Education Systems in the UK and the US

Considering that English is the language of institution in both the UK and the US education systems, it would be easy to make a mistake of assuming that those two are at least similar to each other. Unfortunately, the world is a confusing place and when it comes to school systems (and everything else really) these two countries differ significantly. Let's talk education then, shall we?

The education system in the UK is divided into 4 main parts: primary education (5-11 years of age), secondary education (11-16), further education (over 16) and higher education. The first two stages are additionally split into "key stages" which breaks down as follows:

• Key Stage 1: 5-7 years old
• Key Stage 2: 7-11 years old
• Key Stage 3: 11-14 years old
• Key Stage 4: 14-16 years old

Primary and secondary education is mandatory in England, but after your 16th birthday your officially a free bird and you don't have to go to school anymore!

Yeah, maybe stay in school kids...

Anyway, after this stage, there's an exam (because of course there would be one) called GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and if you're willing to continue your education you may begin your adventure with the so-called Sixth Form Colleges! There, you'll study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as A-levels, BTEC (Business and Technology Education Council) and the International Baccalaureate Diploma (yes, that means even more exams...). Fortunately, when you survive the hell of standardized tests you will be free to start your new life as a college student and pursue the Bachelor's (3-5 years depending on what you're studying) and Master's Degrees (1-2 years) and - if you're feeling more ambitious - maybe a Ph.D (which would take you 3-5 years). 

Now, let's move across the pond and investigate how it looks like in the US. 

The education system here is generally divided into 4 stages: elementary/primary school (5-11 years of age), middle school (11-14; sometimes substituted by junior high school), high school (14-18) and higher education. Elementary, middle, and high school are divided into grades - from 1 to 12. But wait, there's more! In high school, apart from grades, students are called differently, depending on which grade they're currently attending:

• 9th grade: Freshman
• 10th grade: Sophomore
• 11th grade: Junior
• 12th grade: Senior

Of course, there are tests at the end of each stage, but their names change depending on the state the school is in. Apart from the "testing" tests, there also are "admissions tests" which are used in the admission process at some secondary school and most colleges and universities. A few examples of such tests are: SSAT (Secondary School Admission Test), SAT (Scholastic Aptitude Test), or ACT (American College Test).

When it comes to higher education, it looks almost the same as in the UK: Bachelor's Degree takes 4 years, Master's - 2, and Ph.D. - from 5 to 6 on average. 

Apart from using different names for various stages and tests, there are a lot of other differences, such as those in the grading system...  

                         

...and the length of the summer vacation. In this case, the Amercian students are more lucky that the British Pupils - their vacation lasts about 3 months (from June to the end of August/beginning of September) while those poor, unlucky souls in the UK can enjoy their freedom for mere 6 weeks... 

That would be all on this subject! I hope that next time when you'll be watching an American film about high school students, you'll know what "sophomore" or "junior" mean; and you will no longer complain that your summer vacation is just too short! 

See you next time!