Public school
| Schools |
|---|
 |
| Education |
| History of education |
| Pedagogy |
| Teaching |
| Homeschooling |
| Preschool education |
| Child care center |
| Kindergarten |
| Primary education |
| Elementary school |
| Secondary education |
| Middle school |
| Comprehensive school |
| Grammar school |
| Gymnasium |
| High school |
| Preparatory school |
| Public school |
| Tertiary education |
| College |
| Community college |
| Liberal arts college |
| University |
The term public school mostly commonly refers to any school funded from tax revenue and most commonly administered to some degree by government or local government agencies. These types of schools, which often compromise primary schools and secondary schools are the most common type of educational institutions in many nations. Because many nations have compulsory education, these schools often are not allowed to discriminate which students it allows admission to.
Purpose
Public schools exist primarily because of compulsory education laws. Most nations require students to attend school for a certain time period; while the exact requirements differ from one country to the next, often attendance is required from primary school age (between 5-6 years old) until completion of secondary school (anywhere between 16-18). Public schools exist so as to give the majority of children a place to meet this required attendance and so as to provide an equal educational oppurtunity to the population of children in each school's jurisdiction.
Origin
Before compuslory education laws, most countries had private educational institutions that charged a fee for admission and were only attainable based upon academic achievement, demonstrated potential or sometimes race, religion and other discriminatory factors, which often left a larger population of children without access to educational opportunities. Compulsory educational laws were designed to give all children equal opportunity for an education, but since most families could not afford tuition at private schools,
Cultural Variants
North America
Public-school education is the standard form of education in the United States and is provided mainly by local governments, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. Curricula, funding, teaching, and other policies are set through locally elected school boards by jurisdiction over school districts. The school districts are special-purpose districts authorized by provisions of state law. Generally, state governments can and do set minimum standards relating to almost all activities of primary and secondary schools, as well as funding and authorization to enact local school taxes to support the schools—primarily through real property taxes. The federal government funds aid to states and school districts that meet minimum federal standards. School accreditation decisions are made by voluntary regional associations. Public school is normally split up into three stages: primary (elementary) school (kindergarten to 4th or 5th or 6th grade), junior high (also "intermediate," or "middle") school (5th or 6th or 7th to 8th or 9th) and high school (9th or 10th to 12th, somewhat archaically also called "secondary school"), with some less populated communities incorporating high school as 7th to 12th. Some Junior High Schools (Intermediate Schools) contain 7th to 9th grades or 7th and 8th, in which case the High School is 10th to 12th or 9th to 12th respectively.
In the United States, institutions of higher education that are operated and subsidized by U.S. states are also referred to as "public." However, unlike public secondary schools, public universities charge tuition, though these fees are usually much lower than those charged by private universities, particularly for "in-state" students. Community colleges, state colleges, and state universities are examples of public institutions of higher education. In particular, many state universities are regarded as among the best institutions of higher education in the U.S., though usually they are surpassed in ranking by certain private universities and colleges, such as those of the Ivy League, which are often very expensive and extremely selective in the students they accept. In several states, the administrations of public universities are elected via the general electoral ballot.
Public-school education in Canada is a provincial responsibility and, as such, there are many variations between the provinces. Junior Kindergarten (or equivalent) exists as an official program in some, but not most, places. Kindergarten (or equivalent) is available in every province, but provincial funding and the level of hours provided varies widely. Starting at grade one, at about age five, there is universal publicly-funded access up to grade twelve (or equivalent). Schools are generally divided into Elementary or Primary school (Kindergarten to Grade 7), and Secondary, or High School (Grade 8 to 12). In some schools, particularly in rural areas, the elementary and middle levels can be combined into one school. Commencing in 2003, Grade 13, or OAC, was eliminated in Ontario. It had previously been required only for students who intended to go on to university. Children are required to attend school until the age of sixteen.
Some Canadian provinces offer segregated-by-religious-choice, but nonetheless publicly-funded and publicly-regulated, religiously-based education. In Ontario, for example, Roman Catholic schools are known as "Catholic School," not "Public School," although these are, by definition, no less 'public' than their secular counterparts.
Europe
Denmark
The Danish School system is supported today by tax-based governmental and municipal funding from day care through primary and secondary education to higher education and there are no tuition fees for regular students in public schools and universities. The Danish public primary schools, covering the entire period of compulsory education, are called folkeskoler (literally 'people's schools' or 'public schools'). The Folkeskole consists of a voluntary pre-school class, the 9-year obligatory course and a voluntary 10th year. It thus caters for pupils aged 6 to 17. It is also possible for parents to send their children to various kinds of private schools. These schools also receive government funding, although they are not public. In addition to this funding, these schools may charge a fee from the parents.
England, Wales and Northern Ireland
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the term "public school" refers to fee-charging independent secondary schools. The earliest known reference to a "public school" dates from 1364, when the Bishop of Winchester wrote concerning "the public school" at Kingston in his diocese. [1] The term public then distinguished between education in a school generally provided by a church and open to public applicants, and schools where admission was restricted to children from a particular aristocratic class, such as City of London Freemen's School. Typically such schools admit applicants to a small number of free or highly subsidised charitable foundation scholarships, and grew by the headmaster accepting payments for other pupils, who might subsequently win the competitive scholarships.
In the nineteenth century the Clarendon Commission and the Public Schools Act 1868 used the common term to refer to the nine old-established schools whose outdated charitable trusts and governance they reformed. Many similar boarding schools were established for British Empire expatriates to educate their sons at home, and a number of ancient grammar schools later aimed to conform to the ethos of the Public Schools named in successive Acts.
The term public school is generally used now in England, Wales, Northern Ireland and sometimes Scotland to refer to any school that is a member of the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference: see the article Independent school (UK) for that sense of the term. The schools and their representative associations prefer the more inclusive term "independent schools," but common usage and the news media in England often refer to them by the traditional name of "public schools."
These schools were (and are) public in the sense of being open to all students in principle, though at the time of their foundation most older schools were run by the established Church and were only open to boys of the same denomination. In practice however many such schools are highly academically selective and pupils usually need to pass the Common Entrance Examination before being admitted at all, and all but the best scholars must be able to afford the considerable fees for tuition and (for boarders) room and board.
In these countries, the terms state school and county school are used for schools provided at public expense. The term private school means the same as in other English-speaking countries, or formerly and more specifically a privately-owned primary Preparatory ('Prep') School.
In the United Kingdom the term "school" is not generally used to describe institutions of further or higher education (exceptions include the London School of Economics and the School of Oriental and African Studies), but it is used to denote academic and administrative divisions within a university, such as a medical school or a school of engineering or political science. It is otherwise restricted to primary and secondary schools. See School.
Republic of Ireland
In the Republic of Ireland, a public school (Irish: scoil phoiblí) is a non fee-paying school which is funded by the State, while a private school (Irish: scoil phríobháideach) is a fee-paying school which is not funded by the State.
France
The French educational system is highly centralized, organized, and ramified. It is divided into three stages:
- primary education (enseignement primaire);
- secondary education (enseignement secondaire);
- tertiary or college education (enseignement supérieur)
Primary Schooling in France is mandatory as of age 6, the first year of primary school. Many parents start sending their children earlier though, around age 3 as kindergarten classes (maternelle) are usually affiliated to a borough's (commune) primary school. Some even start earlier at age 2 in pré-maternelle or garderie class, which is essentially a daycare facility.
French secondary education is divided into two schools:
- the collège for the first four years directly following primary school;
- the lycée for the next three years.
The completion of secondary studies leads to the baccalauréat.
Baccalauréat
The baccalauréat (also known as bac) is the end-of-lycée diploma students sit for in order to enter university, a classe préparatoire, or professional life. The term baccalauréat refers to the diploma and the examinations themselves. It is comparable to British A-Levels, American SATs, the Irish Leaving Certificate and German Abitur.
Most students sit for the baccalauréat général which is divided into 3 streams of study, called séries. The série scientifique (S) is concerned with mathematics and natural sciences, the série économique et sociale (ES) with economics and social sciences, and the série littéraire (L) focuses on French and foreign languages and philosophy.
Tertiary education
- Peculiarities
A striking trait of higher education in France, compared to other countries such as the United States, is the small size and multiplicity of establishments, each specialized in a more or less broad spectrum of disciplines. A middle-sized French city, such as Grenoble or Nancy, may have 2 or 3 universities (for instance: science / humanities), and also a number of engineering and other specialized higher education establishments. For instance, in Paris and suburbs, there are 13 universities, most of which are specialized on one area or the other, and a large number of smaller institutions.
- Grandes écoles & classes préparatoires (CPGE : Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Ecoles)
The Grandes écoles of France are higher education establishments outside the mainstream framework of the public universities. They are generally focused on a single subject area, such as engineering, have a moderate size, and are often quite selective in their admission of students. They are widely regarded as prestigious, and traditionally have produced most of France's scientists and executives.
Germany
Education in Germany is provided to a large extent by the government, with control coming from state level, (Länder) and funding coming from two levels: federal and state. Curricula, funding, teaching, and other policies are set through the respective states ministry of education. Decisions about the acknowledgment of private schools (the German equivalent to accreditation in the US) are also made by these ministries. However, public schools are automatically recognised, since these schools are supervised directly by the ministry of education bureaucracy.
Kindergartens are not part of the German public school system. (Although the first kindergarten in the world was opened in 1840 by Friedrich Wilhelm August Fröbel in the German town of Bad Blankenburg, and the term Kindergarten is even a loanword from the German language). Article 7 Paragraph 6 of the German constitution (the Grundgesetz) abolished pre-school as part of the German school system. However, kindergartens exist all over Germany, where many of these institutions actually are public, but these kindergartens are controlled by local authorities, charging tuition fees and are likewise not considered to be part of the public school system.
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A German public school does not charge tuition fees. The first stage of the German public school system is the Grundschule. (Primary School - 1st to 4th grade or, in Berlin and Brandenburg, 1st to 6th grade) After Grundschule (at 10 or 12 years of age), there are four secondary schooling options:
- Hauptschule (the least academic, much like a modernized Volksschule) until 9th or, in Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia until 10th Grade.
- Realschule (formerly Mittelschule) until 10th grade.
- Gymnasium (high school) until 12th grade or 13th grade (with Abitur as exit exam, qualifying for admission to university).
- Gesamtschule (comprehensive school) with all the options of the three "tracks" above.
A Gesamtschule largely corresponds to an American high school. However, it offers the same school leaving certificates as the other three types of German secondary schools - the Hauptschulabschluss (school leaving certificate of a Hauptschule after 9th Grade or in Berlin and North Rhine-Westphalia after 10th Grade), the Realschulabschluss, also called Mittlere Reife, (school leaving certificate of a Realschule after 10th Grade) and Abitur, also called Hochschulreife, after 13th or seldom after 12th Grade. Students who graduate from Hauptschule or Realschule continue their schooling at a vocational school until they have full job qualifications. This type of German school, the Berufsschule, is generally an upper-secondary public vocational school, controlled by the German federal government. It is part of Germany's dual education system. Students who graduate from a vocational school and students who graduate with good GPA from a Realschule can continue their schooling at another type of German public secondary school, the Fachoberschule, a vocational high school. The school leaving exam of this type of school, the Fachhochschulreife, enables the graduate to start studying at a Fachhochschule (polytechnic), and in Hesse also at a university within the state. The Abitur from a Gesamtschule or Gymnasium enables the graduate to start studying at a polytechnic or at a university in all states of Germany.
In Germany, most institutions of higher education are subsidized by German states and are therefore also referred to as staatliche Hochschulen. (public universities) Most German public universities and polytechnics do not charge for tuition, though fees for guest or graduate students are charged by many universities. However, many German states plan to introduce general tuition fees for all students at public institutions of higher education in the near future.
Australia
Australia
Education in Australia follows a three tier model: primary, secondary and tertiary education. Education is primarily regulated by the individual state governments, not the federal government. Education is compulsory up to an age specified by legislation; this age varies but is generally 15 or 16, that is prior to completing secondary education.
Under the Australian Government’s Schools Assistance (Learning Together – Achievement Through Choice and Opportunity) Act 2004, all education authorities, including non-government schools, have now committed to implement a common school starting age by 1 January 2010 and a common description (nomenclature) for the year before Year 1 and the two years before Year 1.
Post-compulsory education is regulated within the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF), a unified system of national qualifications in schools, vocational education and training (TAFEs and private providers) and the higher education sector (mainly universities).
| State or
Territory |
Minimum
age |
Age in the year
before Year 1 |
Compulsory age | Nomenclature year
before school |
Nomenclature year
before Year 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NSW | 4.5 | Turn 5 by 31 July | Year in which
children turn 6 |
Pre-school | Kindergarten |
| QLD | 4.6 | By 2007, turn 5 by
30 June |
Year in which
children turn 6.64 |
Kindergarten /
Preschool |
Preparatory |
| VIC | 4.8 | Turn 5 by 30 April | Year in which
children turn 6 |
Kindergarten | Preparatory |
| WA | 4.6 | Turn 5 by 30 June | Year in which
children turn 6.6 |
Kindergarten | Pre-Primary |
| SA | 4.5 | Continuous entry in the
term after 5th birthday |
Year in which
children turn 6 |
Kindergarten | Reception |
| TAS | 4.5 | Turn 5 by 1 January | Year after turning 5 | Kindergarten | Preparatory |
| ACT | 5.0 | Turn 5 by 30 April | Year in which
children turn 6 |
Pre-school | Kindergarten |
| NT | 5.0 | By 2006, turn 5 by
30 June |
Year in which
children turn 6 |
Pre-school | Transition |
Primary and Secondary
Primary and secondary education may be provided by:
- Government schools (also known as State schools, or public schools)
- Independent schools (the older of these institutions are sometimes called Public School)
There has been a strong drift of students to independent schools during the past decade.[citation needed]
Government schools educate the majority of students and do not charge large tuition fees (most do charge a fee as a contribution to costs). The major part of their costs is met by the relevant State or Territory government. Independent schools, both religious or secular (the latter often with specialisations), may charge much higher fees.
Whilst independent schools are sometimes considered 'public' schools like their English counterparts (as in the Associated Public Schools of Victoria), in some states of Australia, the term 'public school' is usually synonymous with a government school.
Government schools can be divided into two types: open and selective. The open schools accept all students from their government defined catchment areas, while selective schools have high entrance requirements and cater to a much larger area. Entrance to selective schools is often highly competitive. In Victoria, for example, more than 3000 applicants sit the entrance exam each year competing for the 600 available places at Mac.Robertson Girls' High School and Melbourne High School.
Asia
Hong Kong
In Hong Kong the term government schools is used for free schools funded by the government.
There are also subsidized schools (which are the majority in Hong Kong and many of which are run by Religious organizations), "Direct Subsidy Scheme" schools, private schools and international schools in Hong Kong.
India and Sri Lanka
In India and Sri Lanka, due to the British influence, the term "public schools" implied non-governmental, historically elite educational institutions, often modeled on British public schools. The terms 'private' and 'government' school are commonly used to denote the type of funding. In consideration of government control /ownership, the central government administered Kendriya Vidyalayas (or Central Schools), Navodaya Vidyalaya system of schools qualify as per the American definition of "public" school. They are usually not completely privately run, being 'aided' by the government. The standard and the quality of education is quite high.Technically these would be categorized as private schools, but many of them have the name Public School appended to them, e.g., the Delhi "Public" Schools and Birla Vidya Mandir . Most of the middle class families send their children to such schools, which might be in their own city or far off (like Boarding schools). The medium of education is English, but as a compulsory subject, Hindi and/or the state's official language is also taught. Preschool education is mostly limited to organized neighbourhood nursery schools with some organized chains.
The most well known public school in Sri Lanka is Royal College. Although it is a governmental school it has much autonomy.
Pakistan
In Pakistan, the term "public school" has historically been used for British-styled boarding schools such as Abbottabad Public School and Sadiq Public School Bahawalpur. This has established a strong branding for the term "public school," and most of these schools are private, non-governmental boarding schools.
Africa
South Africa
In South Africa, the South African Schools Act of 1996 recognised two categories of schools: public and independent. Independent schools include all private schools and schools that are privately governed. Independent schools with low tuition fees are state-aided and receive a subsidy on a sliding-scale. Traditional private schools that charge high fees receive no state subsidy.
Public schools are all state-owned schools, including section 21 schools (formerly referred to as Model C or semi-private schools) that have a governing body and a degree of budget autonomy, as these are still fully-owned and accountable to the state.
Notes
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