The education system in the US
Posted on 02. Dec, 2011 by Brian R. in Education System
In the United States every state has its own legislation regarding education. That means that there is no national curriculum. Nevertheless, there are subjects which are taught nation-wide. These subjects are mathematics, language arts, penmanship, science, social studies and physical education.
Elementary Schools
Every child in the US has to attend school between the ages of six and sixteen. Some children may start school by attending kindergarten from the age of four to five, but this is not compulsory. The amount of time that a child spends at the elementary (or primary) school depends on the school district. Some children attend elementary school for eight years, some for six years and some only for four years.
Secondary Schools
Secondary schools are high schools. They are divided into junior high school, middle high school, high school and senior high school, but not every child in the US has to attend all four different high schools. Again, it depends on the structural plan of the school district. The four different possibilities are:
-Plan 8-4, which means that the child attends elementary school for eight years and high school for four years.
-Plan 6-6 means the child attends elementary school and high school for six years each.
-Plan 4-4-4 means that the child attends elementary school for four years, middle school for four years and high school for four years.
-Plan 6-3-3 means the child attends elementary school for six years, junior high school for three years and senior high school for three years.
Important subjects
The core curriculum in high school comprises science, mathematics, English, social science and physical education. Additionally, there is a wide range of elective subjects and other school activities, for instance, foreign languages, newspaper projects, computers, performing arts, painting, photography and many more. There are public and private high schools in the US. When the child attends a public high school, the fee is paid by the state. The fee for a private high school has to be paid by the parents.
Higher Education
There are vocational and technical colleges in the United States, which offer practical trainings and prepare for particular professions. Normally, the student has to attend these colleges for two years. Community colleges (sometimes also called junior colleges) grant certificates, diplomas and Associate’s degrees. Most of the time, community colleges are attended by students who live in the district, because they have to pay lower fees than pupils who do not live in the school district. The students attend community colleges for two years.Universities and liberal colleges offer a four-year degree, that means a Bachelor degree. The Bachelor degree is also called an undergraduate degree. Afterwards, it is possible to accomplish a Master’s degree. Normally, a Master’s degree takes one or two years, and the student has to write a thesis or an exam at the end. Furthermore, it is possible to get a Doctor’s Degree. That takes at least one or two more years of studying plus writing a dissertation and defending it.
Picture: Robert Kneschke – Fotolia