Are public schools better -

[rookie]

both in regard to academics and socialization - in Europe than in the USA?

 

Do public school students in Europe turn out better educated? Do they face the same pressures of violence, drugs, sxx that seem to be a part of school in the US?

 

What about in Canada, Australia?

[Laura Corin]

In Britain it's very variable. In our local state school, there are some children who come out with excellent educations - one of my neighbour's children came out with the highest possible grades across all subjects and is taking up a place at Oxford - whereas less motivated (but equally bright) students drift.

 

In general, many students leave school at sixteen, and a fair number of those don't come out with the kind of basic certification in English and maths that will be a passport to a slightly-skilled job. Those who stay on to eighteen will have received an accelerated education by US standards: it's extremely hard to get into university without the equivalent of AP exams, and in England and Wales the university course is only three years, with no general courses.

 

Drugs and sex? Certainly. There is also some knife crime. Firearms are illegal in most cases and rarely available.

 

Laura

[hornblower]

you may want look at The International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement

 

They do a survery regularly on maths (TIMMS)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trends_in_International_Mathematics_and_Science_Study

 

& literacy (PIRLS)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Progress_in_International_Reading_Literacy_Study

 

The wiki entries are a fast read:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Association_for_the_Evaluation_of_Educational_Achievement

 

but they have their own site & results there:

http://www.iea.nl/

[creekland]

From what I've seen based on several exchange students from many countries, they are about equal with a wide range (high to low) for both.

[Rosie_0801]

It's hard to compare because I only know about the US what I hear here.

 

I think the academics are on par, there are drugs, kids are having sex but we don't have as much violence, I don't think. Guns and carrying knives are illegal. Some people will carry knives anyway, but guns are a lot more difficult to get hold of.

 

At a university level, we don't have the general courses you guys have either. We get a lot of international students for that reason, actually. I had a friend in uni from Vietnam who came here so she could study computers, rather than having half her computer degree filled up with Vietnamese history classes.

 

Rosie