General information. Elementary, secondary education

The main principle of the American system of education is to educate people in such a way that everyone has the opportunity to develop to his/her greatest potential. Another major purpose of education in the USA is to lay the ground work for achieving success in life. Education for Americans is a mean to reach a higher standard of living. Equality of opportunity – the declared motto for life in the US. But because of inequalities in society, the goal of equal opportunity in education remains an ideal rather than a reality.

Education is compulsory over an age range starting between five and eight and ending somewhere between ages sixteen and eighteen, depending on the state. This requirement can be satisfied in public schools, state-certified private schools, or an approved home school program. About 87% of school-age children attend public schools, about 10% attend private schools, and roughly 3% are home-schooled. Children are usually divided by age groups into grades, ranging from kindergarten and first grade for the youngest children, up to twelfth grade as the final year of high school.

Church is separated from church and therefore religion cannot be taught in state-supported schools. There are also many parochial schools, which are supported by the church. There are often Catholic, but there are Protestant and Jewish schools as well. There are private colleges and universities, many of which have strict entrance requirements.

There are pre-school classes called kindergarden, which children go from 4 to 6 years old. Before this they may attend nursery school (3-4 years). School education is divided into twelve academic levels or grades, each of which lasts one year.

· Elementary school covers grades one through six

· Middle school or junior high school is from grades seven to nine

· High school is from grades ten to twelve

In American schools much attention is given to creative activities. Students are encouraged to be creative both during class time and extra-curricular hours.

American high schools offer learning computer skills. Including subjects such as drivers’ education, sewing and cooking classes called home economics, consumer education, health and sex education, where issues like drug and alcohol abuse and smoking may be treated. High schools offer different branches of education for their pupils. There are classes in math, sciences, English and foreign languages. Some pupils take vocational courses such as shorthand and mechanical drawing.

The typical school day lasts seven hours up to 3 p.m. Classes are in session from Monday through Friday. There are three vocation periods – a two-week winter vocation including the Christmas and New Year’s holidays, a one-week spring vocation often including Easter, a two-month summer vocation.

Each year the states spend about $33,3 million on schools and provide a free public education for 29,1 million primary school pupils and 11,4 million youth in secondary schools.

Approximately 60% of the pupils who graduate from secondary schools attend colleges and universities. The US leads the world in the percentage of the population that receives a higher education.