2. • Education in the
USA drastically
differs from
many other
countries. There
are 50 states in
the country and
each of them
has its own
peculiarities.
3. There is a certain
pattern of education in
the USA, which
comprises into three
types of schools: public
school, private
elementary school and
private secondary
school. Only public
schools are free and
they have their own
system in each state.
Private schools,
depending on the area,
require a certain fee.
4. A school year starts in September and ends
in June. It is divided into three terms or four
quarters.
5. Elementary education
is available from the
age of six or seven.
The main school
subjects at this stage
are English, Arithmetic,
Natural Sciences,
History of the USA,
Geography, Physical
Training and several
others. Besides
learning English, many
schoolchildren choose
to study different
foreign languages.
6. Children study at
Elementary school till
they are 16. After that,
they can go to
secondary school,
which is also known as
high school. Many high
schools offer selective
subjects for those
students who want to
enter a specific college
or university after
school graduation.
7. The high schools are
generally larger and
accommodate
teenagers from four or
five elementary
schools. During the
school year the
students study four or
five selective subjects
according to their
professional interests.
They must complete a
certain number of
courses to receive a
high school diploma or
a certificate of school
graduation.
8. In order to develop social
skills and encourage
students’ participation in
extracurricular activities
every high school has an
orchestra, a music band, a
choir, drama groups,
football, basketball and
baseball teams. School
becomes the centre of
social life for students
10. The National Government gives no direct
financial aid to the institutions of higher
education. Students must pay a tuition fee. This
creates a financial hardship for some people.
Many students have to work to pay their
expenses. The Americans place a high value on
education. That’s why Kennedy said, “Our
progress as a nation can be no swifter than our
progress in education”.
