School and education

Education

SCHOOL IN THE UK

Before the age of five, children in England can go to kindergarten. In kindergarten, the children sing, play with toys, paint, draw, run, jump and do other activities. They learn how to communicate with other people and they get ready for real school. Kindergartens in Britain are often very expensive. They are usually open from seven in the morning until six in the evening to allow parents to work full time.

When English children are five years old, they start going to primary school. They finish this school at eleven and move on to secondary school. All children in England have to stay in school until they are 16 years old. They study a lot of subjects, for example English, Maths, Science, Design and Technology, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), History, Geography, Modern Foreign Languages, Art and Design, Music, Citizenship, and Physical Education.

When they are 16 years old, English students take their GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams. After these exams, students can leave school if they want to. But most students choose to continue with their education. They choose three or four subjects and study them for two more years. Then they have to take an exam in these subjects. This exam is called the A-levels (Advanced Level Examinations). If they want to get to a good university, they need to get good grades. After passing their A-levels, English students can continue their studies at universities.

SCHOOL IN THE USA

In the USA, the system of education is different in each state. Typically, children start going to nursery school when they are three years old. Nursery schools aren’t free and they can be very expensive. Nursery school is voluntary – children don’t have to go there.

When they are five years old, they go to kindergarten. Kindergarten takes one year. When they are six years old, children have to start going to real school. They start with elementary school, which is sometimes also called primary school. They learn how to read, write and count. There are about 20 to 30 pupils in one class. They are in one classroom with the same teacher most of the day.

After elementary school, students usually go to middle school (sometimes called junior high). They have to study English, math, biology, chemistry, physics, P. E. and history. Students can also choose some other subjects, for example foreign languages or art. They move from class to class and have a different teacher for each subject. They stay at school for about seven hours every day.

When they are fourteen, students usually move on to high school. It usually takes four years to finish high school. The students study similar subjects to those they studied at middle school. When they finish high school, they get a high school diploma.

Students in the first year of high school are called freshmen. Students in the second year of high school are called sophomores. Students in the third year are called juniors. Students in the final year of high school are called seniors. Students in the USA usually don’t wear uniforms.