Case study of United States
About the United States Education System:
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Starting and ending age
The compulsory age for education in the US vary by state, starting at ages five to eight and ending at ages fourteen to eighteen. An increasing number of states are now requiring school attendance until the age of eighteen.
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Education requirements
The compulsory requirements of education can generally be satisfied by attending public schools, state-certified private schools, or an approved home school program. In most public and private schools, education is commonly divided into three levels: elementary school, junior high school (or middle school), and high school.
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Home schooling
The number of children that were homeschooled has been increasing. Moral and religious reasons are most commonly cited for home schooling children. Another main category is “unschooling” which is a non-standard approach to education. Some homeschooling advocates are religious conservatives who see non-religious education as contrary to their moral or religious system. Others feel that a more effective curriculum can be tailored to suit the needs of an individual student. Still others feel that the negative social pressures of school are damaging to a child’s proper development. Parents may form groups to aid each other in the homeschooling process, and assign classes to different parents just as in a public or private school.
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Curriculum
The curriculum in the US varies widely from district to district. Besides the wide range of topics offered by schools, private schools also may include religious classes. Camps of argument have been formed on the degree of standardization of curricula. Advocates of the nationalization of curricula also often push for standardized testing which is mandated by the No Child Left Behind Act.
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Reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States
No Child Left Behind
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About
The No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 is a United States federal law (Act of Congress) that was originally proposed by President George W. Bush immediately after taking office. The law allowed for federal programs aiming to improve the performance of U.S. primary and secondary schools by increasing the standards of accountability for states, school districts, and schools, as well as providing parents more flexibility in choosing which schools their children will attend.
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Standardized testing
The No Child Left Behind Act requires all American states to test students in public schools statewide to ensure that they are achieving the desired level of minimum education. Homeschooled students or those attending private schools are not included. The Act also requires students and schools to give a yearly report on their progress and improvement must be made every year. Should a student fail to make satisfactory yearly progress, No Child Left Behind mandates that remediation through summer school and/or tutoring be made available to a student in need of extra help.
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Reference
http://www.ed.gov/nclb/landing.jhtml
No child left behind
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| Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:No_Child_Left_Behind_Act.jpg |
Extra-curricular Activities
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Sports groups and Clubs
A major characteristic of American schools is the high priority given to sports, clubs and activities by the community, the parents, the schools and the students themselves. Extracurricular activities don’t fall within the scope of the regular curriculum but are organized under the supervision of the school. These activities can call for a lot of commitment on the student’s part outside of school hours. Participation in sports groups, drill teams, bands, and spirit groups can amount to many hours of practices, competitions and performances. Having sports teams associated with high schools is an idea relatively unique to the US in comparison with other countries.
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Vibrant school culture
Football and basketball games especially, are major events for American students. School spirit is strengthened by the sense of unity in the "spirit" shirts students wear to games. Camaraderie among students is developed as they cheer on their team in fully-packed school stadiums and gymnasiums.
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Interest and Hobby Groups
In addition to sports, numerous interest and hobby groups or societies are available in American schools, both public and private. They include musical groups, marching bands, school publications, science fairs, debate teams, and clubs focused on an academic area or cultural interests.
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Reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Education_in_the_United_States
Pros
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Well-rounded student development
A wide range of extra-curriculum activities are available for students to take part in, creating a vibrant and exciting school life for students in the US. Almost all interests and hobbies of students will find fellow hobbyist in one of the clubs or societies. As such, students develop their character in areas outside of academics. Students build up teamwork, organization skills and learn how to run projects and functions on their own. As such, students tend to become more well-rounded and multi-faceted skills-wise.
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Reference
http://usinfo.org/enus/education/edu_overview.html
Cons
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Many Distractions
The benefits of having many after-class activities bring with it a set of disadvantages too. Students run the risk of becoming distracted by these activities that they neglect their academic pursuits. This may affect their job prospects in the future as companies will be looking at the academic achievements of a student and place less emphasis on extra-curriculum achievements. As such, students are required to exercise a high level of self-discipline to balance their commitments.
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Reference
http://usinfo.org/enus/education/edu_overview.html