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SCHOOL EDUCATION IN THE USA

 

Every autumn more than 44 million young Americans walk through the doorways of about 106 thousand elementary and secondary schools for the start of a new school year. The young people fill classrooms after leaving the kindergartens and continue to study up to the 12th grade. (In the USA they use the term "grade" instead of the words "class" or "form", which are used in Europe or in our country.) The children attend classes usually for five hours a day, and five days a week until the beginning of the following summer. Like in our country they don't attend classes on public holidays, or when they have their vacation for Christmas or Easter.

In the USA there are two types of schools – public schools which are supported by the state and where schooling is free-of-charge, and private schools, where the families have to pay special attendance fees. These schools are usually controlled by different churches or religious groups. In such schools religious teachings are a part of the curriculum, which also includes the traditional academic subjects which are taught in public schools.

Each of the 50 states in the United States has its own laws regulating education. From state to state some laws are the same, in others they are not. For example, all states require young people to attend school, but the age limits are different. They may be from seven to 16, or six to 18, etc. Thus, every child in America is guaranteed up to 13 years of education. This is true, regardless of a child's race, religion, sex, learning problems, whether he or she is physically handicapped or not. About 85 percent of American schoolchildren attend public schools, and 15 percent private schools. Public schools are controlled by boards of education of the state or the district where the school is situated. These boards are responsible for the curriculum, the selection of the teachers and other aspects of school life.

American schoolchildren pass through two main stages of school education on their way to get a high school diploma. They attend the elementary school and then the secondary school. Of the 44 million schoolchildren about 27 million attend elementary schools and 17 million secondary schools.

The elementary school may include 8 grades in some places, and 6 grades in other. Sometimes grades 4,5 and 6 make up what is called a "middle grade" school. Many Americans call the elementary school a "grammar school".

Secondary education may begin with grade 9 or with grade 7. It depends on the way elementary education is organized in this or that state or district. Usually "secondary school" means grades 9-12. These grades are popularly called "high school", and the young people who attend these schools are called high school students. So you must not mix up with those young people, who study at universities or colleges. They are also called students.

In many districts secondary education begins with grade 7. In these cases grades 7-9 are called "junior high school". And when grades 7-9 are included with the 10th, 11th and 12th grades, all six are said to form a "senior high school".



Though there is no national curriculum in the United States certain subjects are taught in all the 12 grades across the country.

Almost every elementary school provides instruction in the subjects: mathematics, language (a subject that includes reading, grammar, composition and literature); penmanship (the rules of writing); science; social studies (a subject that includes history, geography, citizenship and economics); music; art; and physical education. In many elementary schools, courses in the use of computers have been introduced. And in some cases they begin to study a foreign language.

Most secondary schools have the same number of required "basic" subjects: English, mathematics, science, social studies and physical education. But school boards differ greatly from one district to another in the amount of class time they want high school students to spend on these subjects. In some high schools, for example, students must complete three years of mathematics before leaving school.

In the United States the usual requirements for high school graduation are about 18 "units" of course work. A high school "unit" is equal to about 120 hours of classes in one subject (three hours a week). Students who plan to attend college need over 20 units.

High school students are helped by school counsellors in choosing the subjects, which are called "electives", because they are not necessary for everybody. A student chooses the electives which he thinks will be necessary for him for his future work or further education at the university or college. A student may take one year of American history, and then a year of European history. The elective courses differ from school to school. Some high schools specialize in one group of subjects, for example, in business, engineering, trade. Another high school may offer to study foreign languages, science, music. A student planning to become a doctor would want to attend a school where there are many electives in science, health. Another student who plans to start to work after leaving school will pay more attention to get practical knowledge and develop practical skills.

Though much is spent by the state for education, American schools face many problems. As the schools depend greatly on what they get from local authorities, they differ from one another in the quality of education. The private schools, where the parents have to pay special fees, are attended by children from rich families. Here education is very good. Thus, we see that not always young people have equal chances to get good education. Schools in the poor districts of many big cities do not give the required level of education.

One of the problems of the American school today is connected with the "drop-out" of high school students. Unfortunately, many high school students leave or drop out of schools before graduation because of poor material conditions at home. They have to work to help their families. Many specialists in the field of education consider that more attention must be paid to the quality of education so that the school graduates should be better prepared for work and further education.

School reform is a major issue in modern American life. The parents are often displeased with the low level of knowledge of public school leavers. Many Americans demand that a national curriculum for school should be worked out.

 

 

Answer the questions:

  1. How many schools are there in the USA?
  2. What does the word “grade” mean?
  3. How many grades are there in American school education?
  4. When does school year begin? How long does it last?
  5. How many classes do American children have?
  6. What types of schools are there in the USA?
  7. What laws regulate education in the USA? Are they the same in all states?
  8. How many children attend public and private schools?
  9. What board controls public schools?
  10. What stages does school education in the USA comprise?
  11. How many grades does the elementary school include?
  12. What is a “middle grade” school?
  13. How many grades does the secondary school include?
  14. How are grades 9-12 called? How are students who attend these grades called?
  15. What parts is secondary school divided into?
  16. Is there a national curriculum in the USA?
  17. What subjects does elementary school provide instruction in?
  18. What are basic subjects in secondary school?
  19. What is a “unit”? How many units do American students have?
  20. What are “electives”? What influences the students’ choice of electives?
  21. Is quality of education good in all schools?
  22. What are the reasons for “drop-out” of high school students?
  23. What are the reasons for school reform in the USA?

 



Date: 2015-12-17; view: 2988


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