United States
By the end of the 19th century, a fairly coherent education system had formed in the United States. From its very essence, it is different from the familiar form of domestic education. At the age of five, young Americans become students. It is at this age that a child first crosses the threshold of elementary school. Here they will study the longest: from kindergarten through fifth grade.
Sometimes grade zero is called kindergarten. But it is not at all a kindergarten in the usual sense. A strict class schedule – lessons last up to six hours a day. True, no homework is assigned here. From a very young age, the child is accustomed to life in a school community and to the methods of learning that will accompany them throughout all 12 years of education. For example, in a lesson dedicated to state history, a topic like this might appear: "My Dad is a Police Officer (Priest, Doctor, Firefighter)." The profession can be any. The main thing is that the child prepares for the story as a big report. Sometimes parents come to class and talk about their work. These meetings can be very engaging, especially if the parents' profession is rare and dangerous. One can observe how in a fire station among the crews at the busiest moment of emergency calls, a group of children aged five to six wanders around with their mouths open, accompanied by an adult firefighter, and watches with fascination as the adults rush around grabbing fire extinguishers and hurrying to get into the big trucks to go on a call.
In elementary school, children have one teacher. He or she teaches all subjects. What might you encounter at this stage? The characteristic feature of an American school is the division of children by ability. From the very beginning, children are given a test. And later, the test will become the main criterion for your child's success. From the moment of determining the child's personal IQ, education becomes separate. With talented children, classes are very intensive, aimed at deep, diverse knowledge. They begin to prepare them to become the intellectual elite of the country. With average-ability children, they work diligently, but with a slightly smaller volume. These children are immediately oriented toward technical specialties. Classes with less capable children aim to adapt them to the world of new technologies in a narrow practical sense, giving them general knowledge, reading and writing skills. Labor education is very well organized in these classes. In the future, such children are destined for the world of working professions.
Education in middle school is the shortest: from sixth to eighth grade. These three years will be filled, perhaps, with the most difficult work. For groups A and B, the time will come to earn the right to study in high school. It is hard to believe, but in such a huge country as the United States, there is no mandatory unified state curriculum for schools – each state has its own, meaning that the lesson plan is drawn up based on the interests of the specific educational institution. Each school district develops its own program. And, although the variety of subjects is astonishing, studying in US middle school is still easier than in domestic school.
Among the amazing subjects that do not exist in our schools, I would like to tell about "scientific discoveries." Yes, yes! Within individual disciplines, children are given a homework assignment: to make a discovery. A fine assignment, no doubt. It usually lasts a year, but at the end of the year the child must tell the class about their discovery or invention and provide scientific justification for it. There are truly astonishing inventions. A 13-year-old boy named John from New Jersey was very frustrated because he could not invent anything. His father advised him to observe a vacuum cleaner. The result exceeded all expectations. At the end of the year, John proudly demonstrated a unique machine for collecting dog excrement on the streets, and also for collecting dry leaves, and the machine produced neat cubes of compost for fertilizer. Perhaps the idea is not new and does not shine with high culture, but the teenager himself figured out how to remodel an ordinary vacuum cleaner. The inventions of young Americans are very diverse, the main thing is that children learn to think.
And finally, the last stage of your child's education is high school. Here they study from ninth to twelfth grade – four years. In America, elementary, middle, and high schools do not connect with each other; they are even located in different buildings. Of course, the teachers are also different. In the selection of a new class within the children's group, there is a deliberate shuffling of the children. America is a democratic country, and it is very important that from childhood children learn to be loyal in racial and other issues.
A few words about the almighty power of the test. The entire life of a young American is aimed at successfully passing a test. Any test. First the very first school test... and then... Each state has its own board of education, which among other things develops tests to evaluate the knowledge of schoolchildren and students. Testing is done for each of the main subjects. English literature, English language, French, German, philosophy, mathematics, physics, chemistry, astronomy, history...
All schoolchildren are tested annually starting from third grade. That is why the entire learning process is structured to 'coach' the student for tests by the end of the year. We cannot decide whether this is good or bad. We are simply telling you what awaits your child in an American school. Too much in the future life of an American depends on a well-filled test once.
Germany
Well, how are things with school education in Germany? Andrey G., the father of school-age twins living in the small town of Neuss in West Germany, tells us. His boys went to a municipal elementary school at age seven. They had a preliminary interview. Based on the results of this conversation, the teacher told Andrey that his sons were being enrolled in a strong class.
The fact is that in primary school (from first to fourth grade) there is also a weak class. Moreover, the names of these two classes are quite lenient: humanities (advanced kids) and techies (average and weak).
The educational process is generally structured the same as in other European schools: from first to third grade, attention is paid to native language, reading, writing. There are extremely many outdoor activities. Since the town dates back to the 13th century, the curriculum includes a huge number of excursions. Unusual for Andrey was a subject like music. From his Soviet childhood, he had vague memories of singing patriotic songs in chorus. In primary school in Germany, these music lessons are structured completely differently. In the advanced class, music lessons resemble solfeggio lessons. The children learn to read notes, sight-sing. From the second grade, a child chooses a musical instrument. One of Andrey's sons chose the flute, the other - the violin. Sometimes the teacher himself recommends that parents buy a particular instrument for the child. From the second grade, lessons are conducted both in groups (children listen to CDs, analyze works, learn to recognize instruments of a symphony orchestra, write real musical dictations) and individually (here young students try to 'tame' the instruments they have chosen).
After the fourth grade, Andrey's children were recommended to continue their education at a gymnasium. What is a German gymnasium? Education here lasts from fifth to thirteenth grade. From the seventh grade, gymnasium students can choose a specific specialization and prepare specifically for university admission.
In the gymnasium, the main emphasis is on self-study. Andrey says: 'No one demands that my sons do their homework immediately. But if they haven't managed to do something, the teacher, and therefore the whole class, will not wait for them.' Extracurricular classes are completely absent here.
What unusual subjects are there? Andrey smiles: 'philosophy'. From the fifth grade, they take a full course of philosophy. And from the fifth grade, children choose additional languages. Either living French (they have been learning English since the third grade) or 'dead' Latin, which Andrey's twins chose. At the end of the story about the vicissitudes of his children's school life, Andrey laughed: 'Studying in Germany is a pleasure! The school existence of my gymnasium students rather resembles the game 'Holiday Every Day'.'
Britain
About how education takes place in British schools, our readers seem to know everything. We will only focus on the list of subjects that may surprise and even confuse our schoolchildren and their parents.
Let us recall that all British schools without exception must adhere to a single program: whether it is an elite private boarding school or a simple state school. In secondary school, children study quite familiar English and mathematics, geography and history, natural sciences. Plus computer science and technology. The latter subject is quite complex, it includes the basics of technologies of various industries, elements of materials science, and even... strength of materials, which traditionally makes our tech students groan. Unusual may also seem the subject 'Religious Studies and Sociology'. The peculiarity of British schools is that they pay great attention to aesthetic and physical education. Stagecraft, drawing and painting, creative writing, music, dance, design... And sport for the British is a sacred matter; they start doing it from a very early age. These disciplines are taught seriously, not at all like drawing, music, and physical education in our schools, where these subjects are still considered tertiary. In addition, they study the basics of business and entrepreneurship, as well as optional foreign languages. Any of these subjects can be chosen for the GCSE final exam.
The most interesting begins in high school, where students prepare for the A-Level exam (at 17-18 years old). Recall that this is not only a final exam but also an entrance exam, so they choose specialized disciplines for their future specialty. Here schools have some freedom: some offer more, others fewer subjects. These may include: geology, pedagogy, design, foreign languages (including Latin and Greek), business, even photography or home economics. The more subjects, the better the school is considered.