Education

The first school that children can attend is a nursery school which is for children from the first year of
live to the age of 3. It is followed by a kindergarten. These forms of schools are not so necessary but
are useful for childrens social, ethics and knowledges development. As one of the biggest days in
ones life is considered the first day in the elementary school. This day begins the compulsory school
attendance- in Slovakia at the age of 6-15. In Slovakia primary school is divided into 2 grades. In the
first grade children learn to read, write and count. Later are these basic skills expanded by the
fundamentals of natural sciences, History and Geography. In the second grade the pupils start with
more wide-spread subjects. In both UK and USA most children go to public schools (provided by the
government), some to the private schools (parents pay for them).

There are many kinds of secondary schools such as grammar school (gymnzium), various types of
secondary technical schools, vocational schools (odborn kola) and apprentice centres (uovky). At
the most secondary schools study lasts 4 years. At the end of the 4th year in May students must pass
the graduation exam (maturita) which usually consists of oral and written part. Students get a week off
for preparation on it. You are examined from 4 subjects, the Slovak language is obligatory, while the
other subjects are selected by the student. Then you have 15 minutes for preparation and 15 minutes
for answering your task. You can be rated from 1-5. 1 is the best you can get, 5 is the worst and at the
maturita exam it means you have failed.

Many students want to continue theirs studies at the universities. There is a big choice business,
medical, law, technical schools.. You have to pass the entrance examination at first. The universities
have various levels, the 1st level is the bachelors degree. After successful accomplishment of the
following study, students are given a degree in their field of study. One school year lasts about 10
months (September June) and is divided into 2 terms (September January, February June), in
July and August students have summer holiday. On primary and secondary schools there are also
spring, winter and autumn and Easter holidays. For each day there is a various timetable. The most
common subjects in the Slovak schools are Slovak language, English, German, Maths, Geography,
Biology, PE Between single lessons students have a break. Lessons in Slovakia begin at 8 oclock,
in Britain at 9 oclock.

The students life is very individual. Of course his/her school activities are not finished after the
school. He has to do his homework and prepare for some eventual oral answers. On the other hand, he
should find some free time for his hobbies and friends. During summer holidays a lot of them are
searching for a part-time job to earn some money. In Britain there is also increasing number of school-
leavers who take a gap between school and university. It can be a good chance to experience some
adventure, to travel or to earn some money as well as to develop maturity and independence.

Knowledge of foreign language is nowadays one of the most important skills not only when taking
holidays abroad, but first of all in a professional branch. Knowledge of a foreign language is many
times very necessary part of a job interview, mark of a professional growth and it is also an important
source of new information from the cultural, science and technical range. The best way is studying
abroad indeed. You can go to an exchange residence abroad, to take a language course or to care about
the children as an au pair, which is very favourite with Slovak girls.

The purpose of education is not only to improve knowledge of children, but also to develop their
moral and ethic qualities. In schools various rules must be followed. For example students must not
disturb the teacher or the other students during the lesson, he should come at least 10 minutes before
the school starts, he mustnt eat during the lesson, run through the halls In some schools wearing
school uniforms is obligatory. Relation between a student and a teacher should be fair and not
hostile . Teachers should be tolerant, democratic, helpful, but strict too. On the other hand, students
should be polite and obedient , not rude or arrogant. People should go to school with joy and pleasure.
Education system in GB and USA

GB- In GB children go to school at the age of 5. Most children after primary school go to large
comprehensive schools without taking any exams. Here is wide choice of subjects so everyone can
choose this optional subjects. At the age of 16 they take first exams o- levels in 5 subjects, if they pass
they continue 2 years in more academic type of studying, if they fail, they go to work. At the age of 18
they go to universities, others go to work. There are some famous universities in GB such as- Oxford,
Cambridge, Yale - the best students study here, but there are also a lot of local universities. In SVK
and GB there arent school fees.

USA- There are both state and private schools in the USA. The school day usually begins between
8.00 and 9.00 a.m. and ends around 3 p.m. It includes a lunch break and sometimes free hours during
the day. School attendance as compulsory in the United States from the age of 6 until the age of 16.
The system of education is divided into pre-school and elementary, secondary and higher education.
Students have both compulsory and elective subjects at high schools. The compulsory subjects include
English, Modern Language, Maths, Chemistry and Biology. The electives include Music, Arts,
Physical Education. All high school students have mid-term and final exams in each subject.
Anyone who fails can go to to summer school or can take some extra courses. In the end of the final
year at high school the students take nationwide standardized test, called Stanford Achievement Test
(SAT).

TASK 2

Speak about:

- school system / types of schools, exams, organization of a school year, classification, holidays/(in
Slovakia,Britain and USA)
- your school / timetable, subjects and break, the number of students, what after school activities, life
of the student/
- the type of secondary school you attend, the reasons you have chosen this course of study

TASK 3 - Role play

It is your birthday next week. Your parents ask you what you want as a birthday present. You really
long for a mobile phone, but your parents are against. Try to persuade them using reasonable
arguments.