In Russia they love to tell fairy tales. But fairy tales are different: good, evil, funny, sad, adventure, etc. I don't like evil fairy tales. They scare children and create in them images of terrible monsters, which can then ruin their entire future life.
So, in order to overcome your fear, you need to take a closer look at the monster, study it, find out its habits, thoughts and desires. And then draw conclusions about the threatened or imaginary danger.
One of the most evil fairy tales of modern Russia: this is America and everything connected with it. In particular, American public school education. What does this fairy-tale monster look like: the level of knowledge among graduates is almost at the level of our elementary school, in lessons they study only what is somehow related to America, the behavior of schoolchildren in lessons is disgusting, and after lessons many children gather in gangs and kill civilians residents. This is such an evil tale .
Now let's see how it really is.
An eyewitness account.
The author is Arif Gezalov, his daughter Alisa studies at a public American school in Colorado (Boulder district).
The conversation about the American school began with a discussion of the “monkey trial” currently taking place in Russia.
http://community.livejournal.com/carians/70208.html?thread=1107008#t1107008
Arif Gezalov: Let me clarify right away: since I cannot vouch for all of America on all points, I would like to note that my observations relate mainly to the state of Colorado (Boulder district), where my daughter studies, and partly to the state of California (in the San Francisco-Silicon region Valley - San Jose), where I have a number of acquaintances whose children are studying in the schools there, and where I lived some time ago for several months.
Evgenia Krasina: Did your daughter have problems with language adaptation?
Arif Gezalov: When we first arrived in the USA, neither my wife nor my daughter knew English at all (my wife studied German at a special school level, my daughter also studied at a German school, but by the time we moved she still had no idea about a foreign language (including including the English language. I was very worried about this particular question, but as it turned out, everything is much simpler. A number of public schools in the United States operate an ESL (English as a Second Language) program specifically for immigrants. My daughter was 10 years old when she arrived in USA, and ended up in the fifth year of study. There is a system in which residents of a certain area have a priority right to enroll in a district school, everyone else is recruited on a residual basis, however, since ESL is not available in all schools, therefore, when choosing schools, people who declare such a need receive the right of first choice of school (Open Enrollment), on an equal basis with residents of the area in which the chosen school is located. That is, children of immigrants, by and large, have an advantage in choosing a school compared to Americans. The program is very effective - after just six months, my daughter could speak relatively freely in stores and with classmates, and after a year she herself chose to go to secondary school (fifth grade is the last grade of primary school, so the next year we had to transfer to high school), which no longer had ESL, i.e. she thought she could do without him. And she turned out to be right - not only did she not have any problems with the language, but she even received good grades in English classes on a general basis.
Evgenia Krasina: Please tell us about the structure of public schools in the USA.
Arif Gezalov: In short, there is a three-stage structure - primary school (including Kindergarden - the preparatory group of kindergarten) up to and including the fifth year of study. Middle school - from 6th to 8th and high school - from 9th to 12th. All schools are segregated. Primary schools are usually relatively small (up to 300 students), and there are them in every district; secondary schools are larger, with 1000 - 1500 students, and there are fewer of them. The largest are high schools, with up to 5,000 students and only a few in the entire city. As I wrote, each district of the city is “assigned” to its own school, however, this only means that residents of the district have a preferential right to enroll in “their” school, and the rest are recruited on a residual basis. There are, however, exceptions (I have already noted the need for ESL or the presence of a school bus, if, let’s say, the bus route from another (not your) school is more convenient for you, on this basis you can get an advantage “not to your” school). Schools compete with each other. Although education in them is free for parents, nevertheless, school funding depends on the number of students and on its level (popularity), so it is beneficial for schools to attract people. If the school is popular, on this basis it is possible to obtain funding from the state for its expansion. There are semi-specialized schools, such as art schools.
Evgenia Krasina: They say that in American schools a student can choose his own subject of study, is this true?
Arif Gezalov: I would like to say a few words about the school curriculum. My daughter is now studying in high school in the USA. The school is an ordinary, municipal one, and this is the system that works there (some subjects are optional). However, no one suggests choosing dancing instead of algebra - dancing can be chosen instead of modeling or drawing, for example, but basic subjects such as algebra are chosen in a different way. The choice there lies in the “level of immersion” in the subject. Each student has access to three levels - the level of the previous class, the level of the current class, and an advanced level - the level of the next class. Thus, if you took advanced mathematics in the ninth grade, you will sit in lessons with the guys from the tenth (there, in general, classes as such are very conventional - there are “streams”, like in our universities) There are differences in the curriculum If in Russian schools they teach a little of everything throughout the year (physics two hours a week, mathematics three, biology an hour, etc.), then in the USA only mathematics is taught throughout the year, and only “science” (year - only biology, next year - only physics, then - chemistry), etc. By the end of the training, the student is compared in the amount of knowledge with his Russian colleague, but in the learning process they diverge. Now about the choice. At the beginning of the year, each student is given the ability to choose subjects - he must choose one of several basic subjects. For example, a choice between advanced biology, history or advanced mathematics. The minimum level will be taught to him anyway, but you have the opportunity to study something deeper than other subjects. In addition to the mandatory choice There is also a choice of several minor items. It is important to get the required number of hours there. This could be some form of art (sculpting, drawing, theater, music, etc.), or community service (preparing visual aids, etc., i.e., in essence, these are something like electives).
Evgenia Krasina: As I understand, a student’s workload is not limited only to lessons directly at school, there is also a certain amount of homework. Are you aware of the amount of homework in Western countries, higher, lower or approximately the same as ours?
Arif Gezalov: I can tell you from my daughter’s experience that there is also plenty of homework in US schools, and they give it on weekends as well (I don’t know how it is now, but I remember from my own experience that we were rarely assigned on Sunday). She spends an average of three hours a day on homework, and there is a fairly high percentage of various kinds of reports, essays, independent search for materials on some topic (well, for example, talk about healthcare in South Africa or talk about some writer whose books you read) on which she needs to prepare a report - all the time she searches for something on the Internet, prints it out, makes visual boards with photographs, etc. etc. She has a big project about twice a year. She usually chooses the topic (within a particular subject) herself, however, there are certain general requirements for the project. Then they defend this project. In general, local schools don’t let you get bored...
Recently I made a visual model of the sodium atom :) I bought some sticks, foam balls, foil, etc. In my opinion, it turned out to be a very strange design, but the teachers seemed to like it :)
Evgenia Krasina: For some reason, here in Russia there is an opinion that American schools provide a very low level of education, their lessons are a complete mess, and children have a hard time showing where Europe is on the map. How do you assess the level of education in American schools compared to Russian ones?
Arif Gezalov: About the level of education. I think the point here is this - as I wrote, the sequence of teaching subjects in an American school is different. In a Russian school, a student in, say, eighth grade, studies mathematics, physics, biology, history, etc. , devoting them an hour or two or three a week. It's different in an American school. The eighth grade student is studying math, science, and social studies. Mathematics is understandable, but “science” is a different subject for each class. So, in my opinion, in the eighth grade, science is biology. And here the course that is completed in Russian schools in two or three years is completed in one year. But at the same time, in the eighth grade there is no physics that we are used to. Thus, an American schoolchild already knows about Mendel’s laws, about DNA, about cellular structure, but has no idea about Newton’s laws. If you compare an American schoolchild and a Russian one at this moment, you will get the impression that the Russian student is better prepared, because... he has already passed Newton's laws, and no one compares the level of their knowledge in biology. By the end of school, their knowledge levels will gradually equalize. Further. There is another reason. In American schools, the workload on students is uneven and increases from year to year. In elementary school, children take only survey courses, and in the third, fourth, and fifth grades the workload on them is significantly less than on a Russian schoolchild. But in high school this load increases many times over, becoming higher than in Russian schools.
Indeed, in American schools the emphasis is on in-depth study of the history, geography, political structure of the United States (however, where this is not the case), however, knowledge about other countries is given, students write essays about different countries, prepare reports, etc. Naturally, my daughter made a report on Russia, printed out photographs, talked about the country :) They can show Europe on a map, however, with the same probability as a student at a Russian school :)
About the mess. Compared to Russian schools, the classroom environment really looks very unusual. Students argue, have discussions, even play, and the teacher does this together with everyone. It even goes so far as to sometimes pull pranks on other teachers and classes. Those. measures are being taken to reduce the formality. But there is no chaos (I, of course, am not now considering schools in disadvantaged areas where teachers have to confront youth gangs, however, I have not seen such schools in our area or even heard of them and have an idea about them only from films. The discipline in the school itself is strict - in order to leave the class you need to get a special ticket from the teacher, allowing you to move around the school. Attendance is very strict, while the system works like in our universities - an unwritten test is zero points, regardless of the reason for absence, and In order to get a decent grade in a semester, you need to pass it. There are also a number of features that are unusual for Russian schools, in particular, usually marks for some work are known only to the teacher and a particular student, and are not announced to the whole class. But if the student makes progress , then everyone is informed about it.
Yes, here’s what I forgot to say about the visit - if a child is absent from school, then the parents receive a printed report regarding the absence the very next day. If more than a certain number of hours are missed, then you must provide a doctor’s certificate, and a “note from parents” does not work here. The year before last, our daughter was sick “more than she should” and we received a letter saying that if we cannot confirm absences, then we, as parents, could be sued. As a result, we went to sort things out with the school director and showed our certificates. Among other things, this, as I wrote, does not relieve the student himself from the need to write tests and submit projects. True, they have the opportunity to negotiate with the teacher about replacing the assignment. At the end of the semester, two weeks are allocated for the state exam. Based on the results of this exam, a conclusion is drawn about the level of the school (statistics on schools are given in the local press), which affects its popularity. In addition, test results are sent to us by mail. Quarter grades and exam results are also sent by mail.
Another addition - due to the specifics of training, which I wrote about, at the end of the quarter, grades are given in only five or six disciplines, so the grades in the quarter look rather laconic in comparison with their Russian counterparts. This is explained by the fact that the variety of subjects per year is less than in Russian schools. Another difference is the lesson schedule. Every day of the week it is the same (i.e., let’s say, the first lesson is language, the second is physical education, the third is mathematics, etc., and so on every day for the entire quarter). Schedules are divided by stream (they are usually designated by colors - “blue”, “green”, etc.). Different threads intersect on different objects. At the same time, streams from different years of study may intersect in one subject, and, conversely, the child meets some classmates only during lunch. There are free hours in high school.
Evgenia Krasina: What subjects are preferred?
Arif Gezalov: about items. Mathematics is taught very seriously, and if you take an intensive course (what I wrote about in the previous message), then it contains elements of higher algebra, mathematical analysis, Matrix analysis, set theory, probability theory and even elements of differential calculus. It must be said that twenty percent of students take an advanced course. The standard course is also quite serious. Biology and chemistry, in my opinion, are taught weaker than in Russia. Physics is about the same. Strong English course. It continues throughout the training period. Much attention is paid to physical education - and, interestingly, students periodically write essays on physical education. History, geography and other social sciences in high school are also taught at the same level. In general, students do not have much free time after school.
That's about it...
Evgenia Krasina: There are still questions: what textbooks are all this taught from? Are there any standard ones for all schools, or does the teacher choose? And what else, besides textbooks, is used as educational materials?
What humanities subjects are taught?
Arif Gezalov: Now for the textbooks. There are textbooks that are produced specifically for schools. I cannot vouch for whether they are mandatory for all schools in the state (most likely not, i.e. the school is free to choose the teaching material itself), but I have seen the same textbooks in different schools. However, a lot of teaching material is prepared by the teacher directly for the lesson. During the lesson, students are given xeroxed materials that outline the theory and at the same time give a number of problems, some of which the students solve in class, and some of which are given as homework. According to my observations, approximately 30 percent of the material comes from textbooks, 60 percent from teacher-prepared printouts, and 10 percent from oral presentation in class. A large role in learning is given to independent search for materials (this applies mainly to the humanities and language art). I can’t imagine what we would do without the Internet, since Alice (my daughter) is always looking for something there, printing it out, putting it together etc. At school, of course, there is also the Internet, but I think that in order to do her homework, she would simply have to stay in there. Among the humanitarian subjects, the already mentioned Language art, history, geography, an analogue of social studies, applied art are taught, in secondary school - music (orchestra - here in primary and secondary schools they teach playing musical instruments, in high school it becomes an elective. HOW they play is second question, but almost everyone is covered - they go to school with violins, guitars, cellos, trumpets, etc.), in addition there are lessons with elements of life safety, hygiene, ethics, etc.
Evgenia Krasina: and, by the way, since this is such a topic, what about religion at school?
Arif Gezalov: There is NO religion in school IN ANY FORM, not even in the form of “five minutes of silence” or something similar. However, there are several churches near the school, so that during the big break, students can go there. The school is emphatically secular. I remember at an orientation meeting, when parents of future students were taken to classes, the biology teacher firmly said that evolutionary theory would be taught at school, and if anyone did not agree with this, they could teach their religious knowledge at home or petition for so that his child would be freed from these activities, and, as it were, put an end to this.
Evgenia Krasina: There is also a legend about specific school patriotism, sometimes to the point of fandom, is this true?
Arif Gezalov: School patriotism. I didn’t notice any special fanatical patriotism. However, there are certain elements of patriotism (they usually spill out at sports events). This is its own sports uniform, school emblem, slogan, all kinds of “chants”, etc. However, I have never heard anything about fights on this basis. We may have a very quiet place, but sometimes I get the impression that children are growing up in too hot conditions. Any violations of discipline are nipped in the bud. You can be kicked out of school for bloodying someone's nose (even outside of school hours!), for drinking a bottle of beer or smoking a marijuana cigarette. Conflicts between schoolchildren, of course, do occur, but almost always in a hidden form; it almost never comes to the point of brawls. I don’t know whether it’s good or bad that boys don’t fight during breaks, but it’s a fact, and I think it’s not just a matter of fear of getting kicked out of school...
One more observation. I remember when I first came to register my child for school (then still an elementary school), I was struck by the visual propaganda on the walls. Almost all the posters on the walls were on the topic of developing SELF-RESPECT. Texts of this kind “If you don’t respect yourself, then other people won’t respect you”, “Without self-respect it is impossible to respect other people”, “You can do a lot, it’s only important to try and achieve it”, etc. and so on.
Evgenia Krasina: How do American schools build relationships with parents of schoolchildren?
Arif Gezalov: There are no parent-teacher meetings here as we understand it. There is nothing that terribly annoyed me in a Russian school, when you are sitting at your desk, and the teacher in front of everyone reprimands you for your child, like “Your Masha gets bad marks, distracts other students from classes, behaves badly during recess!” We receive all information about the school, including the schedule of classes, events (concerts, sporting events, recreational evenings), school news by mail in the form of a brochure. During the quarter there are reception days when you can make an appointment with the teacher (only parents, the student and the teacher), you can always talk with the director. There is also no humiliating siphoning of money for various kinds of “classroom needs,” although donations are welcome, including in the form of practical work at school. This, of course, does not mean washing windows, but, for example, help in organizing holidays, teaching materials, etc. For example, I once took a group photo for a graduation album - I photographed the children, and then made a collage. Textbooks are free, from the library, teaching materials too. True, it is possible to buy recommended (but optional) literature. Money is taken for a student's ID (at the beginning of the year), for a lock on a personal locker, for lunches ("lunches" - a certain amount is given first, each student has a kind of loan, according to which he is given food in the school canteen, and is informed in advance , when the amount comes to an end) and for some other little thing. The school bus is free, however, if you are late for it, you will have to get there yourself, so Alice has a monthly bus pass. In general, it is not burdensome.
Evgenia Krasina: You said: There are semi-specialized schools, for example, schools with in-depth study of art.
Are there schools for in-depth study of mathematics, physics, biology, as is the case here?
Arif Gezalov: I don't want to lie - I don't know. I haven't heard of this in our district (I mean municipal, not private schools), but maybe it exists somewhere. Although, to be honest, I don't see the need for this. After our conversation with you, I talked to my daughter, and she told me that at their school there are not one, but two “advanced” levels of mathematics and physics. Moreover, according to her reviews, these levels are so complex that they cover part of the university program and are taught by university professors (from the University of Colorado - fortunately it is nearby). When I asked why she didn’t take such a course, she reasonably remarked to me: “Do you want me to stay away from textbooks at all?” :)
Evgenia Krasina: Well... Of course, you can’t draw conclusions about the entire school education of Americans based on one city. But, at the very least, this example makes us think about whether it’s in vain that we believe in many evil fairy tales that adult politicians feed us with? And, most importantly, why do they need it?
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School is the place where personality is formed. Americans know this firsthand and formulate educational programs so that every student can discover their abilities and achieve success in the future.
We are in website decided to find out what is special about schools in the USA and why American children are ready to conquer the world.
1. Freedom of choice
American children learn to make decisions and choices from a very early age. Schools have several compulsory subjects and a number of elective subjects depending on the student's interest.
There are no rigid classes or groups in schools; students are called students and take courses that develop their inclinations and interests. Each student can have their own class schedule.
2. An optimistic view of the future
Students understand that their well-being in adulthood depends not on the chosen profession or type of activity, but on success in this area.
You don't have to be a lawyer or a banker. You can become a car mechanic and do top-notch work without needing anything.
3. Credit system
Students need to score 100 points to receive a high school diploma. For each course at school, the student receives points - a credit. To advance to the next school, you must achieve the minimum credits for that level. And then, in order to take college prep classes, the student must have “personal credit.”
Sometimes students accumulate such a high credit that it is enough for a good discount on higher education. It turns out, and here children have 2 options: either achieve everything with their own work and abilities, earning a loan, or pay for college education with their parents’ money.
4. Constantly new faces
Every year the composition of classes and teachers changes. Children learn to adapt to a new team and feel comfortable - it is believed that this skill will be very useful to them in adulthood.
5. No entrance exams
During the senior year, students write test papers in subjects, and at the end of the year the results are sent to colleges and universities. And after graduating from school, the student considers invitations to study from different educational institutions or sends requests to them himself.
6. Independence
American children perceive teachers not as superiors, but rather as learning partners. You need to collaborate with them to get maximum results.
From childhood, students are taught independence. From the age of 6 they are allowed to stay overnight, then school organizations encourage weekend trips and summer vacations to a holiday camp. From the age of 16–17, many teenagers acquire the highest sign of independence - their own car.
7. Nurturing an active position
I will talk here about how education is organized in American public (free) schools in our state of Massachusetts (each state has its own differences).
Here are the questions and answers:
1) Is it possible to learn more about the education system in American schools? How many classes are there in American schools?
Children go to school in America for only 13 years (from 5 to 18 years old).
School in America is divided into 3 different schools:
Elementary school: from 0 to 4 grades (5 years)
Middle school: from 5th to 8th grade (4 years)
Senior classes (High School): from grades 9 to 12 (4 years).
All three schools are located in different buildings. My youngest son went to 3rd grade at Elementary school this year, and my eldest went to 10th grade at High School.
2) In Russia you can study 9th or 11th grade, is there something similar in the USA?
Yes, there is something similar. After grades 8, 9, 10 or 11, a teenager can go to study at a technical school, where, along with general education, he can receive some useful specialty, for example:
Engineer,
Electromechanic,
Teacher at a preschool institution,
Landscape designer,
Telecommunications specialist
Marketing Specialist,
and others.
3) What subjects are there in American schools that are not taught in Russia?
My eldest son is in 10th grade. Here are the subjects he is taking this year (5 compulsory and one optional).
Required subjects in 10th grade:
2. Algebra
3. Chemistry
5. American Studies. They have this instead of history (the history of the ancient world and other states was in high school).
The elective subject at our school could be chosen from the following (usually the choice depends on the state): “Photography”, “Ceramic Making”, “Drawing”, “Painting”, “Additional course in physics”, “Additional course in history and law”.
My son chose “Photography” (this is classic photography, not digital, where photographs are processed according to all the rules: developer, fixer, clothespins, etc.). His works are very creative, especially black and white.
Compulsory subjects in 9th grade were:
1. English (as native language)
2. Social Studies includes World History and Geography
3. Physics
4. Spanish (as a foreign language)
5. Geometry
4) How is education organized in American schools?
The fact is that starting from grade 9, teenagers are asked to choose their level of study in each subject. The teenager and his parents, together with teachers, choose the level of study that best suits the teenager's interests and abilities in a given area.
Each subject has 3 levels, and each teacher has 3 groups of students:
Level 1 (the easiest): College Preparation class - Preparation class for college (university)
Level 2 (more difficult): Honors class - Excellent class
Level 3 (the most difficult): Advanced Placement class - Class of increased difficulty
All children have different interests and different abilities. So someone might take English or algebra in a Tier 3 class and chemistry or physics in a Tier 1 class.
Level 2 and 3 classes cover the same material as Level 1 classes, but in more depth and their curriculum focuses on developing independent thinking and creative ideas. The class size is slightly smaller than a Level 1 class to make it easier for students to participate in class discussions and express their opinions. At the end of the year, classes of all levels take the same annual test (MCAS), and in grades 11 and 12 - the SAT test (this is something like the Russian EG).
The test is the same for everyone, and in order to pass it, you need to know the compulsory syllabus, so a student who did well in Level 1 can pass this test with flying colors. And those who studied in Levels 2 and 3 classes, if they pass the test well, will receive in addition the note “graduated with Honors” (“graduated the course with honors”), and this is a big plus upon admission! And the more of these “differences” in each subject, the better.
In elementary school, learning is organized more simply. Children learn to read, write and count in a class of 25 with one teacher. Once a day they have an additional subject: Physical Education, Art or Music. During the day they have many short breaks, as well as two long breaks, one of which is for lunch.
Lunch can be purchased at school or brought with you.
5) Chow many lessons per day?
Lessons consist of modules (blocks) of 25 minutes each.
Because all high school students attend classes at different levels, each teen has a different schedule than other students.
Here is a typical day for my tenth grade son:
Algebra: 3 modules of 25 min.
Studying America: 2 modules of 25 min.
Break: 3 modules of 25 min.
Photography: 2 modules of 25 min.
Break: 1 module of 25 minutes.
Spanish: 2 modules of 25 min.
Chemistry: 2 modules of 25 min.
6) When do children come to school and when do they leave?
In primary schools, the school day lasts from 8.40 to 14.40.
In secondary school - from 8.00 to 14.40.
In high school - from 7.30 to 14.40
Many children travel to and from school by school bus, the route of which takes into account the children's residence in a given town.
Many parents bring their children to school and pick them up by car. If parents cannot pick up a child after school, he can, for an additional fee, attend an extended day group at school, where teachers will work with him, play educational games, do crafts and help him with his homework.
Every morning, when children go to school, at several intersections located near each school, traffic controllers in yellow vests stand and stop vehicles to allow children to cross the road safely. Traffic controllers are not police officers, they work at the school.
When children arrive at school and when they go home, police are stationed outside the school to monitor the safety of children and to prevent undesirable individuals from approaching schools who may pose a threat to children.
I apologize for the quality of the photos. Teachers don't like people taking pictures at school (you need special permission to do this), so I had to secretly take pictures with my mobile phone.
Schoolchildren are deprived of their childhood
For countries of Confucian culture, acquiring knowledge and studying is almost sacred. And therefore, South Korean students, unlike children from other countries, know very well what an abundance of homework means.
To put it bluntly, Korean schoolchildren are simply deprived of childhood. The race to enter a prestigious university, on which the future of a Korean largely depends, starts at about nine years of age.
If before this time you can still see Korean boys and girls playing carefree in the courtyards, then from this age everyone disappears from the streets and spends time at their desks.
Koreans, of course, complain about the abundance of homework for schoolchildren, but it never occurs to anyone to demand their abolition. On the contrary: Korean children voluntarily study in two schools at once. In the morning and afternoon - a regular school, and in the afternoon - various courses, tutors in specialized subjects, in which they plan to take an analogue of the Russian Unified State Exam.
On average, Korean schoolchildren sleep 5 hours while preparing for exams.
In high school, due to various homework and courses, Koreans sleep no more than four to five hours a night while preparing for exams. And this preparation lasts not several weeks, but several years. In principle, you can not do your homework, but then you won’t get a good grade on the Unified State Exam, which will not allow the student to get a “start in life” in the form of admission to a prestigious university.
Some time ago, the authorities tried to fight for the health of children who exhaust themselves with endless studies. Among the measures is a ban on the operation of various preparatory courses in Seoul after 22:00. But this has led to an increased demand for private tutors who work at late hours, and some children began to travel for additional studies outside the capital, where there is no time limit.
Holidays for Korean children today do not resemble a real vacation, but rather a change in the type of education
Vacations for Korean children also do not resemble a real vacation, but rather a change in the type of education they receive - they actively attend private courses and additional lectures, which are countless.
The “race for education” is a serious burden on the family budget, since various tutors and courses are quite expensive. As a result, raising a child becomes more expensive, which already leads to demographic problems - the birth rate is declining.
Everyone in Korea understands this, complains, constantly calls it “one of the most serious problems of society,” but on the other hand, they say: “What should we do?! If we don’t force our child to participate in this race, then he will not see a worthy place in life.” .
Today in Italy there are no standards that would prescribe criteria regarding the amount of homework assigned to schoolchildren.
Local media criticize the school and claim that everything depends on this or that teacher. As a result, in some schools they assign so little homework that children manage to do their homework during recess, while in others, teachers are so furious that children have to sit for homework almost until midnight. However, according to local moms, the actual amount of homework depends directly on how much time a child spends at school.
In elementary school, parents are given the right to choose whether to leave their child for half a day or the whole day. For example, if classes end at 1:30 p.m., children tend to have a decent amount of workload during the week, but little to nothing on the weekends.
Italian moms and dads are annoyed by the homework that their children are given during the summer holidays and the fact that they have to study homework until almost midnight
But children who stay at school until 16.20 and do their homework here have to pore over textbooks and notebooks on Saturday and Sunday. This dissonance is caused mainly by the fact that in these two cases the programs are very different - the load for those children who remain at school until one o'clock in the afternoon is significantly higher than for those who spend almost the entire day in the educational institution and hypothetically have the opportunity do homework at home with parents.
The latter, by the way, in the past announced a boycott of teachers, which, however, did not produce the expected results.
Italian mothers and fathers are annoyed by the homework that their children are bombarded with during the summer holidays. Thus, the new school year in Italy began with a scandal.
A certain Marino Peiretti wrote and posted a letter on the Internet in which he explained in detail why his son did not do his homework over the summer.
“I would like to bring to your attention that this year my son did not complete his summer homework. We did a lot during this time: we rode a bicycle for a long time, went hiking, tidied up the house, did programming. At your disposal there are as many as nine months to instill knowledge in my son and educate him, and I only have three months to teach him how to live,” writes Peiretti.
The case gained quite a serious resonance. Many parents supported this attack by the father who was dissatisfied with the school system.
But some attacked the man with criticism, condemning him for forever undermining the authority of teachers in the eyes of his son. In their opinion, the parent should not have brought this problem to the attention of the public, but should instead have simply expressed dissatisfaction directly to the teachers.
The Brazilian school system does not have any clear limits on homework limits for students. And approaches to this issue vary not only from state to state, but also depending on whether the educational institution is a fee-paying one or a public one. In recent years, in Brazil there has been more and more talk about the need to reform school education, and the issue of the number of hours a child spends at home doing assignments is becoming increasingly acute.
Recent public opinion polls generally show support from parents and teachers for the very principle of having homework for children. However, disagreements arise at the moment of determining its volume and the hours required to complete it. For example, in one of the private colleges in Rio de Janeiro, high school students receive a maximum of 90 assignments per week in various subjects, on which they spend from one and a half to two and a half hours every day. “My eldest daughter easily adapted to such a schedule and does not experience any particular difficulties. But certain difficulties arose with my son; he does not want to do “routine and boring” tasks, as he says. Therefore, we in the parent committee are working on the issue of an individual approach in the formation homework,” commented Daniela Reis, mother of two students.
Brazilian schoolchildren receive a maximum of 90 assignments per week in all subjects
“This topic is a big one at school. We strive to find the best options for students, but there will always be families who complain about too much homeschooling, and those who are not averse to significantly increasing it. The school should primarily consider the feasibility of additional load on students and the final quality of education,” says Rita Rocha, vice-president of another private college.
In Brazil, schools want to keep three compulsory subjects: English, Portuguese and mathematics.
“On average, we assume that one to two hours of time to complete lessons is quite normal,” says teacher Luis Albuquerque. However, for Brazilian schoolchildren, the homework issue may soon be resolved differently. The authorities that came after the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff announced an unprecedented reform of secondary education. The main idea of the upcoming changes is to leave only three compulsory subjects - Portuguese and English, as well as mathematics. Otherwise, schoolchildren will be asked to independently choose areas to deepen their knowledge, which will be divided into five groups - linguistics, mathematics, humanities, natural sciences and vocational education. As planned, these changes will increase the attractiveness of obtaining basic education.
Unlike Russia, the new school year in Greece begins on the tenth of September. Moreover, in Hellas, where the Church is not separated from the state, and Orthodox Christians make up more than 98 percent of the population, every day in Greek schools begins with prayer.
Education is compulsory in primary school - 6 years and gymnasium - 3 years. After passing the necessary exams, the road to the lyceum opens, and then to the university.
All higher education institutions in the country are public, and education in them is free.
Classes in primary and secondary schools continue from morning until one o'clock in the afternoon. It is possible to stay for an extended period until 16.00.
At the same time, the problem of overloading children with homework does not exist. In general, the Greek school educational program is much easier than the Russian one, according to experts in the local teachers’ association interviewed by RG. Thus, according to statistics, on average a Greek 15-year-old teenager spends 5.3 hours a week on homework, while his Russian counterpart spends about 9.7 hours.
True, according to widespread local practice, almost all schoolchildren attend additional paid courses, without which, as is believed here, it is very difficult to master the school curriculum.
It must be said that the modern Greek school, in difficult economic times for Hellas, faces many problems.
The government is constantly trying to carry out reforms that are very controversial, from the point of view of most parents. In addition, according to local media reports, the country lacks nine thousand primary school teachers and three thousand teachers in the system of gymnasiums and lyceums.
In the United States, children begin to gnaw on the “granite of science” for a taste from the age of four or five - it is at this age that children are accepted into kindergartens, which are usually preparatory classes in schools. And with the start of school comes homework.
It is noteworthy that for a long time in American culture, homework was viewed as a burden. Higher education in the United States was a luxury for a few, and for the rest, performing household duties at home was more important, so both parents and schools themselves sought to minimize the academic load at home. To the point that at the beginning of the 20th century, California state authorities completely banned homework for all students up to the eighth grade, that is, until about 14 - 15 years old. And the American media quoted doctors: homework harms the health of schoolchildren.
This state of affairs changed only in the 50s of the last century. And, what is more noteworthy, one of the key incentives for this was the rivalry with the USSR in the beginning of the Cold War. As the authors of many studies on this topic note, the launch of the first artificial Earth satellite in the USSR in 1957 gave a powerful impetus to the movement for educational reform and an increase in extracurricular assignments and homework. The Americans panicked: their students were falling behind their Soviet peers. “New programs have appeared in schools. Homework until the night. Classes for gifted children,” noted a CBS News report on the topic. “A generation has grown up obsessed with launching missiles ... The desire to defeat the Russians.”
The workload for American students continues to grow steadily. Although it still remains moderate by the standards of developed countries
The Cold War and scientific rivalry with the USSR are behind us, and the volume of assignments for American schoolchildren continues to grow steadily. Although it still remains moderate by the standards of developed countries.
According to a study by the authoritative Brookings Institution, more than half of American schoolchildren spend no more than an hour a day on homework. And about 25 percent do not receive work from home at all. Only every tenth student studies at home for more than two hours a day. The main emphasis is on assignments in English, mathematics and science.
At the same time, according to an analysis by the National Education Association, the workload is mainly growing for the youngest students. And the volume of assignments for high school students has remained virtually unchanged over the past couple of decades. But according to a University of Michigan study, while in 1981 children ages 6 to 9 spent an average of 44 minutes a week on homework, that figure now exceeds 2.5 hours.
And, despite some critical outcries, today the overwhelming majority of teachers and parents support this level of workload. According to a MetLife survey, only 15 percent of parents would prefer to reduce the amount of homework they do. About 60 percent believe that the task is just right, and 25 percent would prefer to increase the load. The study also notes that the amount of homework depends on teachers. Less experienced teachers with up to five years of experience tend to ask more.
The National Association of Parents and Teachers recommends increasing the load gradually, by an average of 10 minutes per day, with the transition to each new grade.
Our child is in third grade in one of the public schools in Virginia and receives homework for the week. This is mathematics and compiling a list of books read, in which he must indicate the title, author and duration of reading. Why in the third grade he is given less homework than last year and the year before, Tatyana Vorozhko told in a blog for the Voice of America.
In second grade, almost all homework was on the computer - in I-Ready and DreamBox. These are special educational programs that diagnose the readiness level of children and, in the form of video games, give them tasks appropriate to their level. In addition to grades, parents receive printouts charting their child's progress.
Of course, my son liked doing this, and on our part we just had to make sure that he didn’t stay too long. But I, like other parents, was somewhat concerned that this increased the time he spent in front of the computer, which is already difficult to limit.
Even in the USA, schools like to give home projects that need to be completed once a week or even a month. The hardest part was in zero grade ( kindergarten) when you had to do some kind of art project every month. I, then an inexperienced mother of a schoolboy, remembered him the night before the test, and our whole family panickedly cut, wrote, glued and painted. Once, while performing the composition “The Indian Woman Hiding in Flowers,” I cut flowers out of colored paper so stubbornly that for a week I couldn’t clench my right hand into a fist.
In the first grade, four times a week it was necessary to prepare with the child for dictation; once a month - submit a list of books you have read; and two more times a week - do simple projects.
All this requires parents to have good organizational skills, but if you forget something, no problem. But for a task not completed a couple of times, the teacher will not scold the child and will not give a bad grade. In grade 0, at a parent meeting, the class teacher urged us not to force children - the main thing is not to kill their desire to learn.
The grades themselves are based on test results and the child’s progress. Also, teachers, at least in the lower grades, do not bother with test corrections. The main thing is that the answer is correct.
Do children need homework? The debate continues
The debate over whether children should do homework and, if so, how much, has continued in the United States for more than a century. At the beginning of the last century, Lady's Home Magazine launched a campaign against homework, arguing that children should play or look at the clouds after school. Their efforts were so successful that in 1901, the state of California banned homework by law (this ban was later repealed).
In general, public opinion in the United States on the amount of housework fluctuates cyclically: at the beginning of the last century, it was believed that the mind is a muscle that needs to be “pumped up”, and housework helps with this. In the 40s, they began to rethink the education system itself and homework as a relic of the 19th century. But, after the Soviet Union, ahead of the United States, put a satellite into orbit, the Americans began to fuss and again started talking about the importance of homework for schoolchildren. But this did not last long - in the 60s, under the influence of the “cultural revolution” in the United States, voices began to be heard that children needed to play, draw and create more. The 1980s brought renewed attention to global competition, and now it is widely believed that housework is a source of excessive individual and family stress.
At the same time, the sheer volume of work that children are given at home remains more or less stable, the website for parents quotes greatschools.com Rand Corporation researcher Brian Hill.
According to a 2007 MetLife study, 45% of students in grades 3-12 spend more than an hour a day on homework, including 6% who spend more than 3 hours. More than half of students spend less than an hour a day on “homework.”
The National Parent-Teacher Association and the National Education Association recommend that children in first grade be given homework that can be completed in 10 minutes, increasing by 10 minutes each school year. In our school, as in many other educational institutions in the United States, these recommendations exceed the recommended time, sometimes three times.
Is homework good for children?
According to a study by Duke University professor Garys Cooper, this conclusion can definitely only be drawn for high school students. There is some positive correlation with achievement for middle school students and...none for young students!
How can parents help their children do homework correctly? Expert advice
Researchers also found that the most arguments and stress around housework occur in families where parents do not have a college degree. More educated parents are better able to assess whether a task matches the child's readiness level and do not hesitate to express their opinion to the teacher. Less educated people tend to blame their own offspring for all school problems, because “he’s a blockhead and it’s unclear what he’s doing at school.”
Some schools are doing away with homework altogether in the lower grades, while others—all grades—are experimenting with new approaches.
One of the innovative methods that is spreading in American schools is the “flipped classroom.” (flipped classroom). At home, teachers are asked to watch a video lecture with new material, often prepared Khan Academy or Ted Talks. Children do practical tasks in the classroom, where a teacher or classmate can help them. I like the idea. We've all had teachers who recite a chapter from a textbook and then have our parents teach us how to calculate percentages or write stories instead. But the parents may not have been able to.
And helping your peers is generally the best way to learn the material. I remember how in class 8-9 I showed my classmates how to make a section of a cube - on the third cube I understood it myself.
Psychologists, in particular Jessica Leigh, advise parents as follows. Let children decide when they do their homework - right after school or even in the morning, because everyone needs some autonomy and control. And also - do not correct the child’s mistakes, not to mention doing homework for them. Children must learn to make mistakes, cope with failure, and self-motivate themselves to achieve success.