Unit 8 education

Over 57 million students are enrolled in American schools, which range from kindergartens to high schools, small colleges, large universities, as well as a variety of institutions for adult education and vocational training. Americans place a high value on education for themselves and their children, and universal access to quality education has been one of the nation's historic goals.

More than 100 years before the signing of the Declaration of Independence, European settlers on Massachusetts passed laws requiring all communities to hire schoolmasters; larger towns had to establish grammar schools to train children for the university. America's first college, Harvard, was founded in Massachusetts in 1636, and the second William and Mary, was established in Virginia in 1693.

Higher education was revolutionized in 1862 by the Morrill Act, which granted federal lands to each state for the creation of agricultural and mechanical colleges. These "land-grant" institutions legitimized vocational and technical education.

By the end of the Civil War in 1865, education was becoming available to all, and educational institutions began to shape a distinctive American culture. In the late 19th and early 20th century, the schools were instrumental in "Americanizing" the massive numbers of immigrants who arrived in the United States. Indeed, 20th century America is the product of a nationalism defined in large part by its schools.

Perhaps the most noteworthy feature about American education is the absence of a national administration or structure. Each of the 50 states controls and directs its own schools. Most states require that children attend school from the time they reach six or seven years old until they are 16 or 17. Educational requirements are set by the state legislatures, and public schools are managed by local communities, divided into about 15.500 state school districts.

But what do American public schools teach? Public school education is constantly debated, continually evolving. In the late 1960s, public schools experimented with the curriculum and expanded the number of "elective" subjects, deemphasizing the traditional "three Rs" — reading, writing and arithmetic. During the mid 1970s, schools moved back to an emphasis on the basics, and many states began to administer proficiency tests to students graduating from high school. And in the 1980s schools have supplemented the basics with new programs to familiarize students with such rapidly changing fields as computer technology.

There is no uniform school organization or curriculum throughout the nation, but certain common features exist. Preschool education consists of nursery schools and kindergartens, although in recent years the latter is usually part of the elementary schools. Elementary and secondary schools together consist of 12 years of classes (not counting kindergarten) which meet for about 10 months a year, five days a week and five hours a day. Almost every elementary school curriculum includes English, mathematics, science, social studies, penmanship, music, art and physical education. Many include classes teaching basic computer skills. Most secondary schools have a "core curriculum" of English, mathematics, science, social studies physical education as well as a variety of elective subjects.

About 85 percent of American students attend public schools, which are supported by state and local taxes. The other 15 percent attend private schools, for which their families choose to pay special attendance fees. Four out of five American private schools are run by churches, synagogues or other religious groups.

In addition, schools have for many years received federal aid for special purposes, such as vocational training and school lunches. In 1965 Congress approved a major program of federal support for public schools, and federal aid was extended to private schools for the first time.

After graduating from secondary school, a growing number of Americans go on to higher education. The percentage of high school graduates enrolling in public and private colleges, for instance, has increased from 40.4 percent in 1960 to 54.3 percent in 1984. American institutions of higher education include technical training schools, which offer programs in fields ranging from hairstyling to computer programming; community colleges, which provide two years of semiprofessional training for some students and the first two years of college for others; colleges, offering four-year bachelor degree programs; and universities, which contain one or more colleges and graduate schools offering master's or doctoral degree programs. The factors determining an institution's prestige are the quality of the teaching faculty; quality of research facilities; amount of funding available; and the competence and number of applicants for admission.

Tasks:

1. Read the text. Divide it into logical parts. Find a topic sentence of each part.

2. How well have you read the text? Can you answer the following questions?

1. What has been one of the nation's historic goals?

2. What laws concerning education were passed more than 100 years before signing of the Declaration of Independence?

3. When was Harvard founded?

4. What did the Morrill Act grant?

5. What role did the schools play in the late 19th and early 20^th century?

6. What is the most noteworthy feature about American education?

7. What do American public schools teach?

8. What did Congress approve in 1965?

9. What do American institutions of higher education include?

3. Read the sentences below and say if they are true or false:

1. Elementary and secondary schools together consist of 13 years of classes.

2. About 50 percent of American students attend public schools.

3. In 1965 education was becoming available to all.

4. The second American college was established in Virginia in 1693.

4. Give Russian equivalents to the following word combinations:

to be enrolled in schools; quality education, educational institutions; to attend schools; high schools; vocational training; to pass laws; to establish grammar schools; public schools; uniform curriculum, secondary schools, for special purposes; years of semiprofessional training; research faculties, social studies; religious groups; to shape a culture, to place high value on education.

5. Give English equivalents to the following word combinations:

частные школы; учителя; открыть грамматические школы; детские сады; подписание Декларации Независимости; с/х колледж; отличительная черта; посещать школу; государственное законо­дательство; школьная программа; тест на профессиональную при­годность; компьютерная техника; школьная форма; дошкольное образование; начальное образование; начальная школа; средняя школа; высшая школа.

6. Make up a plan of the text in the form of questions.

7. Retell the text using expressions given in Task 3.

8. Speak of the educational problems peculiar for your country.