There is a common stereotype about the United Kingdom of Great Britain (the U.K. for short), and in particular England. It is that it is sophisticated in many ways, the school system being one of them. People expect well-behaved, polite students and stiff, prudish teachers. People expect that classes are well organized and silent with very traditional teachings and strict rules, as is often portrayed in movies and TV shows. Other popular misconceptions are that most British students are very respectful to their teachers and peers, get outstanding grades, are very well educated and have no difficulty getting into colleges and universities. In contrast, many Americans believe that the U.S. school system is awful, and assume that the British system is much more efficient and provides a better education. In reality, these stereotypes don’t even have a shred of truth.
The two school systems are so utterly different from each other in almost every way. Having lived in England for 14 years, and in Florida for over three years, I find the differences to be staggering. From the time one starts school, to the time one leaves for college, everything is very different. In the U.K. they start school at age three, entering what is called nursery school, with an optional preschool for two to three year-old children. In some states such as Florida, children start school at five, also with a preschool option. Both of these share similar activities such as playing, counting, ABCs and creative activities to stimulate a child’s mind and build social skills. British children start their full learning of math, English and other subjects at four years old upon entering primary school, which they continue until the age of 11. From there, children attend high school for another five years before heading off to college or university at the age of 16.
A major difference between British and American school systems is the curriculum. In Florida, students first get to choose their classes in sixth grade at 11 years old, but cannot choose core classes until freshman year of high school. Whereas in the U.K., students get to first pick their own classes in “year 11,” or at the age of 14 in their fourth out of five years of high school. Even then, there is no option whatsoever to change core classes. The reason for this is that unlike the U.S., there are no different classes for different fields in each subject. For example, Math has no separate classes, such as algebra or geometry. Science has no separation into chemistry or biology. The classes which British students do have the option to choose are extremely limited, and nothing compared to the wide range of elective choices here at Steinbrenner. Classes such as psychology, marine biology, physics, TV production and veterinary assisting are subjects which students could only choose to study once they enter college, giving students no option to experiment and see what they wish to do with their future and possible careers before deciding whether a subject is right for them and applying for a degree. I believe the U.K. should make a broader variety of classes available to students like it is in the U.S., particularly here at Steinbrenner and many other schools, where students have much more opportunity to discover what they want to do with their lives unlike many British students diving in blindly or not bothering at all.
Another huge misconception is that British students are very well behaved and respectful. In most British schools, this is not the case. Most of the time in class is spent trying to keep everyone quiet rather than actually focusing on learning. During my time in British high school, I never took notes. In fact I would say that I never took notes in my entire British school life before coming to the U.S. I also never realized what it was like to have a class be quiet, or actually care and listen to what the teacher is saying. There was little to no respect for authority in some classes and others were even violent, once students were throwing chairs at teachers, or a teacher putting a dent in a wall by missing a student with a thrown hard plastic whiteboard eraser. Bullying is also rampant and even the bullies were victims of bullying. For some students there was not a class period that would go by without them being the target of someone’s mean words and actions. Of course not all schools are like this, however there are not many which have respect for teachers. And I attended one of the better funded and statistically scoring schools in my area. Here in Steinbrenner, it is the polar opposite. During over two years of attending school here I have only once experienced someone being disrespectful towards a teacher. Never have I heard a teacher raise their voice in anger in order to gain attention from their students, and classes are almost silent while working unless it’s a group activity.
There are countless aspects that can be compared within the schools’ systems, however just from the curriculum and student behavior, it is evident that the stereotypical perspectives that the Americans and the British have of the other’s school systems are vastly different from those portrayed in Hollywood or TV such as Glee, Disney shows or Harry Potter. From experience in both systems, I can say that American schools are much more efficient and provide students with more chances at discovering who they are and what they wish to be, in a positive and nurturing environment for learning.
Jo Hindle // Graphics Department
