)

• primary school

• for children from 5 to 11

• students learn the three R’s (writing, reading, numeracy)

• RE (religion education)

• HE (health education – healthy lifestyle, diseases)

• PE (physical education)

• from 2010 students have to learn one foreign language usually French, Spanish or German

• secondary school

• for young people between the age of 11 and 16 (in some are there are middle schools age 9-13)

• several types (most of pupils attend comprehensive ones)

• secondary school is big change for students (primary schools are usually small just for local children while secondary schools are bigger, students are put into a tutor groups with tutor – a person who is in the charge of group)

• in the most schools are pupils have possibility to eat lunch in school cafeteria

• punishments detention (when you study instead of playing around), suspension (you are not allowed to go to school for week or two – can’t make notes, have bad grades after), the worst is expulsion (you are dropped out of school)

• corporal punishment is prohibited as well as in Czech Republic

• most of primary and secondary schools require uniforms (equality between pupils, the social spirit) but after they pass their GCSE exams they can wear whatever they want

• at the age of 16 students take principal examination (GCSE – General Certificate of Secondary Education)

• GCSE is composed of 8-10 subjects (math, English are science compulsory…the rest depends on school and your choice

• at age of 18 they take A-level exam (Advance level) it’s standard examination for entrance to higher education

• everyone has to study until 18 (but if you are not studying type and you want to go to work you can choose different subjects)

• preparing for A-level (sixth form – 2 years)

• if you don’t want to study straight after you’re A-levels you take gap year (is very usual in UK and USA students work or travel)

• higher education

• Britain has 47 universities

• the most famous and the oldest ones are Oxford, Cambridge (12th and 13th century)

• Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburg (Scottish)

• courses last usually over 3 to 4 years

• students have to pay for courses, food and accommodation

• they receive the loans and they have to pay back when they start to work

• usually lives in dorms

• schools that provide you food and bed are called boarding schools (Eaton, Harrow)

• campus is the whole are of university

• you can get scholarship

• undergraduates are the students who are study for degree of Bachelor (after they can study Master – must work thesis)