US Education System: Academic vs Trade Schools

[Jimmy Snyder]

Which offices?

President and Vice President of the US.

 

[ƒ(x)]

Learn something new every day.

 

[zoobyshoe]

While I am in high level classes, the environment at my current school is much different than that of my middle school, a change that I attribute to less academically oriented students.

School is like everything else in a capitalist system "you get what you pay for". There are excellent schools in the US if you have the money Exeter, Choate, etc...

There's middle ground here. I went to small private college prep schools throughout high school on grants and scholarships. Students from wealthy families who can pay full tuition aren't necessarily the more academically oriented ones so these schools are prone to cast a kind financial eye on academically sincere applicants of lower income to help maintain the school's reputation for producing higher caliber graduates.

 

[kof9595995]

Heh. All my Chinese friends wish the Chinese system was like America's (or England/etc. I'm sure, but they probably only express preference for the American system since I am from the States). There are a lot of problems inherent in the Chinese system. The emphasis on exams is astronomical and has a very long history of cultural significance. Students spend an inordinate amount of time and energy on the exams alone because one exam will define where you go for your middle school another for high school, etc.

Instead, the US system allows the schools to cater to different levels so that everyone can receive both a decent education but hopefully one that caters to their abilities. My schools had remedial programs for students who lagged behind, and a bevy of honor programs for those that excelled. In addition, there are multiple levels of higher education from vocational schools, junior colleges, college, and university.

Accurate description.