School systems

THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE CR
The school attendance is compulsory from the age 6 or 7 till 15 or 16 in our country. We have mainly state schools
but we can find also some private or church schools. The education in the state schools is free of charge. The school
year starts on 1st September and finishes on 30th June of the following year. The school year is divided into two terms
(September - January, February - June). One lesson lasts 45 minutes and there are small breaks between the lessons.
Pupils are evaluated by marks from one to five. Students get their school reports each term.
Pre-school education provides the nursery schools and the kindergarten. I think it's good for children to go there
because they learn how to behave with the other children and how to communicate with them.
Primary education starts at basic schools and lasts now 9 years. Little children learn Math, Czech, Reading and Writing.
Secondary education lasts usually 4 years. There are several kinds of high schools: grammar school, school for the health
workers, economical school, technical, agriculture or music schools. These are finished with the leaving examination
which is taken from the four subjects. The exam from Czech is divided into two parts: the written one and the oral one.
There are also vocational schools which prepare students for practical professions.
The terciary education is provided by the universities and lasts from 3 to 6 years. Students should take the entrance
exam which concists of written part and the interview. The oldest Czech university is Charles University in Prague
founded by Charlws IV. in 1348. The other famous ones are Palacký University in Olomouc and Masaryk University in
Brno. There are many possibilities for studying: the students can choose from Medicine Faculty, Law Faculty, Technical
branches, School of Economics etc. In these days there is a big discussion about the fees for the university education. I
think that it's not a great idea because nowadays the students have the pay the doorms, food and studying material and
the fees for the school would complicate their lifestyle.

THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN GREAT BRITAIN
A full time education is compulsory for all children between the age of 5 and 16. The schools are un by towns, churches
or controlled by the state. There are the private schools and public schools like Eton.
Pre-school and primary education is provided by the kindergartens. Compulsory education begns at the age of 5. At
the age of 11 the children are transferred from primary to secondary schools. The základní examin is the General
Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE - O level). This exam is taken by the children of 16 years old. There is also an
advanced level of this exam - GCSE - A level which gives students possibility to study further and this exam is taken at
eighteen.
Higher education covers all post-school courses above the GCSE A level. Higher education institutions include
universities, polytechnics, teacher training colleges and other colleges of art.
The oldest university are Oxford (1167) and Cambridge in England, St. Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh in
Scotland. University courses last usually from 3 to 4 years. The first degree is bachelor of Art (B.A.) or Bachelor of
Science (B. Sc.).



THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN THE USA
There is no national syllabus of the education in the USA. It is under the control of every local government. The
educational system is called "6-3-3-Plan": six years of elementary school from the age of 6, three years of Junior high
School from 12 to 15 and three years of Senior High School from 15 to 18.
So the compulsory education begins at the age of 6. Both the elementary and secondary education are
comprehensive, there is no selection of the children.
6-3-3-Plan is free of charge. This course is finished by high-school diploma called The American High School Diploma.
There is naturally a higher education which means the universities. But the education is paid.
The most famous universities are Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Colombia...

I saw a movie Zabriskie Point about the student revolt in the 60's