Secondary Education

Although there are some technical, vocational, and specialized high schools in the United States the typical high school is comprehensive in nature. The objectives of the comprehensive high school are to provide: 1) general education for all students; 2) subjects useful to those who will leave high school for employment or marriage, and 3) necessary preparatory education for those planning to enter colleges and universities.

No one high school is exactly like another. Both public and private schools possess a high degree of autonomy in organizing and developing their educational programs. In some private schools there are strict rules about the dress of students, addressing one’s teacher as ‘Sir’, compulsory physical education or athletics, regular attendance at chapel services, and no choice in the curriculum. In contrast, there are very permissive private schools where there are few rules of any kind and students work at their own pace with no examinations and little supervision. Public secondary schools offer the same contrast.

Higher Education

There is no national system of higher education in the United States. Instead, there are over 2,100 separate institutions ranging from two-year ‘junior’ colleges to complex universities, and from technical institutes to classical liberal arts colleges. These institutions may be small or large, rural or urban, private or public, religious or secular; highly selective or open to all. Basically, however, American higher education developed its own pattern by the adaptation of two traditions: the collegiate tradition of England and the university tradition of the Continent.

The American college, although it is the outgrowth of the English colleges of Oxford and of Cambridge, has developed into an institution which has no counterpart in Europe. The college course of study, at first three years in length, was soon extended to four years, and the classes are uniformly known as the freshman, the sophomore, the junior and the senior.

The traditional degree which crowns the college course is that of Bachelor of Arts. The studies ordinarily insisted on in case of candidates for this degree are Latin, Greek, mathematics, English, philosophy, political economy, history, at least one modern European language, and at least one natural science.

The degrees of Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Philosophy and Bachelor of Letters are often conferred by colleges upon students who have pursued systematic courses of study which do not include Greek or the amount of Latin required for the degree of Bachelor of Arts.

In the United States the title ‘University’ is used indiscriminately of institutions which are in reality universities, which are colleges, and of institutions which are so ill equipped as not to take rank with good secondary schools. The opening of the John Hopkins University at Baltimore in 1876 began the present movement to organize carefully advanced study and research, requiring a college education of those who wish to enter upon it. This is university instruction properly so called, and though found elsewhere, it is given chiefly at the following institutions: California University, Catholic University of America, Cornell University, Harvard University, John Hopkins University, Lee and Stanford University, Wisconsin University, Yale University and some others. All of these institutions are also colleges. The combination of collegiate and university instruction under one corporation and one executive administration is distinctive of high education in the United States. The crowning honour of the University students is the degree of Doctor of Philosophy although that of Master of Arts – obtainable in less time and much easier condition – is also sought. The minimum period of study accepted for the degree of Ph.D., is two years after obtaining the bachelor’s degree, but in practice, three, and even four years of study are found necessary. In addition to carrying on an investigation in the field of the main subject of study, the candidate for the degree of Ph.D. is usually required to pass examinations on one or two subordinate subjects, to possess a reading knowledge of French and German (often of Latin as well), and to submit – usually in printed form – the dissertation which embodies the results of his researches.

The methods of instruction in the universities are the lecture, discussion and work in laboratory or seminary – the latter transplanted from the German universities. The degree of Master of Arts is conferred upon students who, after one year of university residence and study, pass certain prescribed examinations.

Each college or university in the United States determines its own entrance policies. Some will admit any high school graduate with appropriate preparatory subjects, and consider themselves ‘open door’ institutions, giving everyone an opportunity to learn. Other institutions are highly selective and competitive, admitting only a small proportion of the many qualified candidates who seek admission, preferring the moneyed ones. Most public colleges and universities charge tuition, as do private institutions. If the student is living away from home he must add to his tuition fee room and board expenses.

The academic year is usually of nine months duration or two semesters of four and a half months each. Classes usually begin in September and end in June.

Control Questions:

1. Name the main stages of American schooling and say if they correspond to the stages of schooling in your country.

2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of education provided in different types of US schools.

3. What is the duration of terms and vacations in an American university?