What country is the best to choose for studying English abroad, what are the criteria to rely on and what to look for? In this article we will analyze the peculiarities of American and British educational systems, as well as the similarities and differences between the secondary educational institutions of these two countries.

Britain or America: Which school to choose for your child?

The United States and Great Britain are equally suitable for children, schoolchildren, teenagers, and students who want to improve their English language skills. The key differences in the educational systems of the two countries have to do with the structure of secondary education, years of study, and other factors.

• In America there are more than 2000 private schools – their graduates have a high academic level for successful entrance to prestigious Ivy League universities. Britain offers international students a choice of 2500 boarding schools with a classical English education, which opens the door to Oxford, Cambridge and other elite universities not only in the country, but also in the world.
• Private schools in America are more democratic in atmosphere than boarding schools in England. The latter still pay tribute to rigor and discipline today, though to a lesser extent than in the past. In many English institutions, for example, uniforms are compulsory for students, but this does not prevent British schools from creating an atmosphere of friendship and camaraderie between teachers and students.
• The secondary education systems in the two countries have many similarities: the structure of secondary schools includes elementary, middle, and high schools, and instruction begins at age 5 in Britain and 6 in America. Local and international students can also take a preschool course, which accepts young students as young as 3 to 5 years old. The intermediate level is designed to provide general education, while high school prepares students for careers or further study in high school.
• U.S. secondary education institutions offer a more personalized curriculum for children, students, and adolescents than do English institutions. Institutions in both countries allow students to create their own curriculum by choosing courses that are high on their list of priorities. Also, U.S. schools routinely use a variety of tests to assess students’ knowledge and overall intellectual level. For example, all students take the SAT or ACT before graduation.
• British educational institutions are more careful in their professional choices. At British institutions a student has to decide on the specialization at the high school stage to study the subjects of the chosen direction for 2 years. American students, on the other hand, choose a specialization before they graduate, which means that high school students continue to study general subjects, including those they need for university admission.
• Each country has its own national curriculum: Great Britain has the A-level, and America has the High School. These are educational courses for high school students, where successful completion of the program gives the student the opportunity to receive a diploma of complete secondary education. This international document will be ubiquitous abroad. British schools also give students an IB international certificate after completing the appropriate program – International Baccalaureate (this course is also available in some schools in the United States).
• In the educational systems of both countries special attention is paid to extracurricular life of students. American and British educational institutions equally aspire to bring up not only smart, but also healthy and well-rounded young people. Here all conditions are created for physical (soccer, volleyball, swimming, golf, rugby) and creative (dancing, music, theater, painting, sculpture) activities. Weekends are often devoted to excursions, where children have an opportunity to become acquainted with the culture of the country where they are studying. In the evenings the administration organizes various entertainment events for the students – quizzes, talk shows, performances, discos, and plays.
• Prices and Rankings: The cost of tuition for students in schools of America, including housing in the residence, full board + extracurricular activities, will be from $35,000 to $75,000 for one academic year. Prices for secondary education in England with similar criteria – from 25,000 to 50,000 English pounds. As for the rated institutions, they are not always the most suitable option for international students: it is always better to be guided by the comfort of the child than the location of the institution in the list of schools.

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It is worth remembering the popular regatta between Cambridge and Oxford students, which attracts more and more spectators each year. On 12 March 1829 Cambridge students challenged the Oxford team for the first time, and in this way a tradition was born which continues to this day. Year after year, the losers of the race challenge the winning team to a rematch. In 2010 the victory went to the athletes from Cambridge. On Saturday the 26th of March 2011 250 thousand spectators watched the 157th rowing competition between two famous universities, which was won by the students of Oxford.

It is worth mentioning that the reverent attitude of the British to sport is well known outside the Foggy Albion. Many people know who the English soccer fans are, but not everyone knows that there are more than 600 sports associations in the United Kingdom, from the British Golf Federation to the Kite Association.

In modern Britain it is difficult to find a county which does not have a large number of amateur sports clubs and societies. Many of today’s popular sports, such as soccer, tennis, cricket, golf and rugby, have their origins in the British Isles.

You only have to look at the achievements of the United Kingdom’s Olympic team at the last Olympics to understand how important sports play a part in the country’s social life. For a relatively small island nation, the U.K. provides high-level funding for sports projects, from elementary school to national teams.

Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and promoting sports are constant priorities for the British government, regardless of which party currently wins the election. In light of the upcoming 2012 Olympics, more and more sports projects are being initiated, and specialized portals have been launched.

Today for all British school students from age 5 to 16 years old sports are compulsory. From the age of 11-13 years pupils can choose themselves which sport they want to take part in at school, and they usually try their hand at a variety of sports.

It is no secret that to sit through a few hours of classes for a little person is not easy, and for some it is just excruciating. That is why teachers tried to create a balanced program. At first intuitively, later – arguing their approach with the results of many years of observation and scientific research.

On the one hand, it is necessary to relieve mental stress, to give an outlet for adolescent energy, which has not become less in today’s children. On the other hand – has already proved more than once, that a constant change of activity and a variety of physical activity is the best way to help learn new material through the activation of associative series, the development of dynamics of classes and maintain a constant interest in students.

After all, in the process of learning a foreign language is especially important lack of monotony and monotony. Especially if this learning process takes place during the summer vacations! That is why the summer camps, many of which operate on the basis of private boarding schools, always include in their program sports classes. A number of schools also offer specialized courses that allow children to practice a certain sport more intensively.

“A good example is the project of the famous Arsenal soccer club, which is implemented in conjunction with a group of Stafford House English language schools. The program takes place on the basis of two British colleges: Queen Ethelburga’s College and Hartpury College. The 2-week course is designed for boys aged 10-17, who have a variety of soccer skills. The course gives an opportunity for completely ordinary boys, who are not engaged in specialized soccer sections, to touch the world of big sports and improve their skills under the guidance of qualified coaches of Arsenal club. The aim of the project is to promote healthy lifestyles, sports, team spirit and a positive attitude!” – says Svetlana Timoshenko, director of Concept Education Center.

Other schools have equally interesting sports programs. Ardmore School Group offers children aged 10 to 17 the special Football Academy and Rugby Academy, Harrow House School offers the opportunity to participate in a specialized course that includes additional training in tennis (with a mandatory participation in the school tournament!), horseback riding, golf and water sports. Shrewsbury School offers an English + Sport summer course, which includes 3 hours of English lessons and 3 hours of sports training every day! Students can choose their own sport: soccer, tennis, golf and equestrian.

It is worth mentioning about the Sports Academy Exsportise – a famous network of sports camps, founded 20 years ago by the athlete and coach Bram van Asselt. The sports camp programs are based on three boarding schools and are accredited by the British Activity Holiday Association.

There is a long list of sports, which you can do during the summer vacations. These include soccer, swimming, horse riding, tennis, squash, volleyball, cricket, athletics, basketball, badminton, golf and gymnastics.

The variety of sports offered, both individual training and team games, will fill your time at the language school with fun and good mood. Maybe once your child has tried out a sport he or she may want to take it up regularly. And even if he or she does not become a champion, a healthy lifestyle, self-organization and the will to win are just some of the good qualities he or she will need in life.

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• Preschool (for children 3-5 years old), analogous to our kindergartens.
• Elementary school (up to fifth grade)
• Middle school (sixth through eighth grade).
• High school, the equivalent of our 10-11th grade high school.
• Higher educational institutions

Unlike in the post-Soviet countries, the U.S. has many private schools. In our country this is a rarity, and the vast majority of students attend classical public schools with a common curriculum. There are a huge number of private schools in America, and another 15% or so are religious schools attached to churches. Yes, America is one of the most religious countries in the first world. Although, in Great Britain the study of religion is even part of the school curriculum.

The high school (the one after eighth grade) is separate, and high school students do not overlap with other students. It is divided into several tracks. A student can enter an academic school, where he will be prepared to enter a prestigious successful institution – such training will add to his chances. Or you can choose a specialized school, which is similar in direction to a college: there students are taught practical narrowly focused subjects. And the third type, mixed, combines the features of the previous two.

Graduates who wish to continue their studies take the SAT. It is divided into two levels: SAT I and SAT II. The first qualifies you to attend an intermediate-level college or university, but to enter a prestigious U.S. university you need to take the advanced version of the exam.

An American teenager may have many more classmates over the course of his or her life than we do, since the composition of classes is constantly changing. Similarly with teachers: while here a teacher can teach a course from beginning to end, an American student will change several times.

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Australia is made up of states and territories, all of which have their own educational pathways, and the local government provides funding and regulates public and private schools.

Levels of education in Australia

Two of Australia’s three education levels are compulsory:

• Primary education.
• Secondary education

Further education is not compulsory, although Australia has one of the highest percentages of participation in higher education. Completion of Grade 12 is the entry point for progression to the third level:

• Tertiary education.

The academic year in Australia begins in late January or early February, and ends in mid-December. Students attend higher education institutions from late February to early September.

Australian schools

There are both state and non-state schools in Australia, with the latter including religious schools and schools based on a particular educational philosophy, such as those using the Montessori method of teaching. Each school must be registered with the Department of Education of the relevant state or territory.

The school system in Australia is known for its broad learning environment. As well as core subjects, the school curriculum includes a variety of subjects, including a range of humanities, social and environmental sciences, technology and foreign languages.

At Australian schools, students are not just taught, but also learn about communication, respect for themselves and others, self-discipline and discipline. Teachers impart new knowledge to students, while also teaching them how to think for themselves. Many of the qualities you will need in adulthood are learned at school.

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How many years of study in the UK?

Studying for children in the UK starts early: children usually go to their first preparatory level school from the age of 4 or even earlier. From the age of 5, education is compulsory. Therefore the total time of study in British school is about 13 years – children finish secondary school at the age of 18, after which they usually go to university.

How do students study in British schools?

So what is a school education in Great Britain like? To begin with, there are two types of schools in the United Kingdom: public and private. The first are designed more for locals, while the latter are ideal for students from other countries. Regardless of which type of school to choose, the learning process will be divided into several stages.

• First, the child goes through elementary school . Here he or she studies until the age of 12-13, studying about 12 compulsory subjects.
• Then children move on to middle school, where they study until age 16. At the end of secondary school pupils take a final exam and receive a certificate of graduation from high school, which allows them to go to college.
• The third stage of education – high school. Here children are prepared for university until adulthood, and the program is structured to meet this requirement. In high school, the emphasis is on those subjects that will be necessary for admission to college. Completing their studies at this stage, students also take a final exam. And most importantly: based on the results of this exam, young people can already be enrolled in university without having to take any additional tests on admission.

What do schools teach?

In the UK schools can also be divided into boys-only, girls-only, and mixed schools. There is also a wide choice of schools with different subject areas: sports (soccer, tennis, athletics, equestrian, swimming), science, humanities, arts and others.

Regardless of which of the schools you choose, you can be sure that in schools in the UK children are taught discipline and independence. Special attention is paid to the development of such things as:

• Leadership qualities. British educational institutions have always been focused on bringing up within their walls a strong personality, a person who is able to enthuse others;
• Sports training. A lot of emphasis is placed on sports, which help children develop leadership skills and are results-oriented, while team sports teach how to interact with other people.
• Own point of view. Debate clubs, where students are taught to speak in front of an audience and defend their point of view while saving face, are still popular in schools in the United Kingdom today.
• Discipline and responsibility. The program is designed in such a way that the child has to make his own decisions and make his own choices in favor of one subject or another. The school helps the child to be more responsible and independent, because the curriculum itself encourages the child to make decisions or take the initiative.
• All-round development. A traditional British school seeks to make its students a well-rounded person. That is why teaching includes the study of at least one foreign language. In addition to the general subjects, students can also study art, music, and cinema.

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