High school or Secondary school/6th form

[Nakurai]

Just wondering which is the harder education system? A-levels are a frickin pain in the ***! stare crying
Do you think it would be easier to graduate from high school? Or pass your GCSE's and A-levels? surprised  

[xMockingJay]

Well I'm not sure, but what I do know is the English ciriculem (or however you spell it) is a lot harder than the Irish one. But then again, you don't have to learn the hardest, most pointless language EVER as a core subject (Irish).  

[Nakurai]

Sparkycc

Well I'm not sure, but what I do know is the English ciriculem (or however you spell it) is a lot harder than the Irish one. But then again, you don't have to learn the hardest, most pointless language EVER as a core subject (Irish).

Lool but the Irish accent is soo cool! xD (maybe not the language xp ), And I'm sure in Wales u have to learn welsh as well which isn't all to hard; bus = bws stare
+ I was never good at languages *High 5*  

[xMockingJay]

Nakurai

Sparkycc

Well I'm not sure, but what I do know is the English ciriculem (or however you spell it) is a lot harder than the Irish one. But then again, you don't have to learn the hardest, most pointless language EVER as a core subject (Irish).

Lool but the Irish accent is soo cool! xD (maybe not the language xp ), And I'm sure in Wales u have to learn welsh as well which isn't all to hard; bus = bws stare
+ I was never good at languages *High 5*

*High 5!* xd Yeah, I'm horrible at languages D: And Ireland has lot's of different accents. Mine would be the South-East "Well, booyy, what's the craic?" accent xd

Also bus in Irish is bus rofl  

[Sir_Catherine]

Someone want to explain the English schooling system to me? What I'm familiar with is as follows...

kindergarten through fourth grade = elementary school
fifth grade through eighth grade = middle school
ninth grade through twelfth grade = high school

Ages go from about five years old for starting kindergarten to about eighteen when graduating high school.

Sometimes the line between elementary and middle school is shifted a grade either way and sometimes the elementary/middle school grades are broken into three schools (intermediate is then thrown in) if the school population is high enough to need more buildings but not a whole new school district.

All these school are run by the government and are free to attend, paid for through everyone's taxes. Private schools are available if one can pay for attendance.

We have a grading system of 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'F' for each class with 'F' being a failed class. They correspond to a percentage system (100% of course being perfect) but just what percent equates to what letter can be adjusted for the teacher's preferences.

For our high school years we also have a 4.0 academic rating. Somehow they translate the number of different letter grades we've gathered into a number rating on the 4.0 system. Harder classes (college prep, advanced placement) are weighted to tug at your 4.0 rating more than easy ones (general courses, special pass/fail classes). Generally any rating between 3.0 and 4.0 is just fine. Also, generally 4 = a perfect 'A' overall and less than 1 = failed everything.

There are two big tests, the PSAT and ACT, that most colleges require one or the other of and use your score(s) as another benchmark for admittance.

I hope I haven't assumed knowledge in place of giving explanation, nor explained where something was obvious, but if I have I beg pardon.

With this example, someone care to explain the English (or Irish) schooling system in more detail?  

[xMockingJay]

Well here in Ireland (and England too I think), school is split in three (not including colledge or university). At between the ages of 3 and 5 children attend pre-school, which only lasts for a year. Really to get them used to the system I think.

They then start primary school. The classes (or grades) go like this.
Juinor Infants
Senior Infants
1st-6th class/standard.

They then move on to secondary school. Here the classes (or years, as they are now called) go like this.
1st-3rd year
Transition Year/4th year
5th-6th year.

They're are two big tests. The Juinor Cert in 3rd year and the Leaving Cert in 6th year. Transition Year is optional in many schools. If a student skips Transition Year, they will mve straight from 3rd year to 5th year.

The grading system is similar here. Except ours is A, B, C, D, E, F, NG (No grade). The percentage rate is the same for all state exams. An E, F or NG is a fail. A, B, and C is honours, D is a pass.

Hope I explained that okay.  

[Nakurai]

Sir_Catherine

Someone want to explain the English schooling system to me? What I'm familiar with is as follows...

kindergarten through fourth grade = elementary school
fifth grade through eighth grade = middle school
ninth grade through twelfth grade = high school

Ages go from about five years old for starting kindergarten to about eighteen when graduating high school.

Sometimes the line between elementary and middle school is shifted a grade either way and sometimes the elementary/middle school grades are broken into three schools (intermediate is then thrown in) if the school population is high enough to need more buildings but not a whole new school district.

All these school are run by the government and are free to attend, paid for through everyone's taxes. Private schools are available if one can pay for attendance.

We have a grading system of 'A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'F' for each class with 'F' being a failed class. They correspond to a percentage system (100% of course being perfect) but just what percent equates to what letter can be adjusted for the teacher's preferences.

For our high school years we also have a 4.0 academic rating. Somehow they translate the number of different letter grades we've gathered into a number rating on the 4.0 system. Harder classes (college prep, advanced placement) are weighted to tug at your 4.0 rating more than easy ones (general courses, special pass/fail classes). Generally any rating between 3.0 and 4.0 is just fine. Also, generally 4 = a perfect 'A' overall and less than 1 = failed everything.

There are two big tests, the PSAT and ACT, that most colleges require one or the other of and use your score(s) as another benchmark for admittance.

I hope I haven't assumed knowledge in place of giving explanation, nor explained where something was obvious, but if I have I beg pardon.

With this example, someone care to explain the English (or Irish) schooling system in more detail?

I can try but maybe not as in fine detail as you just did sweatdrop

Firstly we don't call it 'grades' but instead 'years' ; Yr 1, Yr2 Yr3 etc

We have nursery = Kindergarden (age 3 to 4)
Primary school = Elementary school (age 4 to 11)
Secondary school = High school (age 11-16) At this point u have completed your compulsory education.
6th from/ college = End of high school (age 16-18 ) optional education
then university or work...

Schools are funded by the government and free to attend majority or the population attends public school, though there are private schools available.

The grading system or 'A', .B', 'C' etc is only introduced after the age of 14 (when you start your GCSE's - General Certificate of Secondary Education)
Up until 14 you use the grading system consisting of numbers ranging from about 3-7/8 each number reflects an academic level.

Before entering secondary school you undergo an exam called SAT's and with those grades u can apply to selective secondary schools.
Once in secondary school from 11-14 your are obliged to do a given set of subjects around 11-13 subjects. A few years ago there use to be a second SATS's exam taken at the end of yr 9 (age 14) which would then open path ways to which subject you could go on to do for your GCSE's. But they've removed this exam from curriculum.
Your first actual certificated exams are your GCSE's which is looked at in your application when applying for Uni. GCSE's consist of core subjects selected by your school and 3 additional subjects of your choice. The Grade system of A', 'B', 'C', 'D', 'E' and 'U' (equivalent to F) is now put in place.
After completing your GCSE's you receive your certificates for all your subjects with your grades, with these grades you apply for 6th from/ college to do your A-levels. A-levels are you final set of exams before going on to university, you get to choose however many subjects you want to do given that your previous GCSE grades reflect you capability to do so. Though almost everyone does about 3-5 A-levels. First year of A-levels is called AS second yr is called A2. You may drop subjects by A2 or continue them to A2 to receive the full A-level. Finally with your A-level grades alongside your GCSE grades you apply for university..

Not the greatest explanation but I tried.. sweatdrop  

[Garwaire]

Did Labour make A-Level education compulsory now? Thought they changed the school leaving age from 16 to 18..  

[xMockingJay]

@Nakurai- That was really interesting, I thought English schools worked the same way as Irish schools.  

[Behatzlacha-S]

Wyt ti'n meddlw Cymraeg yn hawdd, Nakurai?? It's not as simple as you'd think.

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Sixth form is not compulsory, no. However, the majority of people will do sixth form or at least go to a college to receive some form of diploma.

A Levels are not the only option in Britain.

Personally, I chose the International Baccalaureate, or IB, which is offered worldwide but it's gaining some ground in British schools. It's taught in a variety of languages, but Welsh, Scottish and Irish are not offered, so in those countries it's an English curriculum.

6 subjects are taken, one in each field (Maths, First Language, Second Language, Core Science, Humanity and Art/Additional Science). Each one is out of 7, to give a maximum possible of 42. Three bonus points are offered for an extended essay and a short philosophy course (Theory of Knowledge). 150 hours of community service, sports or controlled exercise and creative activity are also compulsory to obtaining the IB.

Last year, 70 people worldwide managed to get 45 points. stare  

[Nakurai]

Samuel Garwood

Did Labour make A-Level education compulsory now? Thought they changed the school leaving age from 16 to 18..

They haven't done it as of yet, But heard they were planning on raising it to 17 confused  

[Nakurai]

Behatzlacha-S

Wyt ti'n meddlw Cymraeg yn hawdd, Nakurai?? It's not as simple as you'd think.

----------------------------

Sixth form is not compulsory, no. However, the majority of people will do sixth form or at least go to a college to receive some form of diploma.

A Levels are not the only option in Britain.

Personally, I chose the International Baccalaureate, or IB, which is offered worldwide but it's gaining some ground in British schools. It's taught in a variety of languages, but Welsh, Scottish and Irish are not offered, so in those countries it's an English curriculum.

6 subjects are taken, one in each field (Maths, First Language, Second Language, Core Science, Humanity and Art/Additional Science). Each one is out of 7, to give a maximum possible of 42. Three bonus points are offered for an extended essay and a short philosophy course (Theory of Knowledge). 150 hours of community service, sports or controlled exercise and creative activity are also compulsory to obtaining the IB.

Last year, 70 people worldwide managed to get 45 points. stare

Yh I heard about IB, allot of people do it but more commonly people do A-levels. So it works on a point score? But UCAS works on a similar level were each grade is rewarded a set number or UCAS points and when u apply for Uni there is a minimum requirement or points.
I had the option to do IB but I was highly unadvised as only the academy schools do it and wasn't looked on as highly as A-levels.
And btw only 1% of the entire A-level population get 100%, they manipulated the percentages based on the entire population.  

[Sir_Catherine]

Oh my, my brain is spinning. I'm going to list some facts I seem to have gathered...correct me if I've got something wrong, please!

*4th form is optional and so is 6th form. One can attend 3ed form, 5th form and apply to a uni from there. Can one apply to a university at age 16, after 5th form? Do many do this?

In the U.S. I think some states let you quite school at 16 but if you do you don't get your high school diploma and really hurt your chances in the work place and at higher education. Universities here require either that diploma or for you to take a high school equivalency test.

*One takes a standardized tests (Junior Cert, SATs) to get into a good secondary school. While these secondary schools are government funded, one applies to get into a good one the same as we all apply to a university.

*The #/8 grading system pre-letter grades is totally new to me. I wonder why it's an eight point scale.

*"A" levels sound like our Advanced Placement and College Prep courses which, after taking a special test for each subject, can grant college credit or at least the ability to skip basic intro courses at a university. Your GCSEs sound like our ACTs and SATs. One doesn't need AP or College Prep courses/tests to apply to a uni here, but it helps once you're accepted for the purpose of getting through faster.

Do I have the general idea here? Thank you for all the input everyone!