ISSUES IN AMERICAN EDUCATION

Exercise 1. You are going to read a text about the educational system in the USA. The paragraphs of the text are numbered. From the list of headings below choose a suitable one to each paragraph. One heading is extra.

1. Ivy League universities tuition fees.
2. Federal loans.
3. Various types of schools in the USA.
4. Two sides of university life.
5. Diversity in educational legislations in the states.
6. Hard work and nothing else.
7. State universities: resident or not?
8. Time of learning.
9. General school standards.
10. Graduate and post-graduate assistantships.
11. Options at the age of 16.

1. It is truly difficult to fully describe the complexities of the American educational system, as there are primary, secondary and tertiary levels of education. In addition there are federal Indian schools, an array of private schools, military academies (at secondary and tertiary levels), preschools, kindergartens, and private colleges/universities. Add to this list the three levels of American university degrees – undergraduate (bachelor), graduate (master), and post-graduate (doctoral) – and you really have a lot to chew on. So you can see that depending on what your interests are, you could do much research on American education.

2. Another reason why it is not an easy task to fully define American education is due to the fact that each of the 50 states, each country within each state, and each town/city within each country has varying priorities, requirements, teacher licensing standards, curricula, and accreditation review procedures. The reason for this diversity in each of the states derives solely from the fact that the wording of US Constitution does not directly address education. You may know that if the US Constitution does not specifically assign federal authority, then whatever issues that are not mentioned are reserved for each state to decide for itself. Thus, education falls under state authority. Here are some interesting statistics that illustrate the division between local, state, and federal authority and expenditure: 10 years ago, total spending for public schools amounted to more than $ 172 billion; 50 % of this money came from state resources, 44 % from local resources, and only 6% from federal resources.

3. Each child between the age of 5 and 16 is required, by law, to attend school. Primary (grades 1-9) school and high school (grades 10-12) are free for all citizens. The school day is relatively long in the USA when you compare it to other countries. Children of all ages usually begin school at 08:30 a.m. and end sometime between 2:00 and 3:00 p.m. Lunch is eaten in the cafeteria where students can buy a hot meal or unpack a bag lunch. All public schools offer a lot of extra-curricula activities that include numerous clubs, sports teams, cheerleading, debate teams, archeology groups, etc. All students are encouraged to find an activity group they enjoy and participate in it.

4. After the age of 16, a student may legally drop out of school. This means the student can decide if he/she wants to earn a high school diploma or not. Most students remain in school until the education is over. Students usually leave high school at age 17 or 18 after taking a nationally recognized standard test, the SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test). High school graduates may either start work, enter a trade school, or start university studies.

5. Unlike primary and secondary education, university education is not free. The majority of university students must pay for their studies, although almost every university offers grants and all kinds of scholarships. Some universities, such as, the Ivy League universities, charge extremely high tuition fees. An average year in Harvard, for example, would cost over $ 24, 000. But the practice of giving scholarships allow the universities to accept only the best and brightest students. Even the rich who can pay such an amount are not commonly admitted. After all, these schools have a reputation to keep.

6. Even though Harvard, Yale, Brown, Rice, Georgetown, Stanford, Berkeley and the others are considered to be the best universities, you can still receive a high quality education in the numerous state universities. Each state has at least one state university. The fees for residents of that particular state are reasonable, especially when you compare it to the Ivy League schools. For example, if you are a resident of Alabama, you can attend either the university of Alabama or Auburn university for less than $ 1,500 per academic year. However, if a resident of New York state wishes to enter either of these Alabama universities, he/she would pay about twice the tuition fee the Alabamian would.

7. Many students still find it difficult to pay even $ 1,500 per year. Most people borrow the money from the US federal government. These student loans, called the Guaranteed Stanford Loan, are indeed guaranteed as long as you remain in school and maintain at least a C grade point average. Yet even the loans may not be enough to make ends meet. Undergraduates usually find a part-time job outside the university to help pay for rent and food.

8. Graduate and post-graduate students usually receive what is called an assistantship. Assistantships vary from school to school and also from department to department. Basically, a graduate assistant (GA) is an official employee of the university. The GA will typically teach 3 undergraduate level courses (thereby freeing up professors to do research/write journals and books). In exchange for teaching these classes, the university waives the GA’s tuition fees and also issues a modest but monthly paycheck. Post-graduates can receive the same support, but instead of teaching, or in addition to it, they assist their professors in research. You may find it interesting to note that large numbers of international graduate and post-graduate students come to the USA to either complete a degree, work on their own research and/or collaborate on a joint project. International graduate students are also eligible to receive assistantships (they are called ITAs). Auburn University, as well as a large number of other schools, actively recruit ITAs especially in the sciences.

9. The type and time of study breaks down into 3 categories. Undergraduate degrees take no less than 4 years to earn. Graduate studies typically last 2 more years, post-graduate degrees another 2 years.

10. University life is colorful but hard at the same time. There are new friends to make, new subjects to learn, new teams to cheer for, parties and dances to go to, and just simply more demanding academic work to complete. Many American students quickly realize that the rest of their lives depend on how well they do.

Exercise 2. Insert the prepositions.

1. In America education falls … state authority.
2. Due to an array of institutions one can do much research … the educational system of the USA.
3. Ten years ago total spending for public schools amounted … more than 172 billion dollars.
4. All students are encouraged to participate … any activity group.
5. A number of international post-graduate students come to American university to collaborate … a joint project.
6. You should give your professor the work he/she requires … you.

Exercise 3. Complete the sentences.

1. It is difficult to describe the American educational system because…
2. Each child between the age of 5 and 16 must …
3. After the age of 16, a student is free to …
4. The university students must …
5. Most people borrow the money … called ….
6. Graduate and post-graduate students usually receive …
7. Undergraduate degrees take …, graduate studies typically last …, post-graduate degrees …

Exercise 4. Ask questions to each paragraph.

TEXT 7

Не нашли, что искали? Воспользуйтесь поиском: