• school system, school types in English-speaking countries
• candidate's school experiences
• tertiary education
• learning outside school: courses, etc
• student exchange programmes, student mobility
When children are 2 or 3 years old, they sometimes go to a nursery school, where they learn simple games and songs. In England there are not enough nursery schools for all children under five, so parents themselves often form play groups for children under five where they can go a couple of times a week. From 5 to 7 years, children go to infant schools and from 8 to 11 years to junior schools. From the age of 11 most children attend a comprehensive school until the age of 16 or 18. Higher education covers universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.
In the United States children start the 8-grade elementary school at the age of six. After the elementary school, the students attend four years of high school. In some cases students between 12-14 go to junior high school and then attend a 3-year high school. After high school the students can attend university for four years. State and private university masters’ degrees are completed in one to two years, and doctoral degrees can take seven year.
It’s the same in Hungary. Children’s first real school is called a primary school. Usually at the age of six, but parents can decide whether those childen who wee born in autumn start when they are six, or a year later. In England they start at the age of five and in the States the system is the same as in Hungary. Secondary education begins at the age of about 14.
In Hungary there are secondary grammar, secondary technical and vocational schools. Mostly those students choose secondary grammar schools who plan to go on to higher education. Students who would like to learn a trade or profession besides passing their school-leaving exam go to secondary technical schools. I passed the school-leaving exam in a Secondary School of Economics. Vocational schools train skilled workers, such as plumbers, joiners and hairdressers. The training lasts three years in these schools.
After high-school graduation they can go to university or college. These courses normally last 4 years and then students graduate, which means they receive their degree. At university, teaching is by tutorial, seminar, lecture and of course private study. Most people who receive a university place are given a grant by the government to help pay their fees and living expenses.
Full-time students attend school on weekdays and correspondence students go to classes mainly on Fridays and Saturday. I went to college every second Friday and Saturday, so I could work or I could stay at home with my child.
Other facilities of continuing professional education are the crash-courses and OKJ trainings, where you get an official and received certificate.
Nowadays most young people want to become economists, lawyers or deal with some field of computer science. Many of them think that it will be easy to find well-paying jobs with these degrees.
The program of student barter is a very good thing. Students can meet foreign people, countries and cultures, and during they learn foreign languages. I think it has only advantages.