Secondary schools

Most school children enter them. It consists of one or two stages. From the age of 12-14 to 18 the term high school is used. First classes are called junior high school, senior classes are called senior high school. Many school systems have established middle schools – they are for pupils of upper elementary age (from 10-11 to about 14). Most of such schools consist of 6-8 grades. Some communities call middle schools junior high schools, but high school is usually considered to be secondary school, and middle school is something between high school and elementary school.

Secondary education is rather serious. it’s designed to make children first of all responsible, aware of their responsibility for the community. High school graduates receive a diploma to show that they have completed their secondary education. America here is remarkable for the number for people who stay in high school up to 18.

Full high school education is up to 18 and is available to everyone. It’s no problem about gaining admission to senior high school, though in some places there’s competitive and serious selection process for a school or a class. But the idea of total equality of opportunity to all serves to fight segregation. People who think that segregation is desirable still exist. The idea is that perhaps there should be some selective approach on academic grounds.

High schools offer both general courses of study and vocational courses of study. These schools are called comprehensive high schools. Students who want to continue their general education after studying in these schools will probably take a general/college preparatory course of study.

Once children have reached high school they understand how important it is to get good marks.

High schools organize much activity outside the classrooms.

There are some expensive private schools, but there’s no tradition of prestigious education below the level of the university.

If a teacher gets his or her teaching qualification, it may not be recognized in another state. Teachers for the younger children are trained in schools of education.

Education is highly valued, but not teachers. Their payment and prestige are comparatively low in comparison to general standards of Europe.

Private schools

Approximately 1/10 of elementary and secondary schools are private schools. Nearly all schools charge some form of tuition. In general the cost of private education in America is beyond the reach of many families. Private schools may be religious or non-religious. Private schools are known are boarding schools. They offer lodging to students in addition to academic instruction. If a private school doesn’t offer lodging, it’s called day school. Private schools that focus on preparation for college are sometimes called preparatory schools.

As for the term independent school, it refers to private school that’s independently government by the board of trustees. Independent schools may have different orientation.

Private schools are relatively free from any regulation. Though they are different, they share certain characteristics which distinguish them from public schools:

1. decentralized system of government,

2. high academic expectations,

3. small enrollment and class size,

4. shared values.

Regardless of their organizational structure private schools are largely free to manage their own affairs. They can choose their students, their faculty, their curriculum and even make their own internal rules. But they are not absolutely free from governmental supervision. State authorities are permitted to regulate schools, both public and private. Most states require public schools to obtain a school charter. In high schools they have high academic expectations for achievement. 1/3 of all private schools require their applicants to pass some kind of academic tests and only then they will be admitted. In general private schools in the USA demand more of their students than public schools do and private schools are also more likely to focus their efforts on preparing their students for college. The private schools usually pursue the policy of thorough preparation for the college and don’t have courses like vocational, technical, in contrast to public school.

Private schools are much smaller. Many people in the USA think that the smaller the school the better, and large private schools are often considered to be worse, as the unity of the community of teachers, students and parents is very important. Class size and total number of students are typically smaller in private schools (15-20 students).

Most private schools offer programs of instruction, which focus on some set of shared values, e.g. some schools concentrate on particular subjects (e.g. arts or environmental issues), some schools focus on developing their students’ character round a shared set of spiritual or religious values, others approach character development by emphasizing the importance of social service and social justice. These values are shared by the faculty, teachers and students.