Education and language course in America

Educational systems of countries differ in many parts of the world. For instance, the schooling and education offered in the US greatly differ from that in England, in many aspects such as the curriculum and the primary system of education. Additionally, the structure and the procedures in American schools are different from other countries’ systems, like the British model. In England, for example, they usually offer a German language course (alemania-deutschschule.ch - Deutschkurs Schweiz) and other language courses as part of their standard curriculum.

First off, the US has a federal system of government which has historically valued local governance. This means that no country-level curriculum or education system exists. Each of the states has its own education department which sets the guidelines for that state, as the federal government does not run public schools. The public schools receive partial funding from the state, however most of the funds they use come from local property taxes.

As for the public universities and colleges, they essentially receive funds from the state where they are located. The legislative body of each state decides how much of the tax dollars would be given to the public universities and colleges. Children who attend the first grade through twelfth grade do not pay any tuition fees, but students in universities and colleges do, although many have scholarships or receive loans.

In the US, education is compulsory until the age of sixteen. School districts are generally divided into elementary school (first through sixth grade), middle school (sixth to eighth grade) and high school (ninth to twelfth grade). Some of the courses which are taken by students would include English, science, mathematics and social sciences. Some schools also require students to take up physical education and a foreign language course (Alemania Sprachkurs) such as a German language course. Students can also elect to take some art or music classes. There are also many high schools in the US that offer vocational training courses. The academic year starts late in August and ends early in June.

After high school, students can attend a community college or go straight to a university. Getting admitted to a community college is relatively easier, tuition is lower and classes have smaller sizes compared to a typical university. Community college students could earn an Associate’s degree then transfer his or her course credits if he or she chooses to enroll in a university. Today, almost three out of four high school graduates in the US attend a college or a university. Some of the most famous universities in the US include Harvard, Yale and Princeton.

Some say that in the educational system in England is slightly better than that of the US. In England, the curriculum is more comprehensive, as it covers a wide range of subjects including language courses such as German language courses which could be beneficial to the students once they embark in their chosen career in the future.