American vs British Curriculum

One of the big challenges facing expat parents coming to Prague is the choice of school. There are many schools operating different styles of education here, but one of the biggest differences facing parents is between the American and the British curriculum. Teachers and school leaders are often asked which is the best, but it’s really a question of what the difference is between the two systems.

As Principal of The English International School in Prague, I truly believe that ‘British is Best’ and am proud of the high academic standards and the care that is shown to pupils at my school. A product of the English state education system myself, I spent 28 years teaching in UK comprehensive schools, including 10 years as a Headteacher in south Yorkshire. On moving to Prague, I was determined to bring the best of British, modifying it to the international school mould to ensure that the features of the best schools in the UK were implanted here.

The American model is potentially an excellent system, in just the same way the old French Highway Code system has potential and is an excellent driving system. If everyone meets the criteria at all levels, it allows a great deal of flexibility in courses to choose from and allows schools to develop individual courses that align with the specialities of their teachers.

This is because the American system uses the idea that school districts can choose the courses offered to students in their schools. Although all schools offer broadly the same range of compulsory subjects, the choice of electives varies dramatically based on ideology, religious denomination and in most cases funding and resource issues. For example, you can’t offer a Band elective if you only have a voice teacher and no money to buy adequate instruments.

Another issue that arises from there being so many potential curricula is the ability to gain access to specialist approved resources. This is particularly difficult with sensitive subjects like History, Religion and Biology, where there’s huge variance and debate across the US at this time. The UK, a smaller country, has one curriculum, which means that all resources produced in the UK meet the needs of the students in that course. The teachers can choose the one they feel is the best, rather than the one which applies to the course curriculum set by the state. The layered approach of the British system also means that in the unlikely event that you don’t get taught a topic this year you’ll meet it again next year and the year after. You’ll thus be able to catch up in bits rather than in one huge, stressful block.

Possibly the most important consideration, though, is standardisation. Who monitors the progress of the teachers and who decides whether the students are at a particular level, especially if the course is a small one that only has one teacher in the school? Can a principal be conversant in all areas of all courses taught in the school? In a K-12 school this would need an exceptional individual. In the UK this is simply addressed by having fixed standards for each subject which are externally moderated.

The lack of consistency and rigour has led to the need for SAT examinations and the ‘No Child left Behind’ Act in the US. To get around this issue many US schools have adopted International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes to guarantee at least a degree of rigour.

Finally, there’s a misconception that to go to a US university you need an American secondary education. The reality is that nothing could be further from the truth. US universities all accept the IB and in many cases prefer it to any other qualification because of the guaranteed standards and flexibility of the students who have the diploma. As international parents, the problems with a US-based education are compounded with potentially missing units and the need to coordinate a GPA score that may have been generated at three different schools of three different qualities.

In England, there is one National Curriculum, modelled on sound educational research into how children learn. The investment by the UK government into improving the effectiveness of UK schools has led to a high level of skill and understanding of the best way to allow children to grow and excel in their learning at school. A key feature of this is the fact that there is regular assessment of children’s progress against a set of benchmarks, individually tailored to the child’s needs and abilities. At The English International School, Prague these are regularly communicated to students and parents and can be seen online by both. These are challenging targets which stretch students and enable them to do their best.

We communicate constantly with students, colleagues and parents to ensure that each student has the personal support necessary for them to achieve their best. The results at the school over the past year clearly demonstrate that this strategy is working.

Evaluation over the past year also shows outstanding student attainment and progress across the board, with external IB scores standing up very well compared to global averages. Our school is non-selective, taking children of all abilities and providing a learning experience fit to their individual needs. Setting by ability in Maths and English starts at an early stage in the Primary school and continues through the secondary curriculum. This allows children to work at a level suited to their own needs. It’s a flexible system that enables children to excel in their strengths and be given greater support in their areas of weakness.

For more information about schools and education in Prague please visit the site of the English International School, Prague.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Principal David Rowsell was born in Leeds, northern England and is proud of his Yorkshire roots. His family home is currently in York. Having studied at schools in the Midlands and in Cheshire, he studied English and History at Jesus College Cambridge, graduating in 1981. Since then David has taught in a variety of challenging state comprehensive schools across England – in Milton Keynes, in Devon and in Yorkshire. He has 17 years of Deputy and Headship experience and joins the school from Rossington All Saints Church of England School in Doncaster, where he had been Head since 1998. David is a sports fanatic who runs long distances (marathons and beyond) and will watch football at any ground or level you care to mention. He also has a ridiculously large collection of soul and jazz music and enough books to start a shop.