Education is very important to many Americans. Since the middle of19th century, we have provided free public education for American residents. Public education is managed by state and local governments and funded by local taxes, but it is compulsory education stipulated by the federal government.
In terms of upgrading skills, broadening knowledge and increasing employment opportunities, it is very important to attend classes and keep learning. In the United States, our public education system provides a lot of opportunities for you and your children, and our private, community and state colleges and universities also provide a variety of choices in higher education.
About our education system
In the United States, according to the law, all children between the ages of 6 and 16 (18 in some states) must go to school, otherwise they will be regarded as truant. All communities have some form of public education. Its expenses are subsidized by local taxes. There is no tuition fee for going to school, and textbooks are also provided by the school. Dan must bring his own books, pencils, crayons and other things for his children to use at school. Children in our country usually enter kindergarten and start school at the age of five. Many schools have half-day kindergarten classes, or allow children of this age to go home earlier than other older students.
Primary schools in most communities offer courses from 1 grade to grade five or six. After that, children will enter the 6-8 grade or 7-9 grade of middle school (junior high school) (different community settings are different). High school refers to grade 9- 12 or grade 10- 12, depending on individual schools.
The curriculum of the public school system is decided by the national committee funded by the national fund or the local school staff. Courses offered in most campuses include reading, writing, English grammar, literature, mathematics, science, history and sociology, geography, economics, citizenship (or government), computer and keyboard input, and physical education. Students can also take some subjects, such as art, drama, computer science, home economics or other courses of interest.
ESL course
If children's mother tongue is not English and learning difficulties are caused by language barriers, the school will place them in ESL (English as a Second Language) courses, and teachers with professional knowledge will help these children adapt to the new cultural and language environment. This helps to alleviate the suffering of many children during the transition period. There are a large number of immigrants in some areas, so bilingual schools have been established in these areas to meet the needs of students?
Vocational training and pre-university courses
Many high schools offer special vocational training courses so that older students who do not intend to continue their studies in universities after graduation can learn the careers they choose and practice. Those students who are going to enter the university for further study usually take pre-university courses, including advanced mathematics, advanced English, science and so on. Some schools also offer pre-university courses. In addition, most middle schools or high schools offer some intensive courses for students, such as music, art, drama or physical education.
private school
Most communities have private schools. In the United States, about 10% of students study in private schools. These schools are not funded by taxes; On the contrary, parents must pay tuition for one year. Some private schools are certified by certification bodies, and some are not, so it is very important to determine whether teachers are qualified. Some private schools are "pre-university" institutions, and almost all graduates will enter universities. 80% private schools are related to religious groups to some extent, and take some form of religious education as part of their curriculum. Others are military academies, whose courses include some form of military training.
Family education
A few parents choose to educate their children at home. If you want to do this, you must use certified courses and be supervised by qualified teachers. Some school districts in megacities have also formulated family education plans to supervise local parents who educate their children at home.
Adult and continuing education
Many school systems provide extremely cheap or even free community education courses for local residents. These courses are usually sponsored by local school districts, including arts, crafts, Internet, sports or adult courses with English as a second language. They will also arrange some special courses for their children during the summer vacation, or hold learning camps.
Preparing for college: SAT and GRE
Before entering the university, all students must take a special test called SAT (Academic Aptitude Test) to test their English reading, comprehension and vocabulary abilities, as well as their math level. University authorities usually use the score of this test and the average score of students in high school as a measure of whether they agree to enroll. Please visit the website of online university board of directors.
, free inspection. In particular, I recommend the article "The Visa Officer of the American Embassy Refutes Rumors" to you.
In short, these articles all emphasize that in order to obtain a visa to study in the United States, applicants must prove their sole purpose of going to the United States? Rather than the basic purpose is learning; He has the ability to become a full-time student in America. He has enough funds to pay tuition, living expenses and unexpected expenses that may be needed in the United States, without having to work to make money; In addition, he can cite strong enough reasons, such as social factors and economic factors, which forced him to leave the United States immediately after finishing his studies.
American law stipulates that foreign students must intentionally leave the United States after completing their studies. You know, the United States has clear laws governing the issuance of visas. Officials at the visa office are responsible for law enforcement. They have no right to favor or discriminate against any applicant or make arbitrary decisions. Relatively speaking, undergraduates are not as easy to get American visas as graduate students, because the cost of studying in the United States is huge, and it is not easy for undergraduates to find jobs and apply for scholarships.
Reporter: Please tell us about the granting of student visas to China by the United States.
Liang Beide: Despite the September 1 1 terrorist attacks, the United States continues to welcome students from all over the world. Last year, the number of international students enrolled in American universities increased by 6.4%.
US President Bush has fully demonstrated his firm and consistent commitment to educational exchanges. This commitment has not been weakened by the tragedy of "9. 1 1". Last June165438+1October1President Bush said: "We must reaffirm our commitment to promoting educational opportunities: let American students have the opportunity to study abroad and encourage foreign students to participate in our education system. By studying foreign cultures, languages and living abroad, we can learn more about the commonness between countries and learn to better respect the differences between countries. As part of the international education exchange program, the friendly relations established between people of all countries will also develop into a positive and mutually beneficial partnership between countries. "
How to adapt to American campus life
Reporter: How is campus life in America? What should students studying in the United States do?
Liang Beide: The atmosphere of American universities and the learning experience that students are about to get are probably very different from other countries. Because American higher education has the following characteristics:
Critical thinking is very important. Most Americans think that their views are no less than those of their superiors. We usually don't automatically accept the words of our superiors, whether they are government officials, religious leaders or senior scholars. In the United States, the job of an economics professor is not to tell students what to think, or which economic policy is better and which is not. On the contrary, the professor tries to let the students explore the problem by themselves, find out how to collect the factual basis through research, and draw the final conclusion, and explain the personal conclusion clearly and convincingly.
Secondly, in addition to reading, class assignments also include analysis, and it is necessary to prepare a speech or paper that can reflect students' analysis and conclusions. In the classrooms of American schools? Including universities, junior high schools and senior high schools, students don't simply listen, record and then repeat what teachers say. Students will ask questions and question teachers. Teachers also ask students questions. Usually, there is no single correct answer to these questions. The purpose of this is not to let students simply know the facts and repeat them, but to let them know how to think, how to find the information they need in the well-documented library or the Internet, how to analyze the information, and how to prove their conclusions with sufficient arguments.
Reporter: How do your children study in America?
Liang Beide: I just described how my tenth grade daughter finished her senior high school thesis through library research. A professor from China once told me that most students in China know a lot of facts, but they can't learn how to do research at the same level until they take a postgraduate course. Therefore, China students who come to study in the United States may find that they have a lot of knowledge, but their ability of independent research needs to be improved. At the same time, they should learn to accept the fact that they are uncomfortable: sometimes, some questions may not have the only correct answer.
Seize the opportunity to experience American education
Reporter: Finally, I'd like you to talk about what other issues need attention when studying in the United States.
Liang Bede: Honesty is very important. Americans attach great importance to honesty in academic field. As we all know, the United States strongly supports the protection of intellectual property rights in the commercial field, and we also hold the same view in academic work. Teachers and professors want to see students' original works, and students can finish their papers in their own languages. If students plagiarize answers in the exam, they will be easily found out, so they will not pass the exam of this course. Handing in papers written by others will be considered cheating. Therefore, students should finish their homework independently.
Besides, we should have a team spirit. Many China students studying in the United States can achieve academic success through long-term efforts and restraint. But limiting themselves to study and research will deprive them of some of the most important advantages in American education, that is, participating in collective and social activities. American students attach great importance to participating in student activities and social activities, such as sports, clubs, service groups, associations and recreational activities. Socialization is also very important. Being a nerd means missing the opportunity to experience the greatest benefits of American education. Therefore, foreign students should come outside and experience American life.
In my opinion, this is a shortcoming of distance education or correspondence education. Maybe I'm too old-fashioned, but I think field education is the future trend. However, I think social interaction, that is, face-to-face debates and arguments with classmates and professors, are some of the most important features of education. I hope this kind of interaction between people will never be lost.
In short, whether you are in the United States, China or other countries, I wish the students academic progress. In this rapidly changing and increasingly interconnected world, education is the key to success.
I also hope that through education, the Chinese and American people can work together to enhance mutual understanding and create a better world.
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