Similarities and Differences between U.K’s and U.S.A’s Education Policy

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Introduction Education policy refers to the guidelines and principles that the government put in place as laws in order to govern the activities around education systems in their country (Dewey, 2012). These policies are meant to be implemented in all the stages of education that is from early childhood education, kindergarten through to 12th grade, university and college education, graduate, adult education and job training. The areas that the government focuses on while formulating and implementing education policy include school choice, class size, school size, teacher education, school privatization, teacher pay and certification, curricular content, teaching methods, school infrastructure and education requirements (Dewey, 2012). It also encompasses the values and missions that schools aim to uphold and achieve respectively. A country’s academic success is greatly determined by the kind of education policies that have been formulated and implemented by its government (Ravitch, 2012). Hence this is a very vital factor for citizens to consider when they are obligated to vote in a new government. They tend to look at the most beneficial and favorable education policies that are going to be for the good of the country. Politicians also prioritize this factor when they are campaigning for office. This essay aims at comparing two countries’ education policies that is the United States of America and the United Kingdom. The essay will first analyze each country’s education policies separately by explaining their history, development and current implementation. Then it will do an analysis of the differences then the similarities that exists between these two countries’ education policies.
Education policy in the United Kingdom The education policy in the United Kingdom is a matter that has been given a devolved approach (Gearon, 2002). The countries in the United Kingdom have their own separate education systems. The education system in England is governed by the United Kingdom government whereas the education system in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland is governed by the Northern Ireland Executive, the Welsh government and the Scottish government respectively (Gearon, 2002). Each of these countries in the United Kingdom has five stages of education (Dewey, 2012). They include early year’s education, primary education, secondary education, further and higher education. Children between the age of 5 and 16 are required to get education as a compulsory measure by the government. The minimum age for a child to start attending school in North Ireland is 4 years old. However, further education is not compulsory. The fifth stage, higher education, takes place in colleges, universities and other higher education institutions. In England and Wales, the framework for education is provided by the “National Curriculum” established in 1988. This caters for children between the age of 5 and 18. However, Scotland uses the 5-14 programme that is the equivalent of the “National Curriculum”. Northern Ireland uses the “Common Curriculum” (Machin & Vignoles, 2005). The United Kingdom has been known to be one of the highest performing countries internationally. However, in the last three years, it has stagnated and has held middle positions in rankings such as in the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) in 2013. This has been so for the last three years. For the purpose of specificity in comparison for this essay, the main focus is going to be on England’s education system and policies, which are formulated and implemented by the United Kingdom government. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills together with the Department of Education oversees the education activities in England. Policies for state schools and public education are implemented by the local authorities (Machin &Vignoles, 2005). Education for children between the ages of 5-16 years is compulsory and full-time (Gearon, 2002). This was recently revised to a maximum of 17 years from 2013 and it will be revised again to 18 years in 2015. This was done by the Education and Skills Act 2008. After high school, students continue with their studies for two more years and qualify for their A-levels. The two years extension has other alternative qualifications which include Cambridge Pre-U, International Baccalaureate (I.B) and Business and Technology Education Council (B.T.E.C) (Dewey, 2012). Payment for sixth form education and State-provided schooling is done by taxes. Independent schooling is also advised but parents have the option of educating their children in the way they view is the most suitable (Machin &Vignoles, 2005). A three-year bachelor’s degree is the beginning of higher education. A master’s degree and a doctorate are postgraduate degrees that students might choose to pursue after their undergraduate degrees. For a university to offer courses and issue nationally recognized degrees, it requires to hold a Royal Charter. Before 1870, education in England used to be offered by private institutions and charitable organizations. Local governments however complemented the already existing elementary schools after the passing of the Elementary Education Act 1870 (Machin &Vignoles, 2005). This was done with an aim to fill the gaps that were left by the private institutions. Local authorities were later allowed to form their own secondary schools through the Education Act 1902. Fees for elementary schools were abolished through the Education Act 1918 (Machin & Vignoles, 2005). State-funded schools absorb 93% of children in England seeking education. Education is offered for free except for conducting such activities as field trips, theatre visits and swimming. A limited and voluntary fee can be requested for such. There are six main types of maintained schools in England which include community schools, academy schools, foundation schools, free schools, voluntary controlled schools and voluntary aided schools (Gearon, 2002). Community schools refer to schools governed by a local authority which employs staff for the school, handles admissions and owns the school’s infrastructure. An academy school refers to a school funded by a non-governmental organization or any other private means. They are mostly found in areas of high economic and social deprivation and were created to replace community schools which were performing poorly. Foundation schools refer to schools owned by a charitable organization which owns the school’s infrastructure, employs staff for the school and handles admissions. Free schools are those schools that have been set up based on the concept that there is need for more schools in England. They are set up by businesses, teachers, parents or charitable organizations. Voluntary aided schools are schools which are associated with more than one organization. These include non-denominational schools or faith schools. The charitable organization owns the school infrastructure, contributes to the administration and capital costs and also appoints the school governors who have the responsibility of handling admissions. Finally, voluntary controlled schools are schools whose infrastructure is owned by a charitable organization or foundation but the local authority is given the responsibility of handling admissions and employing staff for the school (Machin & Vignoles, 2005). This explains much that has to do with the education policy and system in the United Kingdom. The United States of America on the other hand has also much or less of the same education policy and system.
Education policy in the United States of America After the American Revolution in 1783, the United States government began to establish free public schools (Ravitch, 2011). The Calvinists, Lutherans, Catholic and Orthodox Jews developed parochials elementary schools which were served the children in the Parish. By 1870, each state in the United States of America had established at least one elementary school. These schools focused on offering education based on three major fronts which include writing, reading and arithmetic. They also included History and Geography in their curriculum (Dewey, 2012). Education started receiving major focus in 1852 when the state of Massachusetts made schooling compulsory (Ravitch, 2011). Several other states followed suit in the legislation and in 1917, the state of Mississippi was the last state in the United States of America to make schooling compulsory. Initially, public tax money was used to fund parochial schools. This raised a debate and thirty nine states amended their state constitutions to ban this. The amendments took place in 1876 through the Blaine Amendments (Ravitch, 2011). In 1892, the Committee of Ten was founded. This was established by a group that was considered to be very strong education influencers. They advocated that every American child should go through kindergarten, elementary school, high school and college (Dewey, 2012). In the 1890s, high schools, universities and colleges started to organize and develop regional associations that aimed to administer examinations, accrediting standards and regular surveys. They also course completion, transfer procedures and determined the minimum requirement needed for admission (Gillies, 2012). Only 72% of children attended school by 1910. Many private schools started developing around this time (Birnbaw, 2009). The high school movement that took place from 1910-1940 aimed to increase the number of children attending school in the United States of America. By the year 1930, this objective came to fruition and the percentage of children attending school was 100% (Dewey, 2012). A lot of amendments and changes took place in America’s education system that shaped its history and current development. There have always been efforts made to make the education system better. Currently, education is offered by both private and public schools (Ravitch, 2011). Public education is directly funded and controlled by the local, state and federal government. School boards are locally elected and they are given the responsibility of formulating and implementing schools policies including teaching, funding, public school curricula and employment. Educational standards are set by the state governments which issue and supervise standardized tests for the public schools. Private schools on the other hand determine their own staffing policies and curriculum (Birnbaw, 2009). Independent regional accreditation authorities offer voluntary accreditation for private schools. 9% of school-age children receive their education from private schools whereas 88% attend public schools. Around 3% of the school-age children school from home (Gillies, 2004). In the entire United States of America, education has been made compulsory (Dewey, 2012). But depending on the state, the minimum age varies between five and eight and the maximum age varies between sixteen and eighteen. This condition by the government can be satisfied either in a state-certified private school, a public school or a home school programme approved the local government. Education in these schools is divided into three levels which include elementary schools, middle high school and high school (Ravitch, 2012). Higher education is also catered for by both private and public institutions that are spread throughout the country. A child who is five years of age is expected to join either a kindergarten, preschool or first grade. Before graduating from high school, they study through twelve grades which run for twelve calendar years of primary and secondary education. After graduating they are given diplomas which qualify them to attend higher education in any certified higher education institution. This may include a college or a university and are free to pursue undergraduate degrees such as a bachelor’s degree or an associate’s degree (Ravitch, 2011). A college, either a junior college or a community college, is used to offer an associate’s degree for around two years. However, it can also offer a limited number of bachelor’s degrees.
Some students from community college can choose to transfer to institutions offering a bachelor’s degree for four years. Community colleges are usually funded by the public. The four-year institutions can either be private or public universities or colleges. There exists four-year institutions which are publicly funded and the include City Colleges of Chicago, City University of New York and San Francisco City College (Dewey, 2012). Institutions considered to be private are funded privately. Some of the private universities are affiliated to religion while others are secular and nonsectarian (Birnbaw, 2009). Most private institutions have been set up as non-profit. However, many private institutions setting up recently are designed to be for-profit. Standardized tests are offered by the state government to all the schools in different states to ensure that all the students are receiving the desired quality of education that is required. Some of these standardizing tests include Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), Reagents Examinations in New York and the Massachusetts Comprehensive assessment system (Ravitch, 2012). However, this does not include students in private schools or those being educated at home. These tests are offered using laws governed by the No Child Left Behind Act and they are offered annually. If a student fails to make the desired progress required by the examinations, the law directs that he or she be offered remedial classes through programs such as summer school in order to assist each student keep up with an even academic level. The United States government has also placed major focus on extra-curricular activities while formulating and implementing its education policies (Ravitch, 2011). A high priority has been given to clubs and sports. Extra-curricular activities are administered and supervised by the school and is not part of the regular curriculum. Students are encouraged to participate in drill teams, spirit groups, sports programs and bands. There are institutions and organizations developed across the United States of America and are given the responsibility to supervise competition amongst schools in various extra-curricular activities. The United Kingdom and the United States of America have separate education policies in their administration. However, there exist some similarities and differences based on the aspects that characterize these two countries’ education system.
Similarities of education policy in the United Kingdom and United States of America The education system and policies in the United States of America and the United Kingdom are quite similar in various ways. This part of the essay aims to explore this concept exhaustively. One of the main and most outstanding similarities in the education policies of the two countries is that education is compulsory (Dewey, 2012). In the United Kingdom, this requirement is governed by the laws under the Education and Skills Act 2008. It is a condition which was formulated to ensure all the citizens in the United Kingdom as well as the United States of America get the minimum level of education. It is punishable by law if a parent or a guardian fails to take his or her child to receive education. Both of the countries have private and public schools spread all over the country (Birnbaw, 2009). The public schools are funded by the state or local government whereas the private schools are privately funded. A large percentage of school-going children are found in public schools and a lesser percentage in private schools for both countries. The curriculum in public schools is determined and supervised by the government whereas the curriculum in private schools are determined by the school’s board but certified by an external body. The stages of education in both countries are divided generally into five stages (Dewey, 2012). This include pre-school/kindergarten, middle school/ primary education, high school/middle education, college/further education and higher education. Students from both countries are expected to go through these stages. However, it is only compulsory to attend up to the high school level of education. College and higher education is optional and is offered by both private and public institutions across the countries. In both countries, education is a devolved matter (Dewey, 2012). In the United Kingdom, the local governments are given the responsibilities of formulating school policies, appointing school staff, managing the school infrastructure and handle admissions. In the United States of America, the state governments have the same responsibility for schools and usually boards are elected locally to implement these responsibilities to specific schools. This process however only includes public schools and does not affect private schools. Both the United Kingdom and the United States of America give their students standardized tests to ensure that they are receiving the minimum quality desired in the education system. The United Kingdom ranks its education standards in the Programme for International Student Assesment (P.I.S.A) whereas the United States of America ranks its education in the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test (FCAT), Reagents Examinations in New York and the Massachusetts Comprehensive assessment system (Ravitch, 2011). Academic institutions in the United Kingdom as well as the United States of America are found to be either religiously affiliated, secular or attached to a charitable organization (Dewey, 2012). Institutions attached to such schools are responsible for their funding, management of employment and ownership of infrastructure. The similarities in the education systems and policies between those two countries can be explained as above. However, there exist some major differences on the formulation and implementation of education policies between the United Kingdom and the United States of America. This is explained in the next part of the essay.

Differences of education policy in the United Kingdom and the United States of America One of the major differences between the education policy between the United States and the United Kingdom is that students in the United Kingdom are obligated to put on uniforms whereas, in the United States of America, this is not a compulsory measure. The students can attend school in their home clothes. Private institutions in the United States however subject their students to put on uniforms (Birnbaw, 2009). The other major difference is that students in the United Kingdom sit for General Certificate of Secondary Education (G.C.S.E) and Standard Assessment Tests which helps with future class placements. The students in the United States do not sit for such exams and they just attain a diploma after graduating from high school (Gillies, 2004). After high school education, students in the United States of America have the option to move forward and attend college. However, in the United Kingdom, the students have the option of either joining college or staying on in their current secondary schools and continue with their ‘sixth form’ which serves as a tertiary level of education (Gearon, 2002). Another difference that exists between the two countries’ education policies is the yearly structure of education. In the United States of America, a school year is structured to begin on August and end in May (Ravitch, 2012). In universities, there is a break between the terms. However, there are universities which operate on a trimester-based system. On the other hand, in the United Kingdom, the academic year begins on September or October and end in June. Most schools used a trimester based system (Machin & Vignoles, 2005). The administration of coursework is also very different between the two countries. In the United States, weekly assignments are issued at the beginning of the course and the lecturer’s expectations are therefore made clear and are rigid (Gillies, 2004). In the United Kingdom however, focus has been placed on giving students independence in their study (Gearon, 2002). Students are encouraged to take up and focus on topics that are of major interest to them. The professor tends to suggest rather than assign coursework. The education program format is also different in both countries. In the United States of America, education is given a broad approach whereas in the United Kingdom, education is somewhat streamlined. When taking a degree course in the United States, students not only focus on that particular degree but can also take up other minor courses (Ravitch, 2011). In the United Kingdom however, students are required to only focus on the degree course they were admitted to pursue. The advantage of this is that, the students get to put more focus on their strengths (Machin & Vignoles, 2005). There also exists a major difference in assessment between the two countries’ education policies. In the United States, one is assessed progressively using class participation, attendance, essays, quizzes and various tests which contribute to one’s final score (Gillies, 2004). However, in the United Kingdom, one is assessed using a major test that is administered at the end of an academic year (Gearon, 2002). Finally, another obvious distinction is the length of time used in pursuing degrees. A degree that will take four years to pursue in the United States of America will take three years in the United Kingdom (Machin &Vignoles, 2005). This is mainly contributed by the fact that the education system in the United States is less focused so students have to attend graduate school for a longer period of time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the essay has exhaustively described the education policies and systems of both the United States of America and the United Kingdom. It has gone further to identify and explain the similarities and differences that exist between these two countries’ education policies. Some of the similarities are identified in the compulsory requirement to attend school at the minimum age of five, the education system is divided into five stages, they both administer and supervise standard assessment to their students, education is a matter that has been given a devolved approach in both governments and they all advocate for both private and public academic institutions. On the other hand, the key differences that exists between the two countries education policies is in their coursework administration, the structure of their academic years, the method and framework of assessment, the format of programs and the length of time that is used to finish a degree program. In my own conclusive endnote that might be considered bias, education in the United States of America is more dynamic and rigorous compared to that of the United Kingdom which is mainly focused on examinations.
References
Birnbaw M. (2009). A Look at Private Schools. Washington post. Print
Dewey J. (2012). Democracy and Education. Simond and Brown Pub. Print
Gillies, R.M (2004). The Effects of Cooperative Learning On Junior High School Students During Small Group Learning; 197-213: Sage Publishers
Gearon, L. (2002). Education in the United Kingdom. David Fulton Publishers Limited
Machin, S and Vignoles A. (2005). What’s The Good Of Education? The Economics Of Education In The U.K. Princeton University Press.
Ravitch, D. (2011). The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice Are Undermining Education. Basic books; First trade paper edition