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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
 Posted - 06/30/2004 : 09:03:50
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I have on severa occations noticed that the educational system differs between Sweden and other countries. I suppose similar differences exist between England and USA too.
I have some questions about the educational system in USA, and I hope someone will give me a hand in trying to understand how it works.
Sweden:
The year a child have his seventh birthday he enters mandatory school for nine years. The curriculum for this school is predetermined by government, and there are nation-wide standards tests in several subjects to establish a minimal education level.
In Sweden this school is known as "Basic School"
The year this person have his 16th birthday he graduates Basic School, and have no longer an obligation to attend school.
However, most move on to 'continuation' school, where students choose the major direction in which to focus: humaniora, societal, economics, natural sciences, engineering etc.
Usually there are more demand for natural sciences and engineering, so student's applications get sorted by average grades.
Most of these continuation schools are governmentally funded, but there are also some privatly funded. Some by major industries like Volvo focussing on engineering specialized to Volvo's needs.
The governemetally funded continuation schools also have nation wide standards tests in order to balance the grade system on a nation-wide basis. Thus a grade '4' (of 5) in Mathematics level 'D' will mean the same thing regardless of what part of the country you come from.
Continuation school usually last for three years, after which students are generally qualified for University studies.
This is a layman description of the three ways to qualify for university:
1) Average grades from 'continuation' school, sometimes there are minimum requirements, and sometimes subjects are weighted where, for instance, a 'math' grade counts twice while 'history' grade counts once when applying to Physics courses.
2) Nationwide general knowledge test (made once every year on a specific day and time to eliminate cheating). This test includes basic IQ-test questions, logic, reading comprehension in Swedish and English, general knowledge, and some science. Average number of people doing this test each year is 0,5% of the population. The test have different questions each year, and you may do the test any number of times.
3) Sometimes specific courses have Specialized Course Application Test, to make sure the applicant have sufficient knowledge to start with, and to rank the students. I applied to the English course at the university by this kind of test (just for fun, never thinking that I might actually qualify!).
Most of the time, the number of students in each course consits of a percentage picked from each category. In my case, the English course, 50% of the students qualified through #1 and 50% through #3.
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Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
 Posted - 06/30/2004 : 09:50:23 [Permalink]
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I'll try to keep my opinions out of the quality of the job US education is doing.
Upon a child's fifth birthday, the child enters a government mandatory skills program called kindergarten. Usually for one half day of instruction over the school year, children are taught basic skills such as socialization skills and some basic functions. Parents may opt out of this program by a process called "home schooling" whereby the parents are responsible for teaching the child these basic skills. Likewise, they may opt for an accredited private religious school.
Upon the child's sixth birthday, they start an elementary school program focusing on basic mathematic, language, and history/science skills for six years. Again, parents may choose to "home school" their children or enroll them in a private religious school. However, the child must pass standard state and federal mandated testing or be placed in a public school (or a different private school if the parent so chooses).
At the completion of the sixth year of elementary schooling, two years of middle schooling where more complex mathematical, language, science, and elective courses are taught. At this point, I'll say that the same opt outs exist for parents as the elementary program and with the same responsibilities.
At the completion of the second year of middle schooling, the child is then enrolled in high school for up to four years, where there are again mathematics, science, social studies, language skills, and other electives are available. A child has the option to terminate schooling after their 16th birthday, but if they choose to continue the full four years and pass, they will recieve a high school diploma and are prepared for the workforce or college. (see strictures and opt out for elementary programs. It's here, too.)
There are some issues which the US has struggled with. There is a concept of "social promotion" whereby public school children were kept with their entering class even if they did not meet the requirements to be passed to the next level of instruction. This has fallen sharply out of favor but still occurs in intercity schools.
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Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
| Edited by - Valiant Dancer on 06/30/2004 09:51:10 |
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Robb
SFN Regular
USA
1223 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2004 : 10:19:14 [Permalink]
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| Qualifications for university enrollment is generally controlled by each University if it is private and by each State if it is a public university. Most universities public or private require the applicant to make a minimum score on a national standardized test to qualify. Some states such as Texas have laws concerning a minimum minority enrollment. Also in Texas if you graduate high school in the top 10% of your class the state universities must accept you if you apply. These issues are always being discussed and changed. Other points universities consider include extra curricular activities, if relatives attended school, military service, high school grades, state citizenship and others. And of course if you can play football you will get in. Generally if you have a high GPA from high school and score decent on the standardized tests then you will get into a university or college somewhere. |
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R.Wreck
SFN Regular
USA
1191 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2004 : 13:02:24 [Permalink]
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A couple of other bits:
There are a couple of standardized tests given to those preparing to enter college (usually in last year of high school), the SAT and ACT. The SAT has a Math and an English section. Its been a while since I took one, and my kids won't be taking them soon, so I'm not familiar with the ACT format or content.
The majority of public schools are financed through property taxes. There is, then, a wide range of "quality", for lack of a better term, in the schools. Generally the more affluent (usually suburban) schools can offer higher teacher salaries, and bigger, more well equipped schools, labs, and sports facilities. Inner city schools in low income areas sometimes struggle to maintain basic equipment and supplies (like books and pencils), not to mention the metal detectors. Private schools are probably above average in quality, as the parents are paying whatever the going rate is for their child to attend. They also don't have to carry the usual public school beaurocracy on their backs. |
The foundation of morality is to . . . give up pretending to believe that for which there is no evidence, and repeating unintelligible propositions about things beyond the possibliities of knowledge.
T. H. Huxley
The Cattle Prod of Enlightened Compassion
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Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2004 : 21:56:07 [Permalink]
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Please feel free to explain the acronyms
GPA, SAT (standard acceptance test?), and ACT |
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
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Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2004 : 07:21:22 [Permalink]
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quote:
Originally posted by Dr. Mabuse
Please feel free to explain the acronyms
GPA, SAT (standard acceptance test?), and ACT
GPA = Grade Point Average
ACT = American College Testing
SAT = Scholastic Aptitude Test
The ACT tests in three areas
English
Math
Science/reasoning
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Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
| Edited by - Valiant Dancer on 07/01/2004 07:22:47 |
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Trish
SFN Addict
USA
2102 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2004 : 10:48:40 [Permalink]
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Also, the ACT grading is against the percentile of correct questions for all students testing that day. It is a measure of the individual against others in their year that choose to take the test.
SAT grading, IIRC, is based in number of questions answered and answered correctly, without the corresponding percentile number.
Edited to add:
There is a way around requiring ACT and SAT scores for entrance to most public universities - attending community college first for your general studies classes. |
...no one has ever found a 4.5 billion year old stone artifact (at the right geological stratum) with the words "Made by God."
No Sense of Obligation by Matt Young
"Say what you will about the sweet miracle of unquestioning faith. I consider the capacity for it terrifying and vile!"
Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
They (Women Marines) don't have a nickname, and they don't need one. They get their basic training in a Marine atmosphere, at a Marine Post. They inherit the traditions of the Marines. They are Marines.
LtGen Thomas Holcomb, USMC
Commandant of the Marine Corps, 1943
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| Edited by - Trish on 07/01/2004 10:54:58 |
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Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2004 : 15:31:45 [Permalink]
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| Yeah, what Trish said. Some community colleges require SATs, but generally you show up and take a placement test and your in. The placememnt test determines what classes you start with. |
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
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