EDUCATION IN THE USA. The federal government pays little attention to school education in the USA

School Education

The federal government pays little attention to school education in the USA. There is neither a uniform school system in the USA, nor a uniform curriculum. Each state has its own system of schools. But there are some common features in the organization of school education in the country.

Schools in the USA can be divided into state, or public schools, and private schools. State schools are free, and private schools are fee-paying.

Elementary and secondary schools consist of twelve grades. Classes meet for about ten months a year, five days a week and five hours a day.

The US system of school education is the following:

Elementary school

Children start elementary school at 6 and continue until they are 12. It usually includes the first six grades – from the 1^st grade to the 6^th grade. But sometimes elementary school includes the first four or eight grades.

In general, they study English the History of the USA, Elementary Mathematics and Natural Science.

High school (secondary school)

A high school is usually of two parts:

• Junior High School (for 12-15 years old, grades 7-9)
• Senior High School (for 15-18 years old, grades 10-12)

Students of high school study many subjects and finally they receive a certificate of graduation. They also take part in a great number of outside classroom activities such as different kinds of sport, drama groups, orchestras and many others.

Higher Education

In the United States, a student who has finished high school maywant to continue in higher education. There are several ways to do it: universities, colleges, community colleges, and technical or vocational schools.

A university in the United States usually has several different colleges in it. Each has a special subject area. There may be a college of liberal arts where humanities, social sciences, natural sciences and mathematics are taught. There may be a college of education and a college of business. A program for undergraduates usually takes four years. During the first 2 years of study the students follow somewhat basic program. After the first two years each student majors in one subject and minors in another. For example, you may major in History and minor in Sociality.

After 4 years of study the students receive bachelor’s degree. A degree is a title conferred upon students by a college or a university. It may be either a S.B. (Bachelor of Science) or A.B. (Bachelor of Arts).

After receiving a bachelor’s degree a student may have professional studies for two years more at graduation school. In this case he or she receives a master’s degree.

The university n the USA may get money from several different sources. A publicly funded university gets some money from the state government. A privately funded university gets money only from private sources. Or the university may be funded by a religious group.

Поиск по сайту: