8.Çàíÿòèå – Ñåìèíàð
AMERICAN SCHOOLING.
The American system of Education differs from the
systems of other countries. It has certain peculiarities of its own which are
closely connected with the specific conditions of life in the New
World and the history of the American society. There are free,
state-supported, public schools which the majority of American children attend.
There are also a number of private elementary and secondary schools where a fee
is charged for admission and children are accepted or rejected on the basis of
an examination. These include many church- supported schools, usually Catholic,
which also charge a fee. Most public schools are
coeducational, that is, girls and boys study together, but a lot of
church-supported schools are for boys and girls only. Under the US Constitution
the federal government has no power to make laws in the field of education.
Thus, education remains primarily a function of the states. Each state has a
Board of Education, not subject to federal control. State laws determine the
age of compulsory education, the length of the school year, the way in which
teachers shall be certified and many of the courses which must be taught. With
so much local control there is some degree of uniformity of education provided
in different parts of the USA,
because state and national accrediting agencies insist that the certain
standards be maintained and certain things be taught.
Education is compulsory for every child from the age
of 6 up to the age of 16 except in Maine, New Mexico, North Dakota
and Pennsylvania where it is compulsory to the
age of 17 and in Nevada, Ohio,
Oklahoma and Utah where children must go to school until
the age of 18. Elementary (primary) and secondary (high) schools are organized on
one of two bases: eight years of elementary school and four years of secondary
school, or six years of elementary, three years of junior high school and three
years of senior high school. Elementary school children in the US learn much
the same things as do children of the same age in other countries. The program
of studies includes English (reading, writing, spelling, grammar, composition), arithmetic (sometimes elementary algebra or
plane geometry in upper grades), geography, history of the USA, and elementary
natural science. Physical training, music, drawing are
also taught. Some schools teach a modern language, such as French, Spanish, or
German.
The junior high school is a sort of halfway between
elementary and secondary school. It continues some elementary school subjects,
but it also introduces courses in mathematics and science, and usually gives
students their first chance to study a foreign language. It usually comprises
grades seven, eight and nine, although sometimes it is only grades seven and
eight.
The high school prepares young people either for work
immediately after graduation or for more advanced study in a college or university.
Although there are some technical, vocational and specialized high schools in
the United States
the typical high school is comprehensive in nature. The subjects studied in
elementary school are dealt with in greater detail and in more advanced form in
high school. In addition one can specialize in home economics, chemistry and
physics, music, humanities, automobile mechanics, etc. High school students
study 4-5 major subjects a year and classes in each of them meet for an hour a
day, five days a week.
The United States have the shortest school year in the
world, an average of 180 days. An important part of high school life is what is
called extracurricular activities. The student is free to join a chorus, band
or school orchestra; enter the debating team, or participate in sports of all
kinds as well as a variety of social activities.
The fundamental task the US faces today
is the modernization of the entire school system. It is not only to provide
more and better schools, but also to re-examine the contents of the education
and to bring it into line with modern requirements.
Óïðàæíåíèÿ äëÿ êîíòðîëÿ
I Answer the questions:
1. What is the
main division in the educational system of the USA?
2. What
schools do the majority of American children attend?
3. Who controls
public schools?
4. Is there any
uniformity in the organization and curricula of American schools?
5. What is the
compulsory school age in the majority of the states?
6. How many
grades are there in American elementary and secondary schools? 7. What subjects
does the program of elementary school include?
7. What does
the high school prepare young people for?
8. What
programs of study may a high school student follow?
9. What
activities are sponsored by the school outside its academic program?
II Complete the sentences according to the
text’s contents:
1. The American system of Education differs from…
2. The majority of American children attend…
3. Education is compulsory for every child from the age of 6 up to 16
except in…
4. The high school prepares young people for…