Types of educational systems in the USA and UK.

Education is one of the most important thing in nowadays life. Without any education you cannot find a well-paid job. If you want to get a job you have to be the best cause getting a job is not so easy. People with higher qualifications are more valuable and needed. In the XXI century languages and computer knowledge is becoming the most valuable skills. Younger and younger children are learning information science and more than one foreign language.

Children in Britain are starting their education when they are 5 years old. Before the start of formal schooling, many children attend nursery schools or nursery classes attached to primary schools. In addition, some parents prefer to send their children to private (fee-paying) nursery schools or kindergartens. In England and Wales, many primary schools also operate an early admission policy where they admit children under 5 into what are called reception classes. At 7 thy move to the junior school and the usual age for transfer from junior to secondary school is 11 (12 in Scotland). Over 85 per cent of secondary school pupils go to comprehensive schools. These are taking children of all abilities, and are providing a wide range of secondary education for all or most of the children in a district from the age of 11 to 16 or 18.
In 1988, for the first time in British history, a National Curriculum was introduced. The National Curriculum tells pupils which subjects they have to study, what they must learn and when they have to take assessment tests. Thanks to those pupils know exactly what to do, and when they have to prepare themselves for important exams and it reduces stress-connected whit it.
There are also other types of secondary school. Grammar schools offer a mainly academic education for the 11 to 18-year age group. Children enter grammar schools on the basis of their abilities, first sitting the ‘11’ plus or entrance examination. Grammar schools cater for four per cent of children in secondary education.

A small minority of children attend secondary modern schools (around four per cent). These schools provide a more general and technical education for children aged 11-16. City Technology Colleges (CTCs) aim to give boys and girls a broad secondary education with a strong technological and business slant. They are non-fee-paying independent schools, set up by the Government with the help of the initial capital costs and develop links with the schools. There are now 15 such colleges in operation in England and Wales.
Between the ages of 14 and 16, pupils study for their GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) exams. Pupils must take English Language, Maths, and Science for GCSE, as well as a half GCSE in foreign language and Technology. In addition, they must also be taught Physical Education, Religious Education and Sex Education, although they do not take exams in these subjects.
At the age of 16, pupils can leave school. If pupils stay on, they usually take A (Advanced) levels, AS (Advanced Supplementary) levels or GNVQs (Greater National Vocational Qualifications).

Pupils taking A levels study traditional subjects, such as French, Physics or History. To go to university, pupils usually need two or three A levels.
Specialist schools, which only operate in England, give pupils a broad secondary education with a strong emphasis on technology, languages, arts or sports. There are over 330 specialist schools. They charge no fees and any secondary school can apply for specialist school status. GNVQs are vocational qualifications. Pupils usually take one GNVQ in subjects such as Business, Leisure and Tourism, Manufacturing, and Art and Design. One GNVQ (at advanced level) is equal to two A levels.
After Graduating Secondary school young people have to make another important decision about there future. Sometimes they simply can’t afford going to university to get higher education. Some of them are going work or college, but it depends only from those young people.
International students who come to the United States might wonder how their American classmates reached that educational level. The American education system appears to be very confusing. This is a brief overview.
To begin, because of the country’s history and cultural values, no national education system or national curriculum exists in the United States. The federal government does not operate schools.
Each of the 50 states has its own Department of Education, which sets guidelines for the schools of that state. Public colleges and universities receive funding from student tuition and the state in which they are located. Each state’s legislature decides how many tax dollars will be given to colleges and universities.
Most of the control of American schools is in the hands of each local school district. Each school district is governed by a school board, a small committee of people elected by the local community. The school board sets general policies for the school district. Students do not pay tuition in grades 1-12.
Generally, school districts are divided into elementary schools, middle schools or junior high schools, and high schools. Elementary schools contain students in kindergarten and 1st through 5th or 6th grades. Many children go to kindergarten when they are five years old. Children begin first grade at age six.
Depending on the school district, students follow elementary school with either middle school or junior high school. Middle school contains grades 6-8. Junior high school contains grades 7-9. Following that, students go to high school. High school contains grades 9-12 or 10-12.
High school students take a wide range of courses. All students are required to take English, math, science, and social studies courses. They also might be required to take a foreign language and/or physical education. A course can be one semester or two semesters long.
In the United States, education is compulsory for all children until age 16 or 17. Usually, a student graduates after he or she has successfully passed all of the required courses. Grades are given to students for each course at the end of every semester or term. Grades are: A=Excellent, B=Above Average, C=Average, D=Below Average, F=Failure (A student who fails a required course must take the course again).
In 1970, about half of all American students who graduated from high school went to college. Today, nearly three out of four American high school graduates go to college.

Although admission policies vary from one college and university to the next, most determine admission based on several factors such as a student’s high school course of study, high school l GPA, SAT scores, written essay, and possibly a personal interview:
• The college or university admission office considers whether a student has taken courses in high school that have prepared him/her for the more difficult college courses. A student’s high school grade point average (GPA) is also considered. A GPA is a quantitative figure representing a student’s accumulated grades. Each letter grade is assigned a number of points: A=4 points, B=3, C=2, D=1, and F= 0 points.
A GPA is calculated by adding all of the points earned for each course grade and dividing the total points by the total number of courses taken. For example, a GPA of 3.0 means a “B” average for all of the courses taken.
• Most colleges and universities set a minimum SAT score that a student must achieve in order to gain admission. The SAT is the Scholastic Aptitude Test, a standardized quantitative examination taken by high school students throughout the United States. Each college or university decides the minimum SAT score it will accept.

• Colleges and universities often require applicants to write an essay. The length and content of the essay is determined by each admission office. Depending on the college or university, applicants might also have a personal interview with a representative from the admissions office.
There are four types of degrees: Associate’s (completion of a program in a specific career field), Bachelor’s (conferred after completion of an undergraduate program), Master’s (first graduate degree), and Doctorate (second graduate degree and final degree).
At the college and university level, most courses are only one semester or one term long. Each course is assigned a number of credit hours. Credit hours are usually based on how much time is spent in class. Most courses are 3 or 4 credits. However, some courses may be 1, 2, or 5 credits. All degree programs require students to complete a minimum number of credit hours before graduation. Most Bachelor’s degree programs in the United States don’t require students to write a final thesis. A final thesis is required for most Master’s programs and all Doctorate programs.

Selection for admission to a graduate program is similar to the factors used to determine admission to an undergraduate program. Instead of considering high school courses and GPA, an admissions office examines the student’s undergraduate courses and GPA. Most Master’s programs require students to have a minimum score on the GRE. The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is similar to the SAT.
In most Doctorate programs, students continue to take courses until they have earned enough credit hours to attempt their qualifying examinations. After students pass the qualifying exams, they can begin to write his their final theses.
Because degree requirements can be very complex and vary from one program to another, all students should check with their departments and program advisors to make sure they are meeting the requirements of their particular program.

In Poland, before the 1999 reform, primary education lasted for 8 years leading to the conferring of the Certificate of Completion of Primary School Education. Secondary general education was provided in the four-year general lyceum. Secondary vocational education was provided by a range of schools , four-year lyceum, vocational lyceum, technical lyceum and a 5-year secondary technical school. The graduates of all secondary schools were awarded either the Maturity Certificate of a given kind of secondary school or the Certificate of Completion of Education in the given kind of secondary school. Apart from that, there were basic vocational schools whose graduates obtained the Certificate of Completion of Education in the basic vocational school.

After the 1999 reform, 6-year primary schools and 3-year gymnasia were introduced. Secondary education is provided in 3-year general lyceums or in vocational secondary schools such as the 3-year specialized lyceum and 4-year secondary technical school. In addition, there are 2-3-year basic vocational schools whose graduates obtain the Certificate of Completion of Education in the Basic Vocational School. The secondary school credentials of the former system will be issued until 2005. In the transition period, both the former and the new types of secondary school will co-exist. The credential that gives right to access higher education before and after the reform is the Maturity Certificate issued after completion of education in a secondary school and having passed the Maturity examination. The only type of post-primary school that does not give access to higher education is the basic vocational school, both in the old and new system. The graduates of these schools may continue their education in different types of complementary secondary schools: complementary lyceum or complementary technical secondary school. Following completion of education in these schools they can pass the maturity examination and obtain a Maturity Certificate and thus become eligible for entrance to higher education.