Schools in the USA.

There are three types of schools: public schools, private schools, and home schools. Most students attend public schools. These schools are run by the government of a city. The citizens of the city pay taxes to pay for the school buildings, teachers’ salaries and equipment and supplies for the schools. All citizens of the community must pay taxes to support the schools. Public schools are usually large. The families who want their children to attend private schools must pay tuition. Tuition payments pay for the teachers’ salaries and for buildings and equipment. Private schools are usually smaller than public schools. Some families choose not to send their children to school at all. They educate their children at home. In a home school, the mother and father and children work together to complete academic courses and to learn many life skills. Home schooners believe that children learn best at home and that parents are the teachers for their own children.

Students who attend public and private schools usually begin their formal education when they are six years old and continue for at least twelve years. Grades 1-5 make up the elementary school. Middle school consists of grades 6-8. High school is grades 9-12. When students have completed the 12th grade, they receive a high school diploma. At this point, students may end their formal education, or they may go college. In college the student will eventually specialize in one area of study, such as mathematics, science, history, literature, theology, or foreign language. At the end of four years, he or she will earn a Bachelor degree. The student who wants to continue his or her education after may enter graduate school and work to earn a Master’s degree or a doctoral degree. A student may also elect to enter a professional school to prepare to be a doctor, dentist, or lawyer.