美国的中学教育与中国的中学教育的异同

Primary and secondary education in China is composed of three stages:primary school,junior middle school and senior middle school,with a length of study of 12 years altogether.Generally,the length of study in primary schools is six years; junior middle schools,three years; and senior middle schools,three years.Primary and junior middle school education is compulsory.Children who have reached the age of six may enter primary schools.Where junior middle school education is basically universal,students who have graduated from primary schools may,without examination,advance to the appropriate junior middle schools.Junior middle school graduates may enter senior middle schools after passing examinations set by the local education authorities.
Since the issuing of the Compulsory Education Law of the PRC in 1986,governments at all levels have actively promoted nine-year compulsory education,and made remarkable achievements.Throughout the nation,nearly 1,500 counties,cities and municipal districts have basically instituted nine-year compulsory education,with a population coverage of about 50 percent.Senior middle school education is now virtually universal in large and medium-sized cities and the coastal areas,where the economy is fairly well developed.
The experiment class "without desks" in Zhongshanlu Primary School in Harbin.This is liked by the pupils and has got good results.In the picture,the pupils are raising their hands to answer questions.¡¡
Ethics,labor skills and after-school education are promoted in primary and secondary schools,laying a good foundation for the enhancement of the students' quality and their all-round development.On January 7,2000,the Ministry of Education held a tele-conference on the work of lightening the burden on primary and middle school students,and demanded that all local education departments take effective measures.
The high school education system in the United States is unique compared with secondary education in other countries.U.S.law requires students to attend school,but each state has different laws regarding how long students must attend.In some states,students have to go to school until the age of 16,while others require students to attend until they are 18.
In most cases,the length of time students are in high school is determined by how the local school district has divided the students' grades.Some districts divide the high school into tenth through twelfth grade while other districts begin high school in eighth or ninth grade.
Students can attend a private or public high school.Private schools charge students tuition to attend,and some have a religious affiliation.According to the Public School Review Web site,private schools have competitive admission,because they are not required to accept every student who applies.Also,students at private schools don't have to meet the state requirements to graduate.The school decides what courses and programs the student needs to graduate.Private school teachers don't have to be certified by the state to teach.As long as they meet the schools' conditions,they can teach.
Public schools receive most of their money from state and local taxes.According to Public School Review,public high schools have to provide a free education for every student.At public high schools,students must meet requirements set by the state in which the student resides.This can include a minimum number of credits,a minimum grade point average,and a state-approved test to ensure the student has learned the basic skills needed to graduate.Public school teachers must have certification from the state.They need a college degree and a state license to be able to teach.
High school students planning to go to a four-year college take classes that will prepare them for college,and high schools tell students the basic requirements needed to get into college.Colleges usually want students who have taken courses in math,history,science,language arts,and foreign language.
鈥淭hey (college admissions) want the kids to take as many challenging courses as they can take,鈥 said Pat Croner,an independent college counselor from California.
The Web site for the Department of Education has a chart with the recommended general course requirements that most colleges want students to have.Colleges have specific entrance requirements,but in general each college wants students with similar attributes.Students can contact the school they are interested in attending to learn what the specific requirements are for that school.
In the United States,students can get ahead by taking Advanced Placement (AP) or postsecondary classes.Students may choose from many AP subjects,and at the end of the class,a test is administered.If a student receives a high score,that student's college might award credit.Postsecondary classes are taken at the college.This option provides the student a glimpse into a college course,and the student receives high school and college credit; that way,two requirements are fulfilled at once.Also,some school districts will pay for their students to take postsecondary classes.
Croner says AP and postsecondary courses have a demanding curriculum.She says the teachers are specialists and have a passion for what they are teaching,so students get more from the experience.Students who want to learn more about AP and postsecondary courses should contact local colleges and the guidance counselor at their school to see what their options are.