英美文化概论 纯正英语版 Education in the U.S

EducationintheUnitedStatesTheContentsI.ThegoalofEducationII.Education---ALocalMatterIII.FeaturesofEducationIV.LevelsofSchoolingV.HigherEducationVI.TheServicemen’sReadjustmentActVII.AffirmativeActionProgramsI.TheGoalofEducation•Thegoalistoachieveuniversalliteracyandtoprovideindividualswiththeknowledgeandskillsnecessarytopromoteboththeirownindividualwelfareaswellasthatofthegeneralpublic.II.Education---ALocalMatter•Thefederalgovernmentdoesnotprovideanationaleducationsystemexceptforsomebasicrules.Thelaw,forexample,saysthatallAmericanchildrenenjoyequalrighttoeducation.Separateeducationforblackandwhitechildrenisforbidden.Religiouspreachinginpublicschoolsisillegalandallthechildrenbeforetheageof16arerequiredtoattendschoolbylaw.Continues•FromHawaiitoDelaware,fromAlaskatoLouisiana,eachofthe50statesintheUnitedStateshasitsownlawsregulatingeducation.FromStatetostate,somelawsaresimilar;othersarenot.Forexample:Allstatesrequireyoungpeopletoattendschool.(Theagelimitsvary:32statesrequireattendancetoage16;eightto18;etc.)Thus,everychildinAmericaisguaranteedupto13yearsofeducation.Thisistrueregardlessofachild’srace,religion,sex,learningproblems,physicalhandicaporinabilitytospeakEnglish.ContinuesSomestatesplayastrongroleintheselectionoflearningmaterialfortheirstudents.Forexample,statecommitteesmaydecidewhichpublisher’stextbookscanbepurchasedwithstatefunds.Inothercases,decisionsaboutbuyinginstructionalmaterialareleftentirelytolocalschoolofficials.Americanshaveastrongtendencytoeducatetheirchildrenaboutmajorpublicconcerns---problemssuchasenvironmentalpollution,nuclearissues,neighborhoodcrimeanddrugs.Respondingtopublicpressure,boardsofeducationindifferentareasoftenaddcoursesonvariousrelevantissuestotheelementaryandsecondaryschoolcurriculum.III.FeaturesofEducation1.CultivatingaStudent’smindAmericaneducationemphasizescultivatingastudent’smindratherthanrequiringhimtomemorizemerefacts.Studentsareencouragedtolearnbydoing,byexpressingthemselvesandbydiscussing.ItisnotunusualforanAmericanstudentnottoknowwhichcityisChina’scapitalorhowmanypeoplethereareinMongolia.Americanstudentsarenotinterestedinlearningwhatisoflittleusefortheirfuturework.Continues2.Cultivatingthespiritofself-relianceAmericaneducationpaysmuchattentiontocultivatingthespiritofself-reliance.Workingone’swaythroughcollegeiscommonplaceinAmerica.Schoolsoftenadjustthestudent’sprogramofstudiessothathecandopart-timejobs.Studentsareencouragedtoformtheirownorganizations,clubs,andresearchgroups.IV.LevelsofSchoolingAmerica’sschooleducationcanbedividedintothreestages:elementaryeducation,secondaryeducationandhighereducation.1.PreschoolThefederalgovernmentfundstheHeadStartpreschoolprogramforchildrenoflow-incomefamilies,butmostfamiliesareontheirownwithregardtofindingapreschoolorchildcare.Inthelargecities,therearesometimesupper-classpreschoolscateringtothechildrenofthewealthy.2.ElementaryEducationElementary/primaryeducationbeginsattheageoffiveorsix,endingattheageof11or12.Publicelementaryschoolsfoundedwithcommunityschooltaxesarecontrolledbyaschoolboardwhichiscomposedofmemberselectedbylocalvoters.Themajorresponsibilitiesoftheschoolboardarethehiringofteachersandsupportstaff,determiningthelocalcurriculumandapprovingthebudgettocarryouteducationalprograms.Continues●CurriculumTheelementaryschoolnormallycoversgrades1-8.Butthereisanotherpatternunderwhichtheelementaryschoolcoversgrades1-5or6.Theelementaryschoolcurriculummainlyconsistsofthe“basics”,suchasreading,writing,andarithmeticormathematics.Elementaryschoolsusuallypaymoreattentiontomakingchildrenhappyandinterestedinsteadofgivingrigid（死板的）instructions.AllAmericanchildrenarebroughtupwithcompetitiveideas,butprimaryschoolpupilsaretaughtmoreaboutpatriotismandmutualhelp.3.SecondaryEducationSecondaryeducationisgivenbyhighschoolswhicharealsocalledsecondaryschools.Theycanbesubdividedintoseniorhighschoolsandjuniorhighschools.Ajuniorhighschoolandaseniorhighschoolareusuallycombinedintoone.Thejuniorhighschoolcoversgrades6or7-9,andtheseniorhighschoolcoversgrades10-12.Secondaryeducationendsattheageof17or18.ItisfreeofchargeforallAmericanchildren.Continues◆ClassificationofHighSchoolsAmericanhighschoolscanbegenerallydividedintoseveralkinds:comprehensive,academic,vocational,andtechnicalschools.Theyhavesomewhatdifferenttasks.Comprehensivehighschoolsgivebothacademicandvocationaleducation.Theirstudentsmaygotouniversityforpaidjobsaftergraduation.Academichighschoolspaymoreattentiontoacademicstudyandaimatpreparingstudentsforhighereducation.Vocationalandtechnicalschoolsteachtheskillsofavarietyofoccupations.Continues•AmongthesubjectsofferedbyhighschoolsareEnglishgrammar,literature,history,algebra（代数）,geometry（几何）,mathematics,chemistry,physicsandtrigonometry(三角学).Manyhighschoolsofferelectives---coursesforstudentstochoose.Electivecoursesvaryfromschooltoschool.Theyinclude：Europeanhistory,politicalissues,business,industrialtrades,foreignlanguagesandsoon.AmericanhighschoolsnormallybeginclassesinearlySeptemberandfinishtheschoolyearsoonaftertheendofMay,withoptionalsummerclasstaugh