School?

[mamauk]

Well, if you didn't realize/didn't know/I hadn't told you, I have just come back from my first day of school, and as such, was wondering;
What sorts of schools do you guys go to?
Are you in the states, or on a more European style?

[USAlex]

Currently, I'm in a small, private (meaning not state or federally funded/supported) college.
Before that, I was in a mid-sized public high school, then before that a different smallish public high school, then before that a large public middle school. Prior to all this, I was in a nice public elementary school. And a pre-school before that.

"Public" meaning that the government pays for it, and runs it through local school boards. Therefore, no religion in public schools. No bias is supposed to exist in public schools. And they are free(ish, not really). High School being grades 9-12, ages 14 (or so) to 17 or 18ish. Middle school is grades 6-8, ages 11ish to 13 or 14ish. Elementary and pre-school are all grades/ages below that, with the first year of schooling (kindergarten) starting at 4 perhaps, but by law age 5.

All of my high schools ran on the AP (Advanced Placement) system, which allows you to take "AP" courses for college credit, so long as you get the right scores on the end AP test.

I'm pretty sure I wasn't ever in a school that was run in a European style, because I have no clue what that is.

Over all, I've loved every minute of school, and felt that if you actually take the time to care about the subjects, there is a lot public school can offer, even if not everyone around you feels that way. And college is just great, in terms of learning.

[Mauritius]

...
My school is "different."
And not in a good way.

I go to a private school for ... a certain type of children. But following Alex's definition of private, it's not exactly that. You have to be invited personally to this school, and pay a medium size fee for classes and supplies.
I have a uniform, but we don't wear it.
Currently, I am in the highschool system. We go to three main classes, (Aka A type of math, a type of science, and a type of advanced language or literature.)
But, on side of that, we go to a P.E. class three times a week, an art class twice a week, and we have to go to a language once a week.
After our first main class, the high schoolers have lunch. We have assigned tables, but we don't use those either.
We don't have "AP"s, actually, my school is thinking about offering a college unit and system. I don't plan on going to college, but if I must, I'll choose that.
I've been going to this school since... fifth or six grade. I went to an Elementary school before that, and it was poorly run and taught.

All together, I hate our school. Our teachers are stupid, and our maths teacher is drunk all the time. Our Art teacher grows pot in the classroom, and the P.E. teacher is hooked on steroids.

And I, unlike Alex, hate learning.
I don't know what European style is. :/

[US Virgin Islands]

Well, the high school I'm in is a private one.
You have to pay quite a few hundreds (per person) and a 'tip' that isn't included in the scholarship.
It's for my sister and I.
All in all... Quite a thousand or such is spent on our school's monthly payment.
That is, without counting in the uniform, books, novels, materials, etc, etc that they tell you to buy.
The novels aren't included in the book list, the teacher asks for it whenever she wants. -.-
The uniform we use is DISGUSTINGLY HORRIBLE. I feel like a freakin' nun. It's black, with some weird square-pattern print on it, and it mixes green, yellow, gray and a bunch of depressing colors in it. Also, it must be knee-long, although the girls in my school wear it mid-thigh.

The boys are assholes, the girls are hoes and the teachers are sluts. Plus they're retarded.
All in all, I hate my school. I can't wait to graduate and leave to New York.

[Indonesia]

I go to an international school x3
I pay bout... a 1k USD (ok err. yeah i'm sorta... moneyed)
nt counting uniform... books... materials... oh and the program works as a 1:1 student-laptop thing.. so i use macs x3

teachers awesome
boys awesome
girls awesome

awesomeness. why i just love school

plus the program's uber awesome.

[UK]

I go to a state Secondary school, which is basically the normal school where posh people don't go to if they don't want to be mugged. But still, everyone here is absolutely awesome

We do a year at a nursery when you're about 3 or 4? Then there's 6 years of Primary School, followed by another 5 years of Secondary school, which keeps you in education until you're 16 and in year 11. The exams you took in year 11 and the results depends on which colleges and courses you can apply for/be accepted into. That's two years of college (if you want to. You don't have to go). The first year you do 3/4/5 subjects to do A-leves, and the second year you can drop one and continue with the rest. Once college is done, you go onto university at 18, which depends on your grades in year 11 and your predicted grades for A-levels. The years you spend at uni depend on which courses you've taken, and if you're an adult learner, whether you're doing full-time or part-time study.

And once university is done, you're out to the big world.

[Australia]

Mhm...

I'm in university right now. Pretty sure it's not state-run -- most aren't, although there is government funding for students -- and we pay subject fees for each semester, twice per year. For most local students doing degrees/courses the government can support them, essentially giving them money to study, and students will pay the govt back when they get income over a certain level.

Prior to that, I was at a selective high school. Year 6 students get the chance to do a entry exam called 'selective test', and those ranked higher in the state may get invited to go to selective schools. It's still a public school, but the teachers push you harder and there is a greater pressure to excel. Some schools do /really/ intensive training... luckily, my school was pretty awesome in that we had periods of cramming/dying, then we were allowed to go crazy at the end of term.

High school is from Year 7-12, and you can either go to public schools (govt funded, usually non-religious) or private schools (non-govt funded, can be non-religious but usually is, and often will be from Kindergarten-12)). Primary school is the same, except of course from Kindergarten-Year 6.

There are 4 or so major tests/certificates in my state's education system.

1) In Year 4, students are tested in the 'O.C. test' to see if they can get into Opportunity Class for Year 5 & 6. The syllabus for them is streamlined to be faster, and it's supposedly easier to get into selective school from OC classes.

2) In Year 6, there is the 'Selective test', as described earlier. You are tested on 3 areas, writing, mathematics and general knowledge.

3) In Year 10, there is the School Certificate, which is a basic essential if you ever want a job or an apprenticeship. After Year 10 you can drop out of highschool, usually taking up an apprenticeship. You are tested on English, Maths, Science, Australian Geography & Citizenship and Australian History, and ranked in the state with Band 6 being the highest rank. Also you must choose 3 other subjects to study.

4) The 'biggy', most nerve-wracking of them all: The HSC - Higher School Certificate. A minimum of 10 units are chosen for study for Years 11 and 12, with at least 2units of English being compulsory. Most basic subjects are worth 2units, while 'extension' (or in USA it would be 'AP') subjects are usually 1unit. You must do the basic subject in conjunction with the extension unit.
Most students do at least 11 or 12 units though, just in case they don't score as well in one subject. Only 10 units are accounted for in the final overall ranking, known as the 'ATAR', Australian Tertiary Admission Rank. Highest possible rank now is 99.95, but it used to be 100, or more if you got the bonus marks, supposedly.

University is interesting. I'm still trying to figure it out, but one of the best things are that anything above 75% is considered Distinction, and above 85% is High Distinction. Not that those marks are easy to get unfortunately.

I really enjoyed high school; great friends, wacky but awesome teachers with loads of information available, and the whole school was pretty united.

[mamauk]

I'm a brit cit, but have spend most of my school days in American schoolign
I just started at a new school, so...

...
....
The APUSH [AP US History] teacher talked about the enslaving of the English of the Irish, and neglected to mention Cromwell until I did.
You do not forget to mention Cromwell.

[UK]

Brit cit?

Nobody can forget Cromwell. How dare they.

How many subjects are you allowed to take for finals, I think the word is? We’re allowed 13 subjects at secondary school, then up to 5 in college.

[Indonesia]

britisih citizen xD

[UK]

Oh. Right. Well, anyway.

Moving swiftly on.

Do state and private schools differ a lot in whichever country you're in?

[US Virgin Islands]

Yes and no.

For you see, public schools (the ones paid with goverment funds) aren't very... 'civilized', you could say.
There are a lot of crimes and many of its students never finish high school, as they just drop out, and many of the girls get pregnant as soon as they school year starts.

As for Private institutions, they have the situation a bit more controlled. There arent nearly as much problems as there are in the public ones. Although, they also tend to commit vandalism. In my school, many of the facilities both, middle and high school, use, are being damaged/destroyed as the students usually tend to be ungrateful to what they have and end up messing it up. Badly.

All in all, although the public school's students are more 'wild' than the private institutions one's, both tend to cause problem, therefore making even school a dangerous place.

[Indonesia]

what USVI said xD
but apparently the school i go to works with the IB Diploma thingy
so err its a bit more controlled... and less chaotic xD

[US Virgin Islands]

-sighs- You're, indeed, right Indy. It's chaotic >

[Indonesia]

Its fine...
Like Mauri~ I have P.E. class 3 times a week... M.A.D's (Music, Art or Drama ) twice a week... and no i have literature almost everyday.. learning 3 languages (English, Indonesian and Mandarin)
We got divided classes in the highschool system cuz it depends on our level.. say i joined standard mathematics and my friend joines math studies (low levels) and my other friend joined high level mathematics.. etc..
and science too xD i'm currently taking biology... i will have chemistry next and physics after.
we basically don't use books. we use our laptops that we get at school xD
1:1 system is awesome. i love it xD