Education
THE CZECH SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
School attendance in the C.R. is compulsory from the age of 6 to 15. Most children attend state school, but there are also newly established private and church schools. Educations at state schools up to 18 is free of charge but students at secondary schools must pay for their textbooks. Children don\’t wear uniforms.
The school year is divided into 2 terms. The average number of lessons at a secondary school is about 30 a week. Classes begin at 8 a.m. and there are from 4 to 6 lessons in a row, followed by a lunch break and then afternoon classes. Afternoon classes end between 4 and 5 at the latest. Breaks between the lessons last from 5 to 15 minutes.
Pupils and students are evaluated by marks from 1 to 5. Each term students get their school report.
Education in our country includes these stages: pre-school, primary, secondary and tertiary.
Pre-school education is provided by creches for children up to 3 years and kindergartens for children from 3 to 6. At 6 children start to go to primary schools and they stay there until 15. Then they transfer to secondary school. Some pupils transfer to grammar school at the age of 11 after they have passed an entrance examination.
At the age of 15 pupils can choose among a variety of secondary schools:
1. grammar schools-which prepare students for university study
2. special schools-which include technical colleges, specialized in building, chemistry, engineering, business
3. vocational schools-training would-be workers for practical job
Secondary education lasts for 4 years. At grammar and specialized schools it is finished with a school-leaving examination which is required by all universities and colleges. This examination is taken in 4 subjects at grammar schools /Czech, a foreign language and 2 optional subjects: foreign languages, science subjects or humanities. It is held in May and is mostly oral except Czech in which an essay is written about a month before. After the graduates have passed their school-leaving exam they receive the School-Leaving Certificate and they can apply for study at universities and colleges.
Universities and colleges provide tertiary education which lasts from 4-6 years. Graduates are accepted they have to pass an entrance examination. Our oldest university is Charles University in Prague, founded by Charles IV in 1348. Other notable universities are Masaryk University in Brno, Palacký University in Olomouc and Purkyně University in Ústí nad Labem.
Undergraduates can study economics, foreign trade, architecture, law, journalism, the humanities, foreign languages, medicine, science, music, art, drama, engineering or computer science at School of Economics or Architecture, Law, Medical or Science Faculty, Faculty of Journalism, Arts, Teacher\’s Training College, Art School, College of Agriculture, technical universities or polytechnics.
The students can enroll at 3-year courses for Bachelor\’s Degree or four and five-year courses for a Master\’s Degree. Medicine takes 6 years. It is finished with a state examination and every undergraduate also has to write a thesis in order to receive a diploma. The diploma is handed over at a graduation ceremony. Doctoral Degrees are award after another years of study and completion of another thesis.
-kolej-hall of residence
-stipendium-scholarship
THE AMERICAN SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
In the U.S.A. there is not a national system of education. All states require young people to attend the school. The age limits vary 7 to 16, 6 to 18. Every child gets minimum 13 years of education.
Elementary school-pupils learn mathematics, language arts /reading, grammar, composition/, science, history, geography, music, PE, computer courses and second language teaching.
Secondary school /high school/-usually divided into junior /at 11 to14/ and senior high school. They get a high school diploma. Most schools offer English, Maths, science, social studies and PE along with foreign language.
The system of higher education consists of following institutions:
1. The University
2. The technical training institution
3. The two year or community college
Any of these may be either public or private. They cost varies and is usually paid by a combination of private savings, income from a part-time job held by the student and low interest loans or grants of money given to students by the federal government. Each American university hat its own curriculum.
Harvard College /founded in 1636/, Yale /1701/, Princeton…
-Scholastic Aptitude Tests=SAT-Maths and English
-Test of English as a Foreign Language=TOEFL-for foreign applicants
BRITISH SYSTEM OF EDUCATION
3 and 4 year-old children receive nursery education in kindergartens.
All children and young people between the ages of 5 and 16 must get full-time education. State schools work from Mo to Fri from 9 am to 3 or 4 pm.
Primary schools-for ages 5 to 11, divided into infant school /5-7/ and junior school /7-11/
Secondary schools /comprehensive school, grammar school/-for ages over 11. Subjects taught at schools are given by the national curriculum: English, Maths, Science, Technology, History, Geography, Music, Art, PE, foreign language /at age 11-16/ and optional religious education or technical and vocational education.
At the age of 7, 11, 14 and 16 assessments take place how the child is doing. The principal examination at about the age of 16 is the General of Secondary Education /GCSE/.
O-level=ordinary
A-level=advanced
Advanced level of GCSE /A level/ gives students possibility to study more subjects and these exams taken at 18 are the standard for entrance to university.
Those who do not study at universities can be trained in nursing, law, banking, accountancy or in manufacturing or service industry.
The English universities can be divided into 3 groups:
1. Oxford and Cambridge /\“Oxbridge\“/-the oldest and most famous, founded in 12 and 13 centuries
2. Redbrick universities-founded in 19 century-London, Durham, Manchester, provide technological training in industrial areas
3. the new universities opened after 1960-Sussex, York, Kent?
The basic qualification for university admission is the GCSE at A level. The courses last usually over 3 to 4 years /5 or 6 in medicine, dentistry and veterinary sciences/. The first degree is either BA or BSc /put after one\’s name/. The following degree is MA or MSc /students must work on a thesis at least for one year/.
-BA=Bachelor of Arts, BSc=Bachelor of Science, MA=Master of Arts, MSc=Master of Science
B/ Your opinion on private and church schools and education at home
Private schools-I think that private schools cost very much money and often they don\’t provide first-quality education.
Church schools-there is compulsory religious education and some secondary church schools have more lessons a week. I think that they are first-quality schools.
Education at home-It\’s not against the law to take your children out of school or not to put them in school. Some people don\’t put their children in school because they don\’t want to leave them alone or they are afraid of bad children who may harm their children. Some children live far from school and so it\’s better stay at home. Some children are handicapped and they can\’t go to school and they stay at home.
Disadvantages are that children don\’t come among other children and then they can\’t go on with other people. When parents teach own children I think that they aren\’t so strict as the skill teacher at schools.
C/ Our school, suggest change for your school
I miss laboratory experiments in Chemistry but it\’s depend on teacher. I think that the lunch break is too short.
D/ Your favourite subjects.
My favourite subjects are Biology, Physics and Chemistry. I enjoy Physics because we do very much laboratory experiments.