Education systems

Education is important for succesful career in Slovakia and in UK, too. But system of education and degrees are differrent.
In our country education includes 4 stages - pre-school, primary s., secondary s. and tertiary one.
Pre-school education is provided by nursery school for children from 3 to 6. After that there is primary schools and the compulsory school attendance from 6 to 15 years. Pupils and students can choose the kind of school which they want to attend. There are state schools which are free of charge and church ones. Private schools are payed.

The school year consists of 2 terms-Sep-Jan, Feb-June. In the end of each of them the students receive the school reports which marks from 1-5.
The lessons ussually start at 8 o clock and there are 4-8 lessons in a row. It depends on the stage of education. During the lessons there are some breaks which last 10-20 minutes.
When the pupils end the primary school they have to choose secondary school and pass the entrance examinations.

There are 3 types of secondary schools:
Grammar schools-which take only the best appliciants. It is preparation for university studies.
Special schools-for example bussines academies, agricultural schools, schools for nurses...
Vocational schools-it is preparation for kinds of professions.

The education at secondary schools lasts 4 years and in the end students of grammar schools and special ones have to pass school leaving examination which consists of 4 subjects at grammar and 5 ones at special schools or they achieve skill certificate.
The school leaving certificate and resulsts are very important for appliation at university studies. They have to pass the entrance examination which consists of test and interview. After students reach Bachelor and Master degree they have to do state examination and tesis. They receive their diploma at graduation ceremony.
The most popular universities on Slovakia is Comenious un., Slovak technical un., Un. of Matej Bel and the others.

British system of education

Pre-schools education is provided by nursery schools. It allow mothers go to work. British children must attend school from 5 to 16. Majority of children are educated on state schools which are free of charge but there are private schools, too. A lot of public schools are private boarding schools. For children from 5-7 there are infant schools, from 7-11 junior schools. They used to be in same building.

Secondary schools are for children from 11-16. Comprehensive schools offers general education. In the end pupils pass public examination from 7 subjects. This GCEC exams are national. Most of them continue in education in the 6th form. There are 2 extra years and during them students take more academic form leading to A-level (examination from 2 or 4 subjects). In the age of 18 they can choose from universities, polytechnics or specialists collages.

The govenment introduced a new tested system for children which called Key Stages:
aged 7 - 3 Rs
aged 11- test from several subjects
aged 14- test from English, Mathematics and Science
aged 16- GCEC - General Certificate of Secondary Education (something like school leaving examination in Slovakia)