12 Education

Speak about Slovak school system. Focus on the types of schools, subjects, classes.
Types: public, private
Primary Education
Education is mandatory in Slovakia from ages 6 to 15. The 1st period of the foundation phase is taken
at primary school over a period of 4 years. Here children learn to read and write and do their basic
sums. Children have subjects like: Slovak language, maths, geography, PE, art, music class, English…

Middle Education
The 2nd part of the foundation phase takes place at middle schools known as základná škola II.
stupeň, where the standardized curriculum continues to be academic for the entire 4 year period.
Young people armed with their basic 8 year education are now free to go out to work as many do, or
stay on at school to improve their prospects further. Some subjects are added like: Physics, Chemics,
Biology, History, second foreign language…

Secondary Education
There are two main kinds of secondary schools in Slovakia, namely general and specialized
institutions. The former continue with the general academic curriculum for a further 4 years leading
to a secondary school leaving certificate. The latter provide more specific education of a technical,
economic, agricultural, health-care or artistic nature. Their students also qualify with a secondary
school leaving certificate after completing 4 years. Subjects may differ, but some of them can be:
Slovak language, maths, English, second foreign language, history, geography, physics, economics,
biology, PE, informatics…

Vocational Education
Alternative vocational education is available at vocational secondary schools known as stredné
odborné učilište that award apprenticeship certificates after 4 years of training, as well as other forms
of professional training.

Tertiary Education
There are a variety of universities and other places of higher learning in Slovakia. The largest of these
in Comenius University in Bratislava that is illustrated here.

What do you know about schools and education in the UK and the USA?
The education system in the UK is divided into four main parts, primary education, secondary
education, further education and higher education. Children in the UK have to legally attend primary
and secondary education which runs from about 5 years old until the student is 16 years old.
The education system in the UK is also split into "key stages" which breaks down as follows:

 Key Stage 1: 5 to 7 years old

 Key Stage 2: 7 to 11 years old
 Key Stage 3: 11 to 14 years old
 Key Stage 4: 14 to 16 years old

Generally key stages 1 and 2 will be undertaken at primary school and at 11 years old a student will
move onto secondary school and finish key stages 3 and 4.
The most important assessment occurs at age 16 when students pursue their GCSE's or General
Certificate of Secondary Education. Once students complete their GCSE's they have the choice to go
onto further education and then potential higher education, or finish school and go into the working
world.

Our overview of the education system in the UK is divided into five main sections:

Primary Education
Primary education begins in the UK at age 5 and continues until age 11, comprising key stages one
and two under the UK educational system. Please visit the British Council page for more information
on primary education.

Secondary Education
From age 11 to 16, students will enter secondary school for key stages three and four and to start
their move towards taking the GCSE's - learn more about secondary education in the UK and what it
will involve. Primary and secondary education is mandatory in the UK; after age 16, education is
optional.

Further Education
Once a student finishes secondary education they have the option to extend into further education
to take their A-Levels, GNVQ's, BTEC's or other such qualifications. UK students planning to go to
college or university must complete further education.

Higher Education
Probably the most important subject area on this site, this explains more about the higher education
system in the UK and how it works for international students. Most international students will enter
directly into the UK higher education system, after completing their home country’s equivalent to the
UK’s “further education.”

In the USA, the education system can vary from state to state. Teaching can be done in public or
private schools or kids can be home schooled. The American school system differs from the British in
some respects. It is typically divided into three parts: Elementary (from kindergarten to the 6th
grade), Middle school (from the 6th to the 8th grade) and High school (from the 9th grade to the 12th
grade). At high schools pupils have both compulsory and optional subjects. In their final year, a
nationwide test called the Scholastic Achievement Test is taken and the scores are used for college
entrance requirements. While Britain´s famous universities include The University of Oxford and The
University of Cambridge, the USA too has outstanding universities such as Harvard University and
Princeton University, to name just two.

What do you think could be done to improve education in Slovakia?

What would you change about school rules in Slovakia.

Talk about your ambitions for your future studies. What education do you need to have to do your
dream job?
I apply to 2 universities: Comenius University and University of Economics in Bratislava. Comenius
University offers studying English language in combination with Russian or Slovak language, EUBA
offers studying English in combination with German and a part of the study would be also economics.
If I get accepted to one of these universities I hope I would finish my studies with Master degree to
be fully able to apply for a well paid and enjoyable job.
I need to earn a Master degree in translation of English language to apply for the position of
translator. Of course, before getting my Master degree I have to get a Bachelor degree. Apart from
that, I hope I will be able to attend different courses of foreign languages to widen my knowledge of
these languages. Languages I would like to learn are for example Turkish, Spanish, German, Russian…

What should you do to make your motivation letter as good as possible?

1. Find out more - Before writing your letter, take the time to find out about the company and
possibly the job for which you are applying. Don’t hesitate to insert some of this information in your
letter.
2. Your letter of motivation must be personal - Adapt your letter of motivation to the company and
job for which you are applying. Your letter must reflect your personal style and your personality.
3. Adopt a direct and concise style - Show your motivation to the HR manager who will read it. Avoid
convoluted sentences and go straight to the point. Explain simply and clearly what it is you are
looking for and what you have to offer.
4. Focus on your strong points - Your aim is to make the recruiter want to invite you for an interview,
not put them off... Only mention your strong points in your letter of motivation, and preferably in the
first few sentences. Your weak points will be scrutinised soon enough.
5. Take your CV into account - Don’t fall into the trap of listing everything in your CV in your letter!
Make yourself interesting and give an added value to your letter by speaking about yourself.
6. Clearly explain your motivation - Clearly explain to the recruiter why they should choose you
rather than someone else. Make use of all your powers of persuasion.
7. Talk about your professional objectives - Don’t hesitate to place yourself in the future. Set out
your career ambitions in a positive way, talk about what you achieved and what you´re proud of.
8. Support what you say - Saying that you are organised or have a sense of responsibility isn’t
enough. Avoid set phrases and explain why you are organised. Give examples

What type of secondary school do you attend? Why have you chosen this particular school? Give a
short talk on your school. Talk about the type of education, after-school activities, school rules.
I attend Secondary School of Commerce in Senica. I have chosen this school because of the level of
English I could be taught here. I have never really taught about learning accountancy or economics
before I got here.

Study departments:

- bilingual study in English language (5 years)

- business academy (4 years)
Absolvents of the Secondary school of Commerce in Senica will be:
- ready to continue their studies at university
- able to get employed in a commerce sphere
- able to write formal and business letters
- able to use accountancy programme Omega
Activities:
Thanksgiving day – celebrated with a traditional dinner and a presentation in Pilgrim costumes to
educate other students about the history of Thanksgiving day.
Saint Patrick´s day - dancing, presenting history of saint Patrick´s day, costumes
Halloween – decorating classrooms – competition, sleepover, costumes, carving pumkins…
Smart time – presenting our school to applicants for education through different playful activities +
school tour
Competitions: volleyball tournament, table tennis tournament, floorball, English language Olympics,
word processing, typewriting
School rules: appropriate clothing and appearance, start 8.00 (have to be at school by 7:55),
announce your early leaving

Would you ever like to be a teacher?

I´d rather not be a teacher as it is a hard job dealing with all those mean and ruthless children.
However, it is my backup plan if I couldn´t find a job after a university. My plan would be to teach in
high school or to offer private courses of English. I would never want to be a teacher in primary
school as the kids are getting worse and worse. Recently when I met my teachers from primary
school they claimed that the behaviours of children has be worsening in the recent years. The
moment the children gets into the 5 th grade he starts drinking and his attitude towards learning,
teachers and his classmates changes too. These children have no boundaries yet and therefore I
would be quite scared to teach them.

What is the role of teachers in our society?

Role of teacher is important not only in the classroom but also in society. The teacher is responsible to
obtain and give the knowledge and skills from their generation to give to the generation coming.
Doing so, the teacher ensures the survival of human and its life. In fact, by their training and
dedication, teacher becomes the key to quality education. Knowledge such as wisdom, moral and
ethical values can be learnt though teacher. To ensure the correct development of their students, the
teacher can first ensure each student are having the proper education in a safe environment, another
method is to provide teaching and that the learning method taught is efficient, third is to increase the
students ' self-esteem and personal confidence, finally is to prepare students with the necessary
knowledge, character and skills for higher education and to live in society. Teachers have the ability to
shape opinions and help form ideas about society, life and personal goals. Teachers can also expand
students´ limits and push their creativity. The children of today are the leaders of tomorrow, and
teachers are that critical point that makes a child ready for their future. Children will use what they
learned to influence society on a local and global scale in the future.

Are teachers more or less respected than they were in the past?
Teachers are definitely less respected

What may be the advantages and disadvantages of wearing a school uniform?

Pros:
 They can break down class barriers between students - one argument used in favor of
school uniforms is that when kids wear uniforms visible class markers between rich kids and
poor kids are decreased or eliminated, which may lead to more social mixing along economic
lines.
 They can increase student focus - the evidence for this seems to be thin, but many
proponents of uniforms argue that when students don’t have clothing to notice, comment on
or respond to, they can spend more mental energy on learning.
 They can increase the sense of community in a school - uniforms may also build community
in a school as students of all ages – and alumni, too – bond or commiserate over the outfits
they all associate with their school days.
  School uniforms can promote safety - in areas where students may be gang-involved,
uniforms can increase safety by preventing students from wearing clothing that declares –
intentionally or inadvertently – gang affiliation.
Cons:
 They can be expensive for parents - keeping a child in school uniforms may be more
expensive for parents and guardians than buying regular clothes would be. Often, uniforms
are only available from a limited number of suppliers and the lack of competition keeps
prices high.
 Uniforms limit student self-expression - teenagers in particular are famous for needing to
express their emotions and their tastes in music, fashion and art through clothing, hair and
piercings.
 Uniforms may be sexist - some uniforms may strike students and parents as sexist. For
example, if a uniform requires girls to wear skirts and pants are not allowed, some students
and parents may object. Not all girls want to wear skirts and some may resent being told to
wear traditionally “feminine” garments.
 Uniforms lead to more policing of students – a uniform policy tries to enforce that policy by
monitoring students’ clothing and punishing students for violating uniform requirements. Of
course, even schools that don’t require uniforms may police student clothing that’s deemed
too revealing or offensive, but uniforms may add to the attention focused on student dress.
This can make students feel that they’re being scrutinized and punished for their appearance,
which could have negative effects on student self-esteem or attitudes toward the school.

What happens in our schools if a student cheats at school? Why do students cheat?
If a student cheats and gets caught then he will get a 5 (grade) and wont be able to take the test.
Alternatively, the teacher can take his cheating source and let the student write the test. Sometimes
the teacher that caught a student cheating will report it to his class teacher which will cause him
problems. With cheating the student will lose his good reputation and trustworthiness of the
teacher. Students find new ways of cheating daily… They use their mobile phones, smart watches and
they found many new ways of cheating during online learning. Of course, there are reasons why
students cheat. It can be because of a lack of time, family problems, stress or just out of their
laziness.

Speak about the differences between various ways of learning presented in the pictures. What are
the advantages and disadvantages of each of them? Which of them do you prefer and why?
Online school