EDUCATION IN THE USA

HISTORY

ORGANIZATION PROBLEMS

CHANGINGSTANDARDS

SHARED FEATURES

LESSONS

INSTITUTIONS

SCHOOL SUBJECTS

GROWS UP TO MEET ENVIRONMENTAL NEEDS

REFLECTS THE COUNTRY’S HISTORY

CONTRIBUTES GREATLY TO THE NATION’S FUTURE

1639: HARVARD (MASS.)1647: The Older Deluder Satan Act in MASS. BAY COLONY; PURITANS INSISTED ON DIRECT READING DEVELOPED LITERACY1680: BOSTON BOOKSELLERS BEGAN TO FLOURISH1683: FIRST SCHOOL (PENN.)1690S: COLLEGE OF WILLIAM & MARY (VIRG.)1690S: YALE COLLEGE (CONN.)

READING FOR DIRECT ACCESS TO SCRIPTURE (PURITANS)READING, WRITING & ACCOUNTING (PENN.)LANGUAGES, MATH & NATURAL SCIENCES (PHIL.)DEBATING CLUB (B. FRANKLIN; PHIL)

FEATURES

SYSTEMS

TAG

ES

OF

S

CH

OO

LIN

G

EMPHASIS ON EDUCATION OF THE MASSES

GOAL: TO MEET THE NEEDS OF PARTICULAR ENVIRONMENT

PHILOSOPHY: DEMOCRACY DEPENDS ON FULLY INFORMED CITIZENS WHO, CONSEQUENTLY NEEDS THE BEST EDUCATION

NO NATIONAL SYSTEM. EACH STATE HAS ITS OWN EDUCATIONAL POLICIESRELIGION IS NOT INCLUDED IN PUBLIC SCHOOL CURRICULUM90% AMERICAN CHILDREN ATTEND FREE STATE-SUPPORTED PUBLIC SCHOOLS, THOUGH STUDENTS PAY FOR TEXTBOOKS & EXRACURRILACOMPULSORY EDUCATION: 5-16 YEARSADMISSION TO SCHOOL IS AUTOMATIC, NO ADMISSION TEST

Level of

Sch

ools

PRIMARY

(Class 1-6 or 1-8)

HIGH SCHOOL(Junior:

Class 7-9)(Senior:

Class 9-12 or 10-12)

UNDER-GRADUATE

(2 year college

Or 4 year B.A.

POST-GRADUATE:

(2 years M.A. +2 years Ph.D.)

4-6 years

4 years 2 + 2 years

6 0r 8 years

TO LIVE

TO BETO DOTO

KNOW

FUNDAMENTAL VALUES: HUMANISM AMERICAN IDEALS MORAL & SPIRITUAL VALUES

L E A R N I N G

TYPES PRIMARY SECONDARY UNIVERSITY

CORE CONTENTS

MATH, ELA, PENMANSHIPNATURALSCIENCESOCIAL SCIENCESPHYSICAL EDUCATIONCOMPUTER

CONTINUATION OF PRIMARY SCHOOL SUBJECTS

TWO YEARS MATRICULATION

ELECTIVES

BASIC ARTS ARTS, MUSIC, COOKINGSHOPPING, DRIVING,COLLEGE PREP. SUBJECTS

HUMANITY

EXTRACUR-RICULAR

─ SCHOOL PUBLICATIONSTUDENT COUNCILSPORTSPUBLIC SPEAKING

SIMILAR TO SECONDARY SCHOOL + OTHERS

FUNDAMENTAL VALUESTO EMPHASIS IN U.S. EDUCATION (EDUCATIONAL POLICIES COMISSION OF NEA, 1951)

HUMANITY VALUES:1. KNOWLEDGE2. CREATIVITY3. EXPERIMENTATION4. MAN AS THE MEASURE OF THINGS5. INTELLIGENT ORDERING OF LIFE BASED AS ON KNOWLEDGE6. SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY TO SELF AND OTHERS7. LIVING AS AN ESSENTIALLY COOPERATIVE VENTURE

AMERICAN IDEALS (NATIONAL FORMULATION):8. HUMAN RIGHTS AND FREEDOM9. EQUALITY AND OPPORTUNITY10. SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY11. DISCIPLINE

FUNDAMENTAL VALUESTO EMPHASIS IN U.S. EDUCATION (EDUCATIONAL POLICIES COMISSION OF NEA, 1951)(CONT.)

MORAL & SPIRITUAL VALUES

(OPERATIONAL STATEMENT):1. HUMAN PERSONALITY

2. MORAL RESPONSIBILITY

3. INSTITUTIONS AS THE SERVANTS OF MAN

4. COMMON CONSENT

5. DEVOTION TO TRUTH

6. RESPECT FOR EXCELLENT

7. MORAL EQUALITY

8. BROTHERHOOD

9. THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

10.SPIRITUAL ENRICHMENT

EMPHASIS ON EDUCATION OF THE MASSES FACILITATES EQUAL OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL, BUT THREATS TO GIVE THE SAME EDUCATION FOR ALL

SOLUTION:

1) DIFFERENTIATED CURRICULA

2) INDIVIDUAL LEARNING

MASTERING FACTS VS. DEVELOPING MIND?

SOLUTION: QUESTIONING THE SYSTEM BY RECONSIDERING THE TRUE GOAL OF EDUCATION.

STOP THE CURRICULUM ‘DUMBING DOWN’LENGTHENING THE LEARNING TIMEINCREASING TEACHERS’ INCOMEINCREASING LEVEL OF DIFFICULTY

UNIFORMITY

RELEVANCEOF SUBJ. MATTER

REACHINGTHE STANDARDS

ACTIVE PARTICIPATION

EGALITARIANSTUDENT-TEACHER

RELATIONSHIP

INDEPENDENTLEARNING

THE HONOR SYSTEM

SHARED FEATURES

IN COLLEGE CLASSROOM

• PROFESSORS TEND TO TREAT STUDENTS AS EQUALS, BUT THEY ARE STILL IN THE POSITION OF AUTHORITY;

• PROFESSORS MAY HAVE CLOSE SOCIAL RELATIONSHIP OUTSIDE OF THE CLASS BUT EVALUATE TESTS OBJECTIVELY.

• STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO FINISH RESEARCH WITH MINIMUM GUIDE.

• RESPONSIBILITY FOR LEARNING LIES WITH STUDENTS;

STUDENTS SHOULD BE HONEST IN ALL SCHOOL’S WORK. PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING CAN CAUSE STUDENTS EXPELLED

COMPETITION

THE GRADES OF SOME COURSES GRADES ARE CALCUATED IN RELATION TO OTHER STUDENTS’ SCORE. THUS, STUDENT SHOULD COMPETE.

• NOT ONLY ACCEPTABLE BUT ALSO EXPECTED

• PROFESSORS MAJORLY FACILLITATE LEARNING

Asia Europe Latin America North America Africa Oceania0

50,000

100,000

150,000

200,000

250,000

300,000294,000

62,000

45,000

23,000 21,000

4,000

Foreign Students in American Universities (1994; n=449,000)