I. Before you read the passage, talk about these questions. 1. What do you know about the educational system of the USA?

1. What do you know about the educational system of the USA?

2. Was there a high proportion of educated men among first settlers?

3. Which school do the majority of American children attend?

Americans have shown a great concern for education since colonial times. Among the first settlers there was an unusual high proportion of educated men. Some of these men, graduates of Cambridge, founded Harvard College in 1636. The American system of education differs from the systems of other countries. There are free public schools which the majority of American children attend. There are also a number or private schools where a fee is charged. Education is compulsory for every child from the age of 6 up to the age of 16 except in some states, where children must go to school until the age of 17 or 18. Elementary or primary and secondary or high schools are organized on one of two basis: 8 years of primary school and 4 years, or 6 years of primary, 3 years of junior high school and 3 years of senior high school. The junior high school is a sort of halfway between primary school and high school. The high school prepares young people either to work immediately after graduation or for more advanced study in a college or university. An important part of high school life is extra-curricular activities; they include band or school orchestra, sports and other social activities. There is no national system of higher education in the United States. Instead, there are separate institutions ranging from colleges to universities. They may be small or large, private or public, highly selective or open to all. Handicapped children attend the same schools that anyone else does. Americans feel that they should be kept together as long as possible. There are also alternative schools. They were started by parents, religious organizations, and other private groups. Alternative schools help students who did not do well in traditional schools. They were also called free schools because they gave students more freedom to decide what and how to study.