Education in the USA There are four stages in the US education system: preschool, primary, secondary, and higher education. The educational process at each of them is flexible, practice-oriented, and can flaunt an individual approach to students.
Also, read our article about higher education in the United States and admission to American universities.
Features of education in the United States
Autonomy. Certain subjects are compulsory by state decree: Natural Sciences, Math, English, and Social Sciences. Some states are also introducing First Aid and Sex Education classes to the list. But otherwise, the schools make up programs and schedules independently. They can add courses in foreign languages, arts, ecology, and so on. Universities similarly enjoy wide autonomy in terms of picking faculty staff and research topics.
K-12. This is the general name for the US school system. In America, they study for 13 years: the kindergarten year (K) + 12 years of secondary education. Sometimes K-14 (kindergarten + secondary education + two-year college) and K-16 (kindergarten + secondary education + Bachelor's degree) are also mentioned.
Sports. Physical education takes a large place in the US education system. And not only at school, but also at the university. Universities provide athletes with generous scholarships. Students are always evaluated according to two indicators: academics and athletics. There are a lot of clubs operating at schools: basketball, football, rugby, volleyball, and others.
Conditions for foreign citizens. Most foreigners study in private schools. This is due to the fact that, according to the law, they can enter the state schools only between grades 9 to 12 and only for one year. In universities, in the meantime, they often set different prices for external students. The cost of tuition for foreigners and residents of other states is 2-3 times higher than for the local ones.
Practical orientation. The American education system provides students with practical knowledge that will help them in real life. This is reflected, among other things, in the existence of classes on health education, proper nutrition, Sex Education, and others.
Changing educational institutions. Many American schools provide only one level of education. That is, in one building there is a primary school, in another — a middle school, and in the third one — a high school. In 12 years, students can change from two to three schools.