System of education in the USA

United States of America has one of the most effective educational systems in the world because it ensures quality to the children of the country. The system is highly sophisticated and constructed with special care given to the educational needs of the student community.

Education in the United States is mainly provided by the public sector, with control and funding coming from three levels: local, state, and federal, in that order. Child education is compulsory. There are also a large number and wide variety of higher education institutions throughout the country that one can choose to attend, both publicly and privately administered.

Most parents send their children to either a public or private institution. According to government data, one-tenth of students are enrolled in private schools. Approximately 85% of students enter the public schools, largely because they are tax-subsidized (tax burdens by school districts vary from area to area).

The schooling years begin in August-September, just after the summer season. It is divided into twelve grades which are distributed among three parts - primary school (first five years), middle school (6th to 8th grade), junior high school (7th to 9th grade) and high school (9th to 12th grade). All basic subjects are taught in elementary school. Except for special areas such as physical education, library, music and art, teaching takes place in classrooms. The curriculum is determined by individual districts.

Schooling is compulsory for all children in the United States, but the age range for which school attendance is required varies from state to state. Most children begin elementary education with kindergarten (usually five to six years old) and finish secondary education with twelfth grade (usually eighteen years old). In some cases, pupils may be promoted beyond the next regular grade. Some states allow students to leave school between 14–17 with parental permission, before finishing high school; other states require students to stay in school until age 18(20).

Mandatory subjects in school include:

Science (biology, chemistry and physics)

Mathematics (algebra, geometry, pre-calculus, statistics and calculus)

English (literature, humanities, composition, oral languages etc.)

Social sciences (history, government/economics)

Physical education (at least one year)

Electives subjects include:

Computers (word processing, programming, graphic design)

Athletics

Career and Technical Education (Agriculture/Agriscience, Business/Marketing, Family and Consumer Science, Health occupations, and Technology Education)

Performing Arts/Visual Arts, (choir, band, orchestra, drama, art, ceramics, photography, and dance)

Foreign languages (Spanish, French, Chinese, Latin, Greek, German, Italian, Arabic and Japanese)

Junior Reserve officers' Training Corps

Date: 2015-01-29; view: 1170