Education
8.1 School system in Slovakia
EDUCATION IN SLOVAKIA
School attendance in the Slovak Republic is compulsory from the age of 6 to 15. Most children
attend a state school, but there are also private and church schools. Education at state schools
is free of charge. Private and church schools charge school fees. Children in our school system
do not wear uniforms. There are different forms of education in Slovakia.
Pre-school education– Children – babies from one to three years of age start their schooling
(výučbu) at creche. They spend a few hours each day playing and doing some activities while
their parents are at work. They start socializing with other children. Children at the age of three
usually go to nursery schools – kindergartens where they learn social rules, ethics, and the
principles of the alphabet and mathematics. This attendance is not compulsory.
Primary education– Primary schools are attended by children between six and fifteen and this
nine-year school attendance is compulsory. The primary education system is formally divided
into two "stages" – from the age of 6 to 10, and the age of 11 to 15. This stage can be spent
either in a 9-year primary school or an 8-year gymnasium. The eight-year grammar school is
for talented children to develop their knowledge and skills. But on the other hand, a new
curriculum can sometimes lead to their overloading (preťažovanie) which can result in the loss
of a childhood full of fun and carefreeness. In the final year of primary school, everybody needs
to choose his future occupation. The choice depends not only on our interests but also on our
success at school.
Secondary education– After primary school graduation, pupils continue their studies at
secondary schools. For most secondary schools students have to pass the entrance examination
Secondary studies last for four years and secondary schools are attended by students from the
age of 15 to 19. A "gymnázium" – grammar school can also last for 8 years depending on how
many years the pupils spend in primary school. There are a few types of secondary schools in
Slovakia: Grammar schools (Gymnasium), Specialized Secondary Schools, Vocational
Schools, and Conservatories.
1. Grammar school (Gymnasium): 4 – 8 years; provides general secondary education and
prepares for further study at universities and other higher education institutions. Grammar
schools are considered prestigious schools as the study is formed to prepare students for higher
education, especially universities. Many grammar schools have specialized classes specializing
e.g. in languages, programming, or mathematics.
2. Specialized Secondary School: 4 – 5 years; provides specialized education and usually
prepares students for further study at higher education institutions. (Technical, Economic,
Agricultural, Health Care, Arts)
3. Vocational School – Apprentice centres:2 – 3 years; prepares students for practical
occupations. The graduates receive "učňovský list"(Certificate of Apprenticeship).
4. Conservatories: 4 – 5 years; a special type of professional school providing specializing in
fields such as music, singing, dancing, and dramatic arts.
To finish secondary education, students have to pass the school-leaving examination. This
exam, which consists of a written part (external part) and an oral part (internal part), is required
by all universities and colleges. This examination is taken in four subjects (Slovak, a foreign
language, and two optional subjects chosen from foreign languages, science subjects, or
humanities). The examination is held in May and is mostly oral except the Slovak language, in
which an essay is written about a month before. After the graduates have passed their school-
leaving exam they receive the School-Leaving Certificate.
Higher or university education: It is the highest form of education. This education usually
lasts from 4 to 6 years and starts at the age of 19. If we want to study at university we must
successfully pass the entrance examination. The first university on the territory of Slovakia
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was the Universitas Istropolitana (=Academia Istropolitana) founded in 1465. The main
and largest current university in Slovakia is Comenius University. Some renowned Slovak
Universities: The University of Pavol Jozef Šafárik in Košice, The Technical University Košice,
Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica, The University of Constantinus Philosopher in Nitra,
The University of [Link] and Methodius in Trnava. When students accomplish their university
studies they are given a degree in their field of study. Bachelor’s degree is the lowest level of
university studies and lasts for 3 years. The title of Master (Mgr.) after pedagogical or
philosophical studies, and the title of Engineer (Ing.) after economic or technical studies. The
title of Doctor (MUDr. – Doctor of Medicine, MVDr. – Doctor of Veterinary Medicine)after
studies in human and veterinary medicine. After university studies, there is a Doctorand study
programme; 3–4 years; the title Ph.D. is placed behind the name.
Discuss the questions and express your opinion:
– In what ways should schools and education change to adapt to the changes in society?
– In what ways do you think school and education might be different in the future?
8.2 Školský systém v USA a Veľkej Británii
Both countries have incredibly complicated systems that vary from county to county and are
not easily compared to each other. Education in the UK is compulsory for everyone between
the ages of five to sixteen. It is the responsibility of parents to see that their children attend
school. Although age 16 marks the end of compulsory schooling, the majority of students stay
on for an extra one or two years.
The British system of education
There are two parallel school systems in the UK: 1. The state system, where education is
provided free, and 2. The independent system, where parents normally pay fees.
Education is compulsory, but school is not, children are not required to attend school. They
could be educated at home. Education is free for all children from 5 to 18. About 94 percent of
pupils in England, and the rest of the UK, receive free education from public funds, while 6
percent attend independent fee-paying schools. The school year normally begins in early
September and ends the following July. In some schools, school uniforms are worn. The school
day begins between 8 and 9 a.m. and ends around 4 p.m. It includes a fairly long morning and
afternoon break and about an hour’s lunch break. The main school holidays are Christmas – 2
weeks, spring – 2 weeks, and summer – 6 weeks. There are also one-week holidays: end of
October, mid-February, and end of May. Britain has a National Curriculum – a statement of
the minimum learning requirements of all children at each stage in their education. This
curriculum is compulsory in the state system. Independent schools are not bound by it, but in
practice, most of them teach what the National Curriculum demands.
Education stages:
Children's education in England is normally divided into two separate stages. They begin with
primary education at the age of five and this usually lasts until they are eleven. Then they move
to secondary school, where they stay until they reach sixteen, seventeen, or eighteen years of
age.
Age Type of school
3 – 4 pre-school
5 – 12 primary school
13 – 16 secondary school – GCSE
17 – 18 secondary school
A level-further education
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19 – 21 Bachelor
22 – 23 Master
24 – 28 Doctorate
In the last year of compulsory education, at the age of 16, students write an examination called
the GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education). All students are tested in
mathematics, English literature, English composition, chemistry, biology, physics, history, or
the Classics, one modern language, and one other subject, such as art or computer studies. After
completing the GCSE, some students leave school, others go onto technical college, whilst
others continue at high school for two more years and take a further set of standardized exams,
known as A levels, in three or four subjects. These exams determine whether a student is eligible
for university.
Independent schools
Approximately 7% of school children in England attend privately run fee-paying independent
schools as public schools. Some schools offer scholarships for those with particular skills or
aptitudes. Independent schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum, and their
teachers are not required or regulated by law to have official teaching qualifications.
Many students continue with their education which includes universities and colleges. The
oldest universities in the UK are Oxford, Cambridge, St. Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, and
Edinburgh.
Higher education often begins with a three-year bachelor's degree. During a first degree,
students are known as undergraduates. Postgraduate degrees include master's degrees, and a
doctorate, a research degree that usually takes at least three years. Degree titles vary according
to the practice of each university. A Bachelor’s degree (Bachelor of Arts – B.A., Bachelor of
Science – [Link].) is given to students who pass examinations at the end of three or four years of
study. A Master’s degree (Master of Arts – M.A., Master of Science – [Link].) is given after
attending a postgraduate course or by writing a paper, or thesis. The degree of Ph.D. (Doctor of
Philosophy) is given for a thesis both in humanities and science.
The American system of education
In the United States, education is mainly the responsibility of the individual states. The majority
of schools are public schools. These schools are free. Then there are private schools which
charge high fees and are therefore attended mostly by children of the rich. The beginning of the
school year may vary in each state from mid-August to mid-September. The school year usually
ends in May or June. At some schools, the year is divided into three terms – fall, spring, and
summer, similar to British schools. In most parts of the United States, school attendance is for
5 days of the week (Monday through Friday), nine months of the year The school day usually
begins between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. and ends around 3 p.m. It includes a lunch break,
extracurricular activities such as sports, and sometimes free hours during the day. Two major
breaks during the School year are winter vacation (often called Christmas vacation, and Spring
Break– a week off in late March (sometimes early April). School uniforms are worn only in
private schools. School attendance is compulsory from 6 until the age of 16.
Pre-school education includes nursery schools and kindergartens which are up to ages 5 and
6. Compulsory education starts at the age of 6. Both elementary and (6 – 11) and secondary
education is comprehensive. Years in the US are called grades, so elementary school lasts from
first grade until fifth grade. Secondary education is provided by Middle Schools (from 11 to 14
years of age, sixth –eighth grade) or by High schools which are often divided into Junior High
(12 – 15) and High School (15 – 18). The basic school leaving qualification is usually the High
School Diploma.
Education
Although a child can legally leave (quit) school at 16 (known as drop-outs), this is generally
discouraged (the job prospects for anyone in the US without a high school diploma are worse
than dismal!) and the vast majority of students stay at high school until 18.
Some of the high-school graduates continue on higher education. Institutions of higher
education are divided into Community Colleges, Universities, Colleges, and Technical
Colleges. Degree titles vary according to the practice of each university or college. A Bachelor’s
degree (BA – Bachelor of Arts, BS – Bachelor of Science) is given to students after successful
completion of the four-year study. Some universities and post-graduate colleges also award
Master’s Degrees both in humanities and science (MA, MS) usually after one to three years of
study, and Doctoral Degrees after two to five years of study. The oldest universities are Harvard,
Yale University, and Princeton University...
Age Type of school
4 – 6 kindergarten/preschool
6 – 10/12 elementary school
10 – 14 junior high school
14 – 18 high school
after 18 Bachelor
Master
Doctorate
Many towns provide transport to school (buses), although it may be provided for certain
schools or ages only, and may depend on the travelling distance to school, e.g. there may be
bussing only when the distance from home to school is over 2 or 2.5 mi (3 to 5.5km). Some
towns provide buses for children in special education only.
Private schools refer to schools run by private entities. (In the UK, these are called public
schools, confusingly enough.) Many private schools are run by churches or religious orders.
Homeschooling refers to the practice of educating children in the home (in many cases, parents
who home-school cooperate in doing so). This is legal in the USA, though home-schooled
students (and those in private schools) in some states are expected to pass state-administered
placement tests. Homeschooling is often motivated by objections to the public school
curriculum, usually on religious grounds. Another motivation is the perception that the standard
school environment, in general, is psychologically harmful or otherwise not conducive to
quality education.
You should note the following differences in terminology between the US and the UK:
The UK term ‘public schools’ refers to ‘independent’ (privately-funded) schools. ‘College’ in
the UK refers to the final two years of secondary school, while ‘university’ denotes
undergraduate and postgraduate study. College in the UK means the sixth form of secondary
school in which people study towards A levels, but college can be used to mean almost any
school where people go to study after the age of 16, other than university. College in the US is
an institution for advanced education where you study for your bachelor’s degree.
Discuss the questions and express your opinion:
– Which types of secondary schools are there in Britain?
– What is the difference between further and higher education?
– What is the difference between public schools in Britain and America?
8.3 Classes – timetable, activities
Education
School attendance in the Slovak Republic is compulsory from the age of 6 to 15. Most children
attend a state school, but there are also newly established private and church schools. Education
at state schools up to 18 is free of charge but students at secondary school must pay for their
textbooks. Private and church schools charge school fees. Children in our school system do not
wear uniforms.
The school year starts on 1st September and ends on 30th June of the following year. The
school year is divided into two terms (September – January, and February – June). A school
day is different at different types of schools. Tuition takes place 5 days a week, from Monday
to Friday. The tuition usually begins at 8:00 and contains from 4 to 7 lessons per day. A standard
lesson takes 45 minutes and is mostly followed by a 10-minute break; the lunch break is longer.
The number of pupils in primary-school classes is around 23 pupils per class; however, this
number rises to over 30 in upper grades. Students are evaluated by marks on a scale from 1 to
5 – 1 is the best and 5 is the worst (1– excellent, 2– very good, 3– good, 4– satisfactory, 5–
unsatisfactory (fail)). Each term students get their school report with marks from both
compulsory and elective subjects.
Subjects taught at school during the school year: Slovak language and literature (Slovak is to
be replaced with Hungarian or Ukrainian in minority schools; usually one lesson every day),
foreign language(s), mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, geography, history,
technical education, PE (physical education), religious education or ethics, natural
sciences, social sciences, music, drawing. In the majority of schools, the Slovak language is
the language of instruction. However, there are also bilingual schools –in which selected
subjects are taught in English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, or Russian language. There
are about 30 bilingual schools.
During the school year, we have some special events – for example, sports events, school trips,
going to the cinema, parent-teacher meetings, and graduation balls. The main holidays are
from the beginning of July to the end of August. But students have Autumn holidays – at the
end of October, Christmas holidays – at least from 23rd December to the beginning of January,
Half-year holidays – at the beginning of February, Spring holidays – at the end of
February/beginning of March, Easter holidays – in April.
After-school activities –Extracurricular School Activities
Extracurricular activities are those that fall outside the realm of the normal curriculum of a
school, performed by students. Extracurricular activities exist at all levels of education. There
are many schools today that provide extracurricular activities. Some occur before school, some
after school, and a few may even take place at the weekends. Activities, such as basketball,
baseball, tennis, debating, chess clubs, student government, drama, choir and computer
clubs, school newspaper, music, and sports activities are extracurricular activities. Apart from
that, students can also attend language classes specially designed for their age and interests,
leisure and hobby centres, or schools of art. There are so-called centres of free time ("Centrá
voľného času" – CVČ) in all the regions of Slovakia.
Participating in extracurricular activities helps you in many ways. Allowing your child to get
involved in extracurricular activities at school is a wise choice, and it can be very important in
helping them to develop many working skills, and talents, you'll find friends. You get to explore
your physical, creative, social, political, and career interests with like-minded people. Trying
something different may bring you in contact with people you didn't know who share your
interests and curiosity.
Besides being fun and a great way to socialize with peers, extracurricular activities can enhance
students' time management and stress management skills, improving overall productivity.
Students in extracurricular activities have higher [academic] scores. They learn to manage their
time, and relieve stress. Students who are involved in team sports learn to work in groups. Their
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written and oral communication skills improve. These things cross over into 'real life.' Children
involved in sports are also generally healthier due to their increased activity and have stronger
social networks than children who do not participate in sports. Children involved in music
activities (such as learning a musical instrument) are often better adjusted, with increased
academic performance, ability to think creatively, emotional understanding, and emotional
expression. Children involved in music typically have better memory skills than those who are
not musically trained.
The most basic reason for joining a club or team is that it gives you something better to do than
staring at the wall, wandering the hall, or napping all afternoon. People who are involved and
engaged are less likely to become addicted to bad habits, like smoking or drinking.
Discuss the questions and express your opinion:
– Do you think the system of grades and marks is fair? If not, what should be used or introduced
instead?
– What extra-curricular activities do you have at your school?
– What’s the sports programme like at your school?
8.4 My school, my favourite subject
Our school – grammar school – is situated in Poprad, in the picturesque park near the ice-hockey
and football stadium and a swimming pool. It is an old building. On the first floor, there is a
hallway, cloakrooms, a staircase, teachers’ offices, the deputy head’s office, the
headmaster’s office, and the administrative office. The hallways and staircases are decorated
with pictures and flowers. Classrooms are situated on the second and third floors. Many of them
are specialized, for example, chemistry or physics classrooms, which have their laboratories
too. We have excellent sports facilities: a new gym and playground where we have physical
education and many school tournaments are organized there.
Our classroom is big. There are large windows opposite the door, and rows of school desks,
and chairs. In our classroom, we also have a blackboard and chalk, a sponge, a teacher’s
desk, a notice board, and a waste basket.
My favorite subject in school
The following is a collection of essays sharing thoughts on a favourite subject in school.
1. Of all the subjects taught in school, I like Geography best. It is the only subject that teaches
me everything I need to know about the world we live in, for example, vegetation, way of life
of people, climate, agriculture, and economy. I learn about the countries I cannot visit and see,
I get at least a good picture of these countries by studying Geography. As I study more
geography, I understand better the changes in weather conditions, for example, why there are
hot and dry seasons or cool rainy days during the monsoon season and how deserts are caused.
2. My favorite subject in school is P.E. That is my favorite subject. I like P.E. because it’s fun,
competitive and it’s like exercising, but better. P.E. is a time to have fun with friends and stay
healthy. I also like hockey-playing, because I feel like I am actually in the Olympics, but not as
competitively, with my friends.
3. First of all, I don’t have a favorite subject, I like too many of them! One of them is maths. I
love taking five-minute times tests. You have to finish 100 multiplication problems in five
minutes. I love getting backtests to see what I got!
4. Rocks, solar systems, bones, and blood are parts of my favorite subject — science. Science
is fun to learn about, and you get to do some really fun experiments. At my school, I just finished
learning about the body, and now I am learning about the solar system. Science is fun and
educational, but we all know it can be unexciting sometimes. We learned about how our body
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works, and how we stay healthy. Now I am learning about the solar system and the layers of
the earth. I like science because I like to explore nature and the earth and I know how to measure
liquid.
5. My favourite subjects at school are languages (especially foreign languages) and History.
But English has always been my beloved subject. I read English books in the original and try
to translate some stories from newspapers from English into Russian and vice versa when I
have some spare time, I learn 10 new words every day and I like to translate songs of some
English and American singers. I have several English handbooks that help me a lot in studying
English grammar, it seems to me that nothing can be more difficult than grammar. I do some
exercises twice a week to practise my knowledge of grammar.
Discuss the questions and express your opinion:
– What do you think about school rules? How much homework do you think is fair?
– Why do students sometimes dislike school? How can teachers make classes interesting?
