System of education in the usa

Schools in the USA

Americans have shown a great concern for education since early colonial days. Nowadays, there are some 43 million pupils and students in public schools at the elementary and secondary levels, and another 6 million in private schools throughout the country.

The USA does not have a national system of education. The function of the Federal Department of Education is merely to gather information, to advise and help finance some educational programmes. All educational matters are left to individual states. 50 states are free to determine its own system for its own public school. At the end of the 20^th century 50 per cent of the funds for elementary and secondary education came from state sources, 43 % from local funds and only 7 % from the federal government.

There are two major types of school in the USA – public and private, or fee-paying. Four of five private schools are run by churches, synagogues and other religious groups.

Most schools start at nursery level at the age of three. Elementary education starts at the age of 6 and continues till 11-12 years old. Secondary education is provided from the age of 11-12. Intermediate school includes grades 6 through 9 for ages 11-12 up to 14-15. Schools of this stage are called intermediate schools or junior high schools.

A senior high school may include grades 9 through 12 or 10 through 12. Senior high schools in the United States can be classified in three major categories according to programme. A senior high school may be comprehensive, general, or vocational. A comprehensive school is open to all youths of a community area and offers a broad programme of academic, prevocational and vocational education.

A general school is also open, but it offers a more limited programme. Extensive programme of prevocational or vocational courses and advanced courses in academic studies are usually excluded.

A vocational school is for students of the community who are interested in its specialized area of training and a programme of general education.

A specialized school is for pupils with special capabilities who are qualified to concentrate in a particular area of study. It is for the academically, musically, artistically gifted.

The American secondary school provides the course programme of school subjects and a programme of extracurricular activities, including organised sports. Most schools publish their own student newspapers, have orchestras, bands, choir, theatre and drama groups, etc.

What makes American education at the secondary level so different from most other countries is that all such programmes, whether academic, technical, or practical, are generally taught under one roof.

High students who wish to attend a college or university go through one of the two standard tests –SAT and ACT. They are given by non-profit, non-governmental organisations.

Schools and universities in the USA

In the United States, children of four or under may go to nursery school. At the age of five most American children start kindergarten.

Schools for children from 6 to 13 are called elementary or grade schools (grades 1-6 or 1-4). Grade schools provide the first six years of free mandatory education in the USA.

The school is called 'grade' because each year of study is a grade: it goes first grade, second grade, third grade etc. Children have one teacher each year in grade school. The next stage is secondary school, which is divided into junior high school (grades 7-9 or middle school (grades 5-8) and senior high school (grades 10-12 or 9-12). In junior high school children still have one teacher for most subjects. The main subjects are English, basic math and history.

Children in high school are called 'students'. American students pass through several curricula on their way to a high school diploma. Most secondary schools provide instruction in English, mathematics, science, social studies and physical education, but the time allotted to those basic subjects differs from one district to another. Instruction in compulsory subjects is supplemented with a great variety of optional courses called 'electives'. Students are guided by 'school counselors' in choosing electives. No overall exam is taken in order to graduate. You just have to pass all final exams given each semester. After finishing the 12^th grade students receive a high school diploma. Some students drop out of school earlier and never graduate.

In their last year of high school students often apply to more than one college or university. Each college or university in the USA has its own requirements for admission. Most colleges and universities require applicants to take a standard entrance exam: the American College Test (ACT) or the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). SAT must be taken in your senior year in high school. It is given on a certain day in December or January at a local college. The test takes a whole day. There are three parts: Math, English and Logic. Every student gets a book with questions. The book is divided into sections, with about 70 questions each. Each of the three subjects has a maximum of 800 points. The lowest score for getting into university is 550.

The University Admission Office takes into consideration:

1. The applicants' high school grades (transcripts);

2. Recommendations from high school teachers;

3. Applicants' scores on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) and ACT;

4. The impression they make during interviews at the university.

The system of higher education in the USA consists of four categories of institutions: universities, four-year colleges, technical training institutions and two-year community colleges.

Depending on the source of financing higher education institutions may be either public (state-supported) or private. The amount of money you have to pay depends on whether you go to a private college or a state university. At a private college the tuition is higher. Overall they are much the same as state universities. The subjects are divided into compulsory and optional. The subject the student specializes is called a 'major'. Optional subjects are called 'electives'. Every student is assigned an 'academic advisor' or a 'faculty advisor' who will help the student decide on a plan of study based on his/her goals and the requirements for a degree.

Four years of undergraduate study at a university's 'undergraduate schools' or colleges lead to a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.S.) degree. 'Graduate schools', which are part of a university or are separate institutions, offer advanced programmes which lead to a master's (M.A. or M.S.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Education (Ed.D.).

Junior colleges, technical colleges and community colleges are two-year institutions, usually public, offering technical training and a basic academic programme.

Some junior and community colleges award only an Associate of Arts (A.A.) degree without specifying a major. Other junior, technical and community colleges award A.A. degrees to liberal arts students and A.S. (Associate in Science) or A.A.S. (Associate in Applied Arts) degrees to students who major in science or practical technology. After receiving an A.A., A.S. or A.A.S. degree, many students transfer to four-year colleges or universities to complete the requirements for a bachelor's degree.

Find the English equivalents in the text.

Начальная школа; старшие классы (10-12) средней школы; диплом средней школы; осуществлять обучение по английскому, математике, точным наукам; базовые предметы; факультативные курсы; условия приема; общепринятый вступительный экзамен в американские вузы; приемная комиссия университета; школьный экзамен на проверку способностей; четырехгодичный колледж; государственные вузы; частные вузы; основной предмет; назначать советника (куратора); продвинутые программы, доктор образования; колледж начального высшего образования; местный колледж; степень (диплом) выпускника гуманитарного местного колледжа или колледжа начального высшего образования с двухлетним сроком обучения; общеобразовательный курс в американских колледжах и университетах; переводиться в вузы с четырехлетним сроком обучения; завершить обучение для получения степени бакалавра.

Answer the questions using the information given in the text.

1. What pre-school educational institutions are there in the USA?

2. What is the age-range of elementary schoolchildren?

3. What is the name for secondary school in the USA?

4. What is the grade division in high school?

5. What basic subjects are taught in American secondary schools?

6. Who helps high school students choose electives?

7. What examination is taken by all school-leavers in their last year in high school?

8. What are general requirements for admission to US colleges and universities?

9. What types of higher education institutions are there in the USA?

10. What degrees do American colleges and universities award after four years of study?

11. What degrees do graduate schools award?

12. What degrees do junior colleges and community colleges award?

'Speaking Out', N5, 2004

Why aren't you at school, sonny?

This is a question that many British schoolchildren may hear at some point in their school careers, when they are 'playing truant', 'bunking off', or absent without permission. The government thinks that absenteeism is getting out of control in England, but what can they do to make sure children go to school? Here are some of the reasons they are worried:

One million children a year bunk off school (go absent without a reason). In primary schools (5-11) the average time missed per absent pupil is five days in the year. For secondary schools (11-16), it is 10 days.

Why is it such a problem? The evidence shows that truancy is linked to crime and failure at school. When children are out of school they might be committing crime and they certainly aren't learning.

What is the answer then? Some people think it is electronic registration: this is a chip in a card that the children have to swipe at the beginning of the school. When the children put the card in a machine the headmaster can see immediately who is in the school and who is absent.

The best way of improving attendance is to make school and the gaps between the lessons more interesting. Some schools, which have had attendance problems in the past, have started lunchtime radio stations, sport, music and a breakfast club with morning TV and aerobics.

Other schools have resorted to more extreme methods when pupils don't turn up. Last year 9000 children were expelled from schools in England, a big rise in figures. Many children were excluded for violence and criminal behaviour. Of course, throwing children out of school solves one problem but immediately creates many more. Some teachers want corporal punishment brought (beating children with sticks) back into the classroom (it was banned in the 1970s), but the government didn't dare.

One parent knows very well the cost of truancy, not only to her children's education, but to her own freedom. A mother of five, Patricia Amos, was the first person in Britain to be sent to jail for failing to send her children to school. She was sent to prison for 60 days after being found guilty in Oxford. She served 28 days in a very dangerous and violent women's prison in London. Mrs. Amos said, 'the whole horrible thing worked. It has brought me to my senses.'

Jeremy Morris

• What are the reasons of bunking off school?

• What are the ways of solving of this problem?

• Do you think that there is the same problem in schools in Russia?

• How is it solved in Russia?

• Have you ever skipped class?

• Did you get away with it or were you caught?

to commit crime – совершить преступление to swipe – вставлять (карточку) attendance – посещаемость gap – перерыв to resort to – прибегать к to turn up – являться, приходить

to expel – исключать to exclude – исключать violence – насилие corporal punishment – телесное наказание to ban – запрещать jail – тюрьма (syn. prison)

to be bullied – подвергаться травле to be found guilty – быть признанным виновным to bring to senses – привести в чувство to skip – пропускать, прогуливать to put pressure – оказывать давление

Bunking off.

Here's what British kids think about bunking off.

• Most people bunk off because they face problems at school – either they are not doing well, they are being bullied or their parents are putting too much pressure on them.

Pip, Birmingham

• I used to bunk school last year when I was being bullied because of my colour. It's now OK but I think people who bunk off need help like I did, not punishment.

Emily, Cambridge

• My mum lets me bunk off PE, but I wouldn't bunk off school for the risk of getting caught. That's what happened to some people in my school.

Rachel, Liverpool

• As long as it isn't near an exam date I'm fine with bunking.

Ewan, Livingstone

• I think bunking off school is stupid because you always get caught.

Laura, Wigan

• My mum helps me skip PE, she probably shouldn't but I'm not complaining.

Tina, Basingstoke