5

Elementary Schools, High Schools and Institutions of Higher Learning

There are eight years of elementary schooling. The elementary school is followed by four years of second­ary school, or high school. Often the last two years of elementary and the first years of secondary school are combined into a junior high school.

The school year is nine months in length, beginning early in September and sometimes a shorter one in spring. There are slight variations from place to place. Students enter the first grade at the age of six and attendance is compulsory in most states until the age of sixteen or until the student has finished the eighth grade.

The elementary schools tend to be small. The high schools are generally larger and accommodate pupils from four or five elementary schools. A small town generally has several elementary schools and one high school. In some rural communities the one-room country school house still exists. Here may be found from five to twenty-five pupils in grades one through eight, all taught by the same teacher.

Admission to the American high school is automatic on completion of the elementary school. During the four-year high school program the student studies four or five major subjects per year, and classes in each of these subjects meet for an hour a day, five days a week. In ad­dition, the student usually has classes in physical educa­tion, music, and art several times a week. If he fails a course, he repeats only that course and not the work of the entire year. Students must complete a certain number of courses in order to receive a diploma, or a certificate of graduation.

Institutions of higher learning supported by pub­lic funds are not absolutely free. The state colleges and universities charge a fee for tuition or registration. This fee is higher for those who come from outside the state. Working one's way through college is common­place.

Usually there is no admission examination required by a state university for those who have finished high school within the state. Sometimes a certain pattern of high school studies is necessary, however, and some state universities require a certain scholastic average, or aver­age of high school grades.

Private colleges and universities, especially the larger, well-known ones such as Harvard, Princeton, and Yale, have rigid scholastic requirements for entrance, includ­ing an examination.

6

Higher Education Institutions

It has become common for the college program to be divided into broad fields, such as languages and literature, the social sciences, the sciences and mathematics, and the fine arts .Many colleges require all freshmen and sophomores to take one or two full-year courses in each of three fields. Certain Courses, such as English or history, may be required for all, with some election permitted in the other fields.

Higher educational institutions usually are governed by a board of regents or a board of trustees.

The executive head of a college or a university is usu­ally called the president. The various colleges or schools which take up a university are headed by deans. Within a school or college there may be departments according to subject matter fields, each of which may be headed by a professor who is designated as department head or chairman. Other members of the faculty hold academic ranks, such as instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. Graduate students who give some part-time service may be designated as graduate assistants or fellows.

Professional education in fields such as agriculture, dentistry, law, engineering, medicine, pharmacy, teach­ing, etc. is pursued in professional schools which may be part of a university or may be separate institutions which confine their instruction to a single profession. Often two, three, or four years of pre-professional liberal arts edu­cation are required before admission to a professional school. Three to five years of specialized training lead to professional degrees such as Doctor of Medicine, Bache­lor of Law, etc.

7

Private and State Colleges and Universities

Harvard College was established in 1636, with the principal purpose of providing a literate ministry1 for colonial churches. It was a small institution, enrolling only 20 students in 1642 and 60 in 1660. It soon be­came more than a theological training school2 and es­tablished itself as a liberal arts college. The next insti­tution of higher learning established in the American colonies was the College of William and Mary, which opened in 1693 at Williamsburg, Virginia. Other col­leges were founded in the next century, but all of them remained small schools for long periods. Students en­tered at the age of 14 and remained until they were 18, and the curriculum, while rigidly academic and classic was by modern standards rather secondary in nature.

Private colle­ges and universi­ties were estab­lished in various states. The first state university was the Univer­sity of Virginia, founded in 1819. Some state uni­versities have lar­ge endowment fu­nds1 which pro­vide a substantial portion of their support. Other sources of income are stu­dent fees, gifts and endowments.

In general, higher education in the USA may be di­vided into two broad fields: liberal arts and professional. Each of these fields may be further subdivided into un­dergraduate and graduate levels. The liberal arts program, on the undergraduate level, may be a two-year junior college course, or a four-year course leading to a degree of Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science. The four-year course is usually subdivided into a lower division (which may be called the junior college), consisting of the two first years, and the upper division, which is the last two years. The first two years continue the general education and specialization begins in the third year.

8

Educational System in Ukraine.

Ukrainians have always shown a great concern for education. The right to education is stated in the constitution of Ukraine. It’s ensured by compulsory secondary schools, vocational schools and higher education establishment. It is also ensured by the development of extramural and evening courses and the system of state scholarship and grants.

Education in Ukraine is compulsory up to the 9th form inclusive. The stages of compulsory schooling in Ukraine are: primary education for ages 6-7 to 9-10 inclusive; and senior school for ages 10-11 to 12-13 inclusive, and senior school for ages 13-14 to 14-15 inclusive. If a pupil of secondary school wishes to go on in higher education, he or she must stay at school for two more years. Primary and secondary school together comprise 11 years of study. Every school has a «core curriculum» of academic subjects, such as…