A Survey of Major English Speaking Countries 14.ppt

A Survey of Major English Speaking Countries 14. Education What is the basic structure of the American education system? What is the historical development of education in America? 1) the first college 2) before winning independence 3) by 1825 4) by 1900 5) today What is the basic belief of Americans concerning education? “Americans hold the belief that everyone deserves a fair and equal opportunity to get a good education…to make sure that such an opportunity is not denied to any one of them.” Elementary Secondary Keyword: decentralized What is the function of the federal Department of Education? --- to gather information, to advise, and to help finance certain educational programmes “Indeed, to most Americans, education is largely a national concern, but basically a state responsibility and a local function.” 1) mostly mixed schools 2) start school at age 5 in kindergarten 3) six years of elementary school 4) six years of middle school and high school 1) public schools are free and open to all at the elementary and secondary level. 2) private schools What is the purpose of the private religious schools? Why do parents send their children to elite private schools? What are the problems of public school system? 1) poor academic achievement 2) ineffective teaching methodology 3) financial mismanagement 4) community conflict over the curriculum 5) a growing inability to meet the changing needs of families What responses have been made? 1) charter school movement 2) school voucher Charter School An entire school is chartered by local school boards with union and teacher approval in line with the following three basic values: Opportunity, choice, and responsibility for results. School Voucher An alternative choice to public schools, for it redirects the flow of education funding by channeling it directly to individuals rather than to school districts. 1) On what ground is the school voucher advocated? 2) What is the result of the school voucher? Higher Educatio