let's talk about education!!!

There is so much to say about western education, that it would take a book to write about it all. Not only that, education varies from country to country. If you would narrow your question, you probably could get a lot of good answers from other members.

It is somewhat difficult to chat with someone, unless they are present at the same time, and can respond to what is written here. If you respond immediately, i'll be happy to continue to answer your questions. If not, i am patient, and am willing to wait until you arrive here again.

In the United States, the details of the educational system vary, but not by very much, so a general outline can be described. When children are about four years old, they may be sent to what is known as "Pre-school," which is usually a half day (about four hours) of class, during which they are expected to learn how to socialize with other children--how to get along with them; and are taught very basic things, such as small numbers and the letters of the Roman alphabet, which is used to write in English. Frequently, the children engage in activities which are designed to be entertaining to them while helping to improve their visual and thinking skills. This might involve making pictures with crayons or colored paper, or making small objects with paper, under the supervision of a teacher or a teacher's aide.

In the following year, when children are about five years of age, they will attend Kindergarten (that is a word which comes from the German language, and means "children's garden"). Kindergarten continues the types of instruction that was begun in Pre-School, but usually lasts for an entire day (six to eight hours), and involves more intensive and structured instruction in the alphabet and numbes in order to lay a foundation for reading skills. Children are given more discipline and expected to understand and follow basic rules of behavior which will allow them to do their lessons and interact socially with the other children without strife or sorrow. Entertaining exercises such as art and music are continued, but with a more structured emphasis on learning.

Thereafter, children enter (usually at about six years of age) a formally structured course of education. For the following eight years, they will attend what is variously known as Elementary School, or Primary School. In days gone by, such schools were also known as Grammar Schools--that term is outdated, though, and is no longer often used. More than a century ago, when children were not given as much schooling as they are today, a Grammar School was often a place at which students whose parents could afford the tuition were taught Latin and or Greek Grammar as a foundation for higher education--hence the name Grammar School.

In the United States, there are fifty states and several territories. In the territories, the schools are administered by the Federal government through the Territorial Governor. In the fifty states, each state has a Department of Education, or a Board of Education, which determines what the school curricula will be, what educational standards teachers must meet in order to be certified to teach in that state, and administers the money provided by the Federal Government and the state government to operate the schools. In addition, the state will be divided into local school districts. Each school district will have means for raising more funds to support education--common means are a tax on the income of the people who live in the school district, or a tax on the property of the people who live in the school district. Because the United States Constitution guarantees that each state shall be a democratic republic, the states commonly have laws which mandate that each school district shall elect the members of the local school board, and the citizens vote on whether or not, and what amount, their income or their property will be taxed to support the school district.

When the issues of providing the schools, the school administrators, the teachers and the teaching materials has been settled, the schools in each state usually are set up along a very few patterns. In some states, the Elementary schools instruct students for eight years, as they progress from the First Grade to the Eighth grade, after which time they enter High School. Education is mandatory for all children until they have completed High School, although enforcement is not reliable--when children become teen agers, if they leave High School, the state and the school board usually have little to no means of making them attend to complete their education.

In many states and school districts, the Elementary School is broken up in to smaller units for greater efficiency. There may be Middle Schools, which instruct students in Grades Five, Six and Seven, and Junior High Schools for students in Grades Eight and Nine, to prepare them for three years of High School. In systems in which there is a single Elementary School for eight years, students attend High School for four years. The compulsory education is completed after twelve years. Details vary, and are usually determined by local circumstances. I lived for several years in a small city which was rapidly growing, with many new families moving in. There were, therefore, a great many younger children. That city had five Elementary Schools, which instructed students in Grades One, Two, Three, Four and Five. There were two schools in the town which instructed students only in Grade Six. There were two Middle Schools to instruct students in Grades Seven, Eight and Nine, and two High Schools to provide the final three years of education. The school district proposed a bond issue to the voters, which means that the if the voters approved (they did approve in November, 2004), the school district would offer bonds--they would borrow money on which they promised to pay interest. Such bonds are usually purchased by banks or investment funds such as pension funds. The school district also proposed at the same time an increase in the property tax to finance the bonds (pay the interest offered on the "loan") and to pay off the bonds. The voters also approved the property tax levy. That means that people who owned property paid more taxes, with the additional money going to pay the interest on the bonds, and to pay off the principle of the bonds over a period of fifteen years. With that money, the school board proposed to build two additional Elementary Schools, an additional Sixth Grade School, an additional Middle School and an additional High School. The growth of the population of the city suggested that those facilities would be needed to meet the needs of the growth in the population of children in the city.

Education is not mandatory past the initial twelve years, although it is usually a good idea, if a young person hopes to get a good job and live decently. There are technical schools which will teach specific skills with a view to pursuing a profession, and Junior Colleges which are intended to provide skills as a technical school would do, or to prepare students for University. I feel certain that you understand the function of Collges and Universities--which provide what is known in the United States as higher education.

I know much of this is complicated, and may be difficult for you to understand. If so, please ask any questions which occur to you, and i will attempt to answer them.

Thanks
Thank you all !!! I dont not know whether you know in China education systerm is making progress to change ,maybe just like yours .But it is hard for us to follow your step.