A specialized school is for pupils with special capabilities who are qualified to concentrate in a particular area of study. It is for the academically, musically, artistically gifted.
The American secondary school provides the course program of school subjects and a program of extracurricular activities, including organized sports, Most schools publish their own student newspapers, have orchestras, bands, choir, theatre and drama groups, etc.
What makes American education at the secondary level so different from most other countries is that all such programs, whether academic, technical, or practical, are generally taught under one roof.
High school students who wish to attend a college or university go through one of the two standard tests - SAT and ACT. They are given by non-profit, non-governmental organizations.
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 last for about ten months a year, five days a week and five hours a day. At elementary school English, mathematics, science, social studies, music sports and other subjects are taught.
Elementary education begins at the age of six, when a child goes to the first grade. Secondary education is offered at high schools. At the age of 14 pupils go to junior high school. At the age of sixteen children leave junior high school and may continue their education at the upper grades of high school.
Besides giving general education some high schools teach some other subjects. Students choose these subjects if they want to enter colleges or universities or hope to find jobs in industry or agriculture. Many schools include classes teaching basic computer skills.
A growing number of young people go to colleges or universities. Nevertheless, many students of high school don't finish it. One per cent of American citizens from the age of 14 can neither read nor write.
Higher Education in the USA
In the United States a student who has finished high school may want 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. University students get an undergraduate degree in the arts or sciences. If they complete a course of study they get Bachelor of Arts or Science degree. Students may leave the university at this time. They may also go on for a graduate or professional degree. The university always has programs for graduate and professional study in many subjects.
The university 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.
College students usually spend four years at school, too. A college does not have graduate or professional programs. If a college student completes a course of study in arts or science, he or she gets Bachelor of Arts or Science degree. If college students want to continue for a graduate or professional degree, they must go to University. The college is usually funded in one of the three ways already described.
The program of study in the community college usually lasts two years. Not all of the subjects taught there are the usual school subjects. The community college may give courses in the regular academic subjects or subjects like dental technology, sewing and other non-academic subjects. Not all students of the community college have a high school diploma. They may then go to a college for two more years to get the bachelor's degree. Community colleges are nearly always publicly funded. .
The technical or vocational school has only job training, it has no academic program. Students may have a high school diploma, or not. Programs may take from six months to two years and more. The technical or vocational school gives training for work in areas such as electronics, carpentry and others.
Higher education in the United States includes educational programmes which usually require for admission 12 years of elementary and secondary schooling. It is carried on under a number of forms.
The most common type of higher education is the college. It requires for admission graduation from a standard secondary school; its four-year curriculum leads to the bachelor's degree in arts and sciences.
The American college is known by various titles such as the college of liberal arts, the college of arts and sciences, and the college of literature, science and arts. The college may be the central unit around which the university is organized, or it may be a separate corporate entity, independent from the University.
The university in the United States is an educational institution comprising a college of liberal arts and sciences, a professional school leading to a professional degree and a graduate college (school). A graduate college provides programmes for study and research beyond the levels of the bachelor's and first professional degree.
The word «university», however, is also used in a broader sense, for almost any type of educational institution offering instruction beyond the level of the secondary school. Thus in the United States there is some confusion in the use of the terms «college» and «university». Some institutions that are in fact colleges of liberal arts have been incorporated in the universities. Some institutions incorporated in colleges are in fact universities with graduate and professional schools.
In addition to colleges and universities there is a large number of professional schools, separate from universities. They provide preparation in one or more professional fields, such as law, music or theology. Junior colleges or professional schools do not offer the full four-year curriculum leading to a degree.
An institute of technology is a degree-granting institution that specializes in science and technology; some of them have graduate study. An institution offering programs of technological study only at the junior college level is known as a technical institution.
The colleges in the United States differ greatly in size - they may include from 100 to 5 000 students and more. Most of the larger institutions fall into the category of universities, the largest being University of California, State University of New York, New York University, Columbia University and others.
Education in Great Britain
Education in Great Britain is provided by the Local Education Authority (LEA) in each county. Until recently, each LEA was free to decide how to organize education in its own area. However, in 1988 the «National Curriculum» was introduced. It means that there is greater government control over what is taught in schools now.
Children under five don't have to go to school, but there is some free nursery-school education before that age. The places are usually given to families in special circumstances, for example families with one parent only. That's why in many areas parents have formed play groups where children under five years can go for a morning or afternoon a couple of times a week.