Education

British and American educational systems in comparison
with the Czech one

•    Education system in Great Britain

    The nowadays British system of education is quite new, from the 1990s. It gives parents more choice to choose the schools and it makes further and higher education more economically available to large numbers of people.
All children and young people between the ages 5 to 16 must get full-time education. About 93 per cent of British pupils receive their education at state schools supported by local public funds, the rest attend independent private or church schools. Most private schools have its pupils uniforms and still remain single-sex. The school year in England and Wales begins in early September and ends in the following July (Scotland varies a bit). State schools have usually six weeks off in summer and some holidays during the school year (at Christmas, Easter etc.).
   
Pre-schools and primary education is provided   by nursery and primary schools. About 50 per cent of 3 and 4 year-old children attend nursery, day-care centres or other pre-school play groups, mostly organised by parents. At the age of 5 they go to kindergartens - they learn to draw, paint or use musical instruments there but also to read, write and a little count. At 7 many children move to primary (also basic or element) schools where the work is more systematic.

The usual age for transfer from primary to secondary education * is 11. They can attend all-inclusive Comprehensive schools  , which give children all abilities and provide a wide range   of secondary education. Another are Grammar schools which entered pupils on the bases of their abilities. Grammar
schools offer a mainly academic education for the 11 to 18 (or 19) year age.
Subjects taught at school are given by this national curriculum  : English, Maths, Science, Technology, History, Geography, Music, Art, PE, foreign languages and optional religious education or technical and vocational   education. At the ages of  7, 11, 14, there are four grades  , which a pupil must pass during the school attendance and an assessments of tests show how the children study. The principal examination at about the age of 16 is the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) which is required for most jobs and further vocational training. GCSE - A level (Advanced) - gives students possibility to study more subjects - as the ‘six form’   - and these exams taken at 18 are the standard and basic qualification for entrance to university.
    The expensive and prestige private secondary schools are in Eton, Harrow or Winchester.
In Scotland the curriculum and the examination system is slightly different.

About 30 per cent of 18- and 19-year people receive some form of full-time higher education. Higher education institutions include universities, teacher training colleges   and other colleges 7 of technology (polytechnics), art and medicine. Those who do not study at the universities can be trained in business, law, banking, manufacturing, service industry or any other specials collages.

Great Britain has 46 universities which can be divided into three groups:
I. Oxford (1167) and Cambridge (1229) - ‘Oxbridge’ - they are the oldest and the most famous and prestige universities in UK; in Scotland there is Glasgow (1451) and Aberdeen (1494) 
II. ‘Redbrick   universities’ - were founded in 19th century (in London or Manchester); these schools provided some technological training in industrial areas
III. The new universities founded after 1960s (in Bristol, Sussex, Kent etc.) and during 1990s

People who pass examinations at the end of  3 or 4 years are called undergraduates   and their first degree is Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) (the title is put after a name). Students with degrees B.A. or B.Sc. can study further - by attending a postgraduate course   to get the degree of Master - they must work on a thesis   at least for one year. They graduate the university, are called graduates   and the title they get then is M.A. or M.Sc. The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is given only for a thesis in humanities and science which originally contributes to human knowledge  .
At the head of the university there is a Vice-Chancellor   but it is only a honorary title.


•    Education system in the United States
    In the USA there isn’t a national system of education. Each of the 50 states has its own education system but Federal government often gives money to schools and has very little control over administration and curriculum. All schools are controlled by an elected local body (often elected from parents) and by the city and state in which the school is located. The majority of all schools are public schools, financed by the state and there are also private schools which are often single-sex and pupils wear uniform as well as Britain. The beginning of the school year very in each state from mid-August to mid-September and usually ends in May or June.

The age of school attendance is from 7 to 16 (or from 6 to 18) years. Every child gets minimum 13 years of education. School years in the USA are called grades and the whole attending is divided into ‘groups’ of grades.
Pre-school and elementary education includes nursery and kindergartens which are up to age 5 and 6. Most of them are private and charge any money. In the elementary schools (from 6 to 11 years of age, 1st to 5th grade) pupils learn to read, write, do arithmetic, elementary science, history, geography, music, art and PE.

    Secondary education * is provided by Junior High (from 11 to 14 years of age, 6th to 8th grade) and High Schools (from 15 to 18 years of age, 9th to 12th grade). Most schools offer the same curriculum: English, Maths, Science, Social studies, PE etc. This schools are comprehensive and some of them offer specialised courses such as business, computer science etc.
High schools generally organise much activity outstanding the classroom, many of them have football, basketball and baseball teams, an orchestra, a choir etc. The basic leaving school qualification is usually the High School Diploma or General Education Diploma (GED) which is awarded after passing an examination. There is no national school-leaving examination but national Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT; in mathematics and English) is used to help select students for colleges and university entrance. But finally they haven’t got any other tests to entrance higher education!
Marks in most US schools are: Excellent (A), Superior, above average (B), Satisfactory (C), Passing grade (D), Completely unsatisfactory (E).

    About one third of high school graduates go on for some higher education. The system of higher education in the USA consist of following institutions:
I. Universities and colleges - its applicants are usually chosen on the basis of their high school records, recommendation from their high school teacher, some interviews or their scores on  the SAT
II. Vo-techs (vocational-technical) institutions - high school graduates may take courses from six month to two years; they learn various technical skills (hair styling, business accounting, computer programming etc.) and after finishing people usually take up employment
III. Community colleges - provide vocational and semi-professional education for people with a High School Diploma for two years; than students may enter many professions

Bachelor’s degree (B.A. or B.S.) is given to students after successful completion of four years study. Bachelors graduates can study further by attending a postgraduate course to get the degree of Master (M.A. or M.S.) after one to three years of another study. The Doctoral Degrees are given after two to five years of another study.
The oldest and most respected universities - Harvard (1636), Yale University (1701), University of Pennsylvania (1740), Princeton University (1746) or College of Columbia (1754) are all private. The cost of university studies varies.
Each American university has its own curriculum. Undergraduate students must select their ‘major’ - the field in which they want their degree, plus a certain number of ‘electives’ or one ‘minor’ subject.

•    Education system in the Czech Republic

    The nowadays Czech system of education is quite new from the beginning of the 1990s and it was several reorganised during last years.
The school attendance is from 6 (7) to 15 (16) years and all children must pass full-time basic education. The school year in CR begins in early September and ends in the following June. All schools have eight weeks off in summer and some holidays during the school year (at Christmas, Easter etc.). The school years are called ‘classes’ in CR.

Pre-schools education is provided by nursery for 6 month to 3 (4) years old children. At the age of 4 (5) children go to kindergartens - they learn there to draw, paint but also to read, and a little count. Not many babies attending nursery in our republic because mothers usually stay with them home till their school years. At the age of 6 (or 7) children move to basic schools.

‘Basic’ schools * provided all-inclusive comprehensive education. In the 5th class pupils can to go to the 8 years Gymnasiums (11 to 18 or 19 year of age). The CR hasn’t private basic schools but has some institutions which provided basic education. They are finally controlled by the Ministry of Education. 
‘Middle’ schools * provided children secondary education. Four-years ‘Gymnasiums’ offer a mainly academic education, popular are also 4 years ‘Business’ economical schools. Other types of education are 3, 4 or 5 years industrial, vocational and special institutions and schools (technical, agriculture, health, languages, preparing for practical professions etc.).
All schools fallow the national curriculum which can be little changed by the school headmaster. The main school subject are Czech language, Maths, Science (biology, physics, chemistry), History, English/German/French language, Geography, Music, Art, PE etc. Students are rated   during the each school year by some tests, essays, compositions etc. The principal examination is the ‘leaving examination’ at the end of the secondary study. Good marks on the leaving certificate means big chances and basic qualification for entrance to university or any other type of higher education.
We have quite a lot of private middle schools but as well as basic schools they are finally controlled by the Ministry of Education. The prize but also the level and prestige of the study on this institutions is very different. There are also the Church schools and institutions but they are still quite rare.

Quite a lot of students, especially secondary educated in gymnasiums, go to study some form of higher education. ‘High’ education institutions include both humanistic and science universities and other specials colleges like: technology (polytechnics), music, art, medicine, business, law, banking, manufacturing, service industry etc. The Czech Republic has the network of universities in whole republic. The most prestige are Karlova University (Prague), Masarykova University (Brno) and Palackého University (Olomouc). The problem in CR is limited place for the students who have to go to the higher education as a whole and especially to the universities.
People who pass the graduation examination at the end of  3rd year of the study have degree Bachelor. They can study further to get the degree Magister (Mgr.; this title is put in front of a name) - they must work on a thesis two years. They can further study for their Doctorate degree.
At the head of the college of the university is a Dean   and at the head of university there is a Vice-Chancellor.