A Closer Look on the Education System of Selected Countries

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educational systems.
World Best Education Systems: 2015 1st Ranking

“As a future teacher, you shall be guided by UNESCO's principle on that Education is for
All and that this education is anchored on the Five Pillars which are:

1. Learning to Know,
2. Learning to Do,
3. Learning to Be,
4. Learning to Live together, and
5. Learning to transform

1. Educational System of Australia

 Australia, called by many as the last paradise on earth, has a high quality
educational system.
 Many students from all over the world go to Australia to study.
 The educational system in Australia is similar with that of Canada and England.
 The entry age of compulsory education is 6 years old and exit age of 15 years
old.
 But in most states, children start primary education at the age of 5 when they
enroll in preparatory or kindergarten year.
 Academic year in Australia begins in March and ends in November.
 The long vacation starts from December 1 to February 28 of every year.
 The language of instruction is English.
 Most of the students are enrolled in government schools under the State or
Territory Education Minister.
 The federal government provides supplementary financial support.
Basic Education
1. Primary school- Length of the program: 6 years
 For 6-11 years old children
 It is provided by the government and non-government primary schools.
2. High school- Length of the program: 6 years
a. Junior High School (year 7- year 10)
 For students who are 12 to 16 years old
 Junior Secondary Certificate of Education at the end year 10.
 It is provided by the government and the non-government Co-Educational
Comprehensive/Multipurpose High School.
 Students may continue their studies or get a job; OR
 For Technical and further Education (TAFE) College to learn technical skills
b. Senior High School (Year 11- year 12)
 With variations depending on the state
 Students are from 16 to 18 years old
 Not compulsory education
 The government and non-government providers offer it.
 Senior Secondary Certificate of Education will be awarded at the end (Year 12
certificate) to be admitted for college.
Main purposes of Australian Higher Education
 To enable individuals to develop their capabilities for effective participation in the
workforce, for constructive contribution to society and for personal growth and
fulfillment.
 To advance knowledge and understanding.
 To aid the application of knowledge and understanding for the benefit of the
economy and the society.
 Enable individuals to adapt and learn, consistent with the needs of an adaptable
knowledge-based economy at the local, regional, and national levels.
 To contribute to democratic civilized society.
Higher Education
University level
◦ Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, Doctoral degree
 It begins with the undergraduate level.
 The main stage of university education leads to a bachelor’s degree.
Bachelor’s Degree
Undergraduate studies last between 3 years, 4 years, 5 years, 6 years full time.
 3 years- Arts, Science, Commerce (Pass)
 4 years- Education, Engineering (Honours)
 5 years- Veterinary Science, Dentistry, Architecture (Honours)
 6 years- Medicine, Surgery (Honours)
Bachelor’s Degree
 Pass= a Bachelor’s degree obtained in 3 years. The student cannot proceed to
Master’s Degree.
 Honours= a Bachelor’s degree obtained in 4 years. The student can proceed to a
Master’s degree and Doctoral degree.
Master’s Degree
 This degree may be obtained after one year (pass) or two years (honours) of full
time study.
Doctoral Degree
 A student who has qualified for a bachelor’s degree (honours) may proceed to
study for a doctorate usually Ph.D, higher Doctorate in Science and Humanities.
 The degree is awarded upon submission of published work.

2. Educational System of China

 China is the most populous country in the world.
 Students from public schools accounts for over 200 million.
 With 9 million public teachers under elementary, junior and senior high school.
 The National Educational Commission of China hires scientists and professors to
write the course syllabi.
 Class size ranges from 40 to 60 students
 All topics must be covered in order to pass national examinations- National
University Entrance examination
  The quality and reputation of the school depends on the number of students
passing the examination.
 Education was used as a vital tool for centralization and unification of the
country.
 Compulsory education covers elementary school and junior high school.
 Primary education- 6 years
 High school- 6 years
o Junior Middle High School- 3 years
o Senior Middle High School- 3 years
 University- 6 years
 Or colleges- 2-3 year

3. Educational System of Japan

 It is centralized and is administered by the Ministry of Education or the
Mombusho.
 From kindergarten to university serves about 24 million students.
 About 10% going to the university
 Most of the students are enrolled in public schools.
 It is seemed as a model on how to operate schools.
 A school year has three terms: summer, winter and spring, which are each
followed by a vacation period.
 The school year begins in April and ends in March of the following year and
students spend 243 days a year.
 Compulsory education covers elementary school and junior high school.
 There are also preschools (yochien) with mainly female teachers. This is not an
official part of the educational system.
 The government appoints teachers to public elementary and lower secondary
schools, and also license preschools in the area.
 Education is free and compulsory for children from 6 to 15 years.
 Lecture is the method of teaching.
 Classes are large in number.
 The standard curriculum includes Japanese language, social studies, math, and
science, art, music, home economics, physical education, and the most emphasis
being given in learning the Japanese language.
Basic Education
 Kindergarten
 Elementary (grade 1- grade 6)- 6 years
 Lower secondary school (grade 7- grade 9)- 3 years
◦ 2/3 of the teachers are male
◦ Class size averages 38 students, 50 minutes is allotted for each period.
 Upper secondary school- 3 years
◦ It offers academic, technical, and vocational programs.
 ◦ The first year courses include Japanese language, English, science and
Math.
◦ Vocational- information processing, navigation, fishing, farming, ceramics
and Business English.
◦ The upper secondary schools are ranked based on their success in placing
graduating students into prestigious Universities.
Higher Education
 University- 4 years
◦ National Achievement Test and the test given by the university.
◦ Students failing the exam must study and prepare for one year to take the
test again. These students are “ronin,” meaning a samurai with no lord or
master during the feudal period.
 Master’s degree- 60% of the universities have graduate schools but only 7% of
university graduates acquire it.
 Doctoral degree- medical programs and humanities

4. Education in South Africa

In South Africa, the Constitution guarantees equal access to basic education.
a. Basic Education
Formal education in South Africa is categorized into sectors or levels.
A public school may be a regular public school or a public school for learners with
special educational needs.
Compulsory General Education and Training (GET) covers the reception year,
grades R to Grade IX. The General Education and Training corresponds to Level I of the
National Qualifications Framework (NQF) and is divided into three phases
o Foundation
o Intermediate
o Senior
Primary education is divided into junior primary and senior primary. Grades VII-IX is the
last stage of compulsory education and will lead to general education and training
certificate.
The eight learning areas that form the basis of all basic education up to the
Further Education Training (FET) certificate are;
• Language, Literacy and Communication
• Mathematical Literacy, Mathematics and Mathematical Science
• Natural Science
• Technology
• Human and Social Science

5. Education in United Kingdom

• In England, education is compulsory for children ages 5 to 16. Most
children attend primary schools until they are 11 and then transfer to secondary
schools.
 • The National Curriculum is defined as the minimum educational requirement for
compulsory school age, 5 to 16 years. It is mandatory for all state schools.

a. Basic Education
• The core subjects of the national curriculum include English, Mathematics
and Science.
1. Foundation Stage – covers children aged 3 to 5 years
2. Key Stage One- it includes children aged 5 to 7 years and year groups grades 1-2.
3. Key Stage Two- It includes children aged 7-11 and year groups 3-6.
4. Key Stage Three- it includes children aged 11-14 years and year groups 7-9.
5. Key Stage Four- it includes those age 14-16 and year groups 10-11.
6. Post 16 Education- it is not mandatory in England students can either continue
education or enter the working world.

b. Higher Education
In 1992, the binary divide in the higher education system was abolished. Former
Polytechnics became universities enabling them to award their own degrees.

6. Education in the United States of America

a. Basic Education
Pre-primary education- type of school providing this education are kindergarten,
nursery schools, pre-school programmed, child/day care centers.
-Age level is 4 to 6 years old and the duration is 2 years.
Primary Education- Elementary School- There are varied levels of schooling in the
primary education.
Grades 1-4 (ages 6 to 10)
Grades 1-5 (ages 6 to 11)
Grades 1 to 6 (ages 6 to 12)
Grades 1 to 7 (ages 6 to 14)
Middle school education
 Grades 4-6, 5-7, or 6-8 ( age level is 10-14)
Secondary education-high school
 Grades 7-12 or 8-12 (ages 12-18)
 High school diploma is awarded
2 Levels
 Junior high school
Grades 7-8, 7-9, or 8-9 (ages 12-14)
  Senior high school
Grades 9-12, or 10-12 (ages14-18)
b. Higher Education
 Higher education in the U.S begins at the post-secondary education.
 Current data indicate that there are some 2,819 institution offering bachelor or
higher degrees and 4,927 offering non-degrees of two years duration.
 Post-secondary education - There is no real age categories for post-secondary
education. Generally, American students Start College right after college and the
average American can takes 6 years to finish a four years course.
Classes begin in September and end in June of every year. The language of instruction
is English.

7. Education in New-Zealand
Education in New Zealand is world-class, modern and responsive.
A.Basic Education
School is compulsory for all children in New Zealand from age 6 to 16. The average
number of student to a teacher in every classroom is 18 to 1 in primary schooling and
15 to 1 in secondary schooling in state schools.

There are three types of schooling in New Zealand: State Funded, State integrated and
Private.
Secondary schools may add other subjects such as accounting, art, history, media
studies and specialized science and language studies.
5 competencies covered by the national curriculum

1. Thinking
2. Different ways to understand information
3. Managing self-a "can do" attitude
4. Relating to others
5. Participating and contributing
The national curriculum includes a vision for the young people to be confident, lifelong
earners. It also requires the importance of different cultures to value:

-excellence
-innovation, inquiry and curiosity
-Diversity
-respect
-equity
-community and participation
-ecological sustainability
-integrity
 New Zealand Level of Education

Schooling Level Years/Grades Age

Early Childhood Pre-School Birth - 5 years

Primary School Years 1-8 5-13

Intermediate School Years 7-8 11-13

Not always applicable as some primary
schools include these years

Secondary School Years 7-13 11-17 or 18

Also known as college/High School
Grammar School

Tertiary University or Similar 17 onwards

Primary Schools - New Zealand law requires all children aged six years and over to be in
schools.
Grade 9 and 10
-English
-Mathematics
-Science and Technology
-Social Studies
-Arts
-Physical Education
-Health Education
In the last 3 years of secondary school, there is a wide range of subjects to
choose from Years 12 and 13.
School term
The New Zealand school year is divided into for terms:
1. Early February until mid-April
2. Late April until the beginning of July
3. Mid-July until late September
4. Mid-October until Mid-December
b. Higher Education

Universities in New Zealand

There are 8 government funded universities in New Zealand and all have
internationally respected academic and research standards.
Institutions of Technology and Polytechnic
New Zealand Institute of Technology and Polytechnics are state-owned. They offer
courses that are equivalent in merit to those offered as degrees in universities.
Private Training Institutions and English Language Programs
There are around 800 private education providers in the country, many of which
are offering short term English Language courses.
8. Education in the Philippines

a. Basic Education
The K to 12 basic education consists of Kindergarten, 6 years of Elementary, 4
years of junior high school and 2 years of junior high school
From Grade 1 to 10 is a core of academic subjects taught using the spiral
progression approach.
Grades 1 to 10
-Language (mother tongue)
-Math
-Science
-Social Studies
-Technology and Livelihood Education
-Music, Arts, Physical Education and Health
Mother Tongue is used as the medium of instruction from K to Grade 3 and is
taught as a subject only in Grades 1, 2 and 3. Science as a subject is taught only
beginning Grade 3. TLE is taught starting Grade 4 until Grade
In Grade 11 and 12, the subjects are Languages (Filipino and English), Math,
Science, Social Studies and combined with TLE.
The focus in Grade 11 and 12 is on the specialization subjects that equip the learner for
the career path of his/her choice.
This career paths come in 3 tracks: academic, techvoc and sports and arts.
b. Higher Education
Currently, students who graduate in high school consisting if four years may
proceed to colleges, universities or technical vocational institutions, which are classified
as higher education institutions.
After completing the bachelor's or baccalaureate degrees, courses in the master’s
program of two years and doctoral programs for three to five years are offered by
authorized colleges and universities. Most of these institutions have admission
requirements for the specific degrees.
 WRITTEN REPORT
IN
THE TEACHING PROFESSION

Chapter 3
On Becoming a Global Teacher

Submitted by:
Marlon B. Cainong
Anna Christine G. Barcelon
Dulce Amor C. Cutura

Submitted to:
Mrs. Susan Matugas
Professor