Education in the USA (Arkansas)
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Education in the USA (Arkansas)

In 2011 I visited the USA at the invitation of my friends. I stayed in the state Arkansas.  I have friends who work as teachers. They invited me to their schools.  So I have been to several schools. I talked to the teachers and I obtained interesting information and took some pictures.

I saw large libraries in each school I visited. At the library kids can read and borrow books. They can spend time playing different games.

Teachers use modern equipment for teaching.  There is a computer for each student in every classroom. I think schools in the state are equipped better than in Russia.

      School uniform does not exist in state schools, only in private ones. They give school things and clothes for kids from poor families. Students must wear modest clothes. Make up is not allowed.

There are personal lockers for kids in the corridors of the schools.

Teachers do decoration in the classrooms themselves. Like in Russian schools you can see sport awards in the corridor.

School education is also compulsory and free. In private schools kids are taught religion.

Teachers write the same papers and educational plans like Russian pedagogues.             They write the plans based on the national plan of education. Then each school must include several subjects from the State program. There are obligatory and elective courses.

School year is divided into:

• Primary (kindergarten, the 1st and the 2nd grades)
• Elementary (the 3rd -5th grades)
• Middle school (the 6th and the 7th grades)
• Junior high (the 8th and 9th grades)
• High school (the 10th and 11th grades)

Foreign languages are taught only in High school. Students also sit for the State Exams.

The procedure of exams is approximately the same as in Russia. The main exam is literacy (the English language). And then they can choose the exams they need to enter the university.

If the students pass the exams successfully, they receive Certificate of Education.

School year in the state lasts 10 months. They have 3 semesters in it. Vacations are the following:

-Thanksgiving vacations (the 21st - 28th of November)

-Christmas vacations (2 weeks - 24th of December – 6th of January)

-Easter vacations (1 week in April)

-Summer vacations (the 1st of June – the 15th of August)

In each American school there is Parents’ and Teachers’ Association (PTA). It helps the school in many fields of teaching and educating.

There are School Regulations in every school. They are based on respect of all participants of education.  I was surprised having known that in some schools corporal punishment is allowed. If parents agree with this, they write a note to the principal allowing spanking the kid with a small wooden stick. Corporal punishment is usually done in the principal’s room with a witness observing the act of punishment.

The following kinds of punishment are also foreseen by the school regulations:

detention, suspension, doing lines.

     I think teachers have large salaries. If you are a certified teacher, you can get a large sum of money.  If a teacher has a master degree, he receives much more. A teacher with a doctor’s degree can get even more. All the teachers have State assistance.

      There is the organ of self -governing in each school. In each grade a president of the class is elected.

             Having seen schools and having talked to American teachers I can resume that though Russian and American education have much in common, it differs greatly!