Education Chart

The following chart compares the education systems in Slovakia, The UK, and the US:

	The UK	The USA	Slovakia
Pre-School	a Nursery (Jasle): Age 1-4 Playgroup (Škôlka): Age 2-4	a Nursery: Age 1-4 Pre-K (Nursery School): Age 3-4 Head Start Programs – for poor children in big cities: Age 3-4	Jasle: Age 1-3 Škôlka: Age 3-6
Primary Education	Infant School (The first year is called Reception): Age 5-8 Junior School: Age 8-11	Elementary/Grammar School: Kindergarten – 6th Grade: Age 5-11	Základná škola Age: 6-15 (11 for some students)
Secondary Education	Comprehensive Schools: state Academies: Fancy name for a comprehensive school. Grammar Schools: state schools that require an entrance exam, called The 11 Plus Free Schools: independently controlled state schools Private Schools: charge a fee Public Schools: high status private schools, like Eton, Harrow GCSE Exam (Age 16) College (2 years) – preparation for University. Age 17-18	Middle school: Grade 7th – 8th Ages 12-14 High School: Grade 9th – 12th Ages 14-19 Public Schools: state schools Private Schools: are private J Charter Schools: like free schools. Magnet Schools: specialize in one subject. They choose students by lottery or entrance tests. Pilot Schools: a school created as an experiment in education. Home Schooling: Parents teach you Day Care: afterschool childcare for working parents. It’s privately run.	Stredná škola: Gymnazium: preparation for university. Stredná odborná škola: vocational school. Združená stredná škola: a combined school. Učilište: trade school with no Maturita, and you can’t go to university.
School Traditions	Prom/School Formal: spring dance, Age 16, and again at 18	Homecoming Dance: fall dance, for 1st football game on home field. Senior Prom: spring dance, last year of high school.	Ples: fall dance for 2nd year students. Stušková: fall event for seniors
Controversies:	1. Failing schools 2. Grammar Schools are elitist. 3. Do you mix students with     different abilities or not? 4. Confusing system keeps     changing. 5. University has become too     expensive. 6. Easy universities with grade     inflation are giving “Mickey     Mouse” degrees.	1. Funding & Failing Schools 2. Teachers’ Unions, Tenure &     Firing Bad Teachers 3. Standardized Testing 4. Religion & Prayer in School 5. School Vouchers 6. Bilingual Education 7. Textbooks & Censorship 8. Affirmative Action, Segregation, &         School Busing 9. Creationism vs. Evolution	1. School Funding 2. Teacher Salaries 3. Corruption 4. Schools lowering     their standards,     due to low     student     enrollment. 5. easy universities      giving “Mickey    “Mouse” degrees.
Graduation Exams	GCSE for Secondary School. None for college. You don’t graduate, there’s no ceremony.	Final Exams: every year, and Senior State Exams: like the Maturita, and different in each state	Maturita: state exam with different difficulty levels.
University Placement Tests:	A Levels: one test for all university applications	SAT (east & west coast) ACT (mid-west)	Prijímačky – each school is different
Higher Education   Tuition:     Undergraduate Degree:         Graduate Degrees:	University     £.9000 (€11125,00)     Bachelor’s Degree: 3 years* * 1 year extra for practicum in architecture, engineering, surveying, foreign languages (study abroad)   Master’s Degree: 2 years	College (private)/University (public) Community College: cheaper, less reputable. $28,500 a year (€20886) (average) Scholarships: need-based & academic.   Bachelor’s Degree: 4 years   Graduate School: -Law School: 3-4 years -Med School: 8 years   2+ years for a Master’s Degree 4+ years for a PhD	Vysoká škola     0 (€2000 for dorm and travel)   Bachalarska diplom: 3 years   Ingeniersky/ Magistersky Diplom: 2 years Phd: 3 years