The difference Between U.S.A and Canada in Education and Culture - Research Paper Example

? The difference between U.S.A and Canada in education and culture Introduction Mankind has always searched for knowledge and it is through knowledge in the present age, man has been able to create a platform which may lead to the answer of evolution of this universe within a very short period of time. Within the vast domain of knowledge, education can be regarded as a significant technical aspect whose development has gained great acceleration with the development of the civilized world. In this modern world, every society realizes the importance of education as it acts as a basis of survival providing economic sustenance and societal status. The individuals with the help of education acquire knowledge and different skills which allows them to pursue their individual goals. Through education people makes wider participation in the society and they develop themselves and develop the society as well. Culture on the other hand is a useful tool which is required for the human survival and it changes continuously. The languages, buildings, governments and so on are nothing but products of culture. In simple language, culture generally includes various aspects like communication, different behaviors within the society and so on (What is Culture?). The American education system is a unique education system and can be taken up as a good example of education system by many of the countries in the world. Within the American education system, two major educational systems are that of United States of America and Canada. In this paper the main focus will be to distinguish between the educational and cultural dimensions of United States of America (USA) and Canada so that a clear thought process will be generated about these two nations. Any individuals from any countries of the world can generally make a perception before coming to these countries. The following segments will include description of education in USA, followed by Canada and then it will focus on the cultural dimensions of the countries. Finally relevant conclusions will be drawn. 2. Crux of American educational system 2.1 An overall view In a first instance, the American education system may seem to be a bit confusing. Local variation is an important dimension in education of United States of America. The education system is different from the British model. In an overall representation, the educational system of USA with respect to school and system of university binds the above characteristics (The American Education System). 2.2 Basic educational system The country’s education system is comprised of basic 12 years of education in the primary level and then in the high school level. High school level education is necessary for getting admission in the graduate colleges and universities or in some professional institutes and technical schools of the country (USA Education System). Foreigners receive immense opportunities to study in USA in the higher education. The criteria are simple and it does not also require 12 years of mandatory education from this country. Although this notion is not applied in a generalized manner and it has been found that different boards follow different norms. But despite that the facilities given by the American system is quite great and they can pursue their educational career in diverse fields of study (USA Education System). In USA specific fragmentation of educational system are primary schools to grade K-6, junior high school grades to grades of 7-9, senior high school which comprise of grade 10-12 (Education in the United States). 2.3 Schooling in USA Federal system of government predominate the United States of America. The country possesses local governance and it possesses no country level system of education and curriculum. The public schools in USA are not controlled by the federal government. Every state has their respective departments establishing various norms of the schools in those states. Every state allocates fund to the public schools. The public schools receive funding from the local property taxes. Funding of the public colleges and universities come from the states where they located. Legislative bodies of each state are in the power of determining the tax allocation to different public colleges as well as universities. The students who will be reading from grades 1-12 will be exempted from tuition fees. Scholarships are earned by the students and loans are received by them to carry on their educational expenses (The American Education System). The control of the schools in America falls under each local school districts. A school board basically governs each school district. School boards are in the governance of the school districts. The policies of the school board are generally established in school districts with the proper assurance that the state guidelines are met properly. Education is compulsory in USA till the age sixteen to eighteen and it is also subjected to variation among different state. Empirical reports state that the educational records are quite stable in USA. Majority of the school students are viewed to receive their graduation degree at the age of seventeen and eighteen. Successful passing in all the required courses will allow the students to enter into the graduation courses. Gradation system is evident in the educational system of USA. The grading scale is divided into five subparts. The highest grade is A which stands for excellent, B stands for above average, C stands for average , D stands for average and F states for failure. Failure entails the students to repeat again their required courses. The country also provides the facilities of distant education for the students unable to pursue regular courses. This helps the population in the adapting education at any stage of life and emphasis is grave as education policy specialists reiterates, “Like all countries, Americans realize that education is a key to individual and collective opportunity in a hypercompetitive globalized world,” (Walker). 2.4 Higher education In United States admission to college or university levels are based on several criteria like that of high school study course, high school grade point (GPA) and participation in extracurricular activities. Entrance examination like SAT scores with written essays and taking personal interviews. Majority of the universities in USA provide a liberal education to the undergraduate students and it has been encountered that a large mass of students are getting access to pursue various academic courses and disciplines prior to their specialization in main field of studies. At the university levels, majority of the courses have tenure of a semester. Each of the courses are provided with a number of credit hours. There is a requirement of covering minimum credit hours by the students before their graduation. Majority of the bachelor’s degree programs comes with flexibility to the students of not presenting a final thesis. The students also get the opportunity of earning and getting loans while studying at the college levels (The American Education System). 3. Education in Canada Educational system in Canada is quite similar to that of the United States. Yet the differences can be well reflected. The educational dimension of Canada will now be elaborated. In Canada, the educational system comprises both the publicly funded as well as private schools. There are also “community colleges, technical institutes, career colleges, language schools, secondary schools, summer camps, universities and university colleges” (Studying in Canada) in Canada. Under the constitution of Canada, education is a provincial responsibility and there lies difference between the educational standards in various regions. Educational standards are quite high in Canada. 3.1 Basic educational system In Canada, there is a voluntary system of attaining education for one to two years starting at the age of four or five. Grade one is started by all the children at the age of six years of age. The normal running period of school year is from September through June. Depending upon various provincial norms the secondary schools in Canada majorly provides grades from 11 or 12. After the completion the students will be attending the university levels. The university level education system is known by the French term Cegep as because the province of Quebec system carried on the Cegep system. In Canadian public schools there has been an increasing trend of absorbing the international students into various educational programs. These schools are generally managed by the elected school boards at local levels. The schools in Canada offer thorough co educational system of education. But day programs are mainly offered in Canadian school system. Focus on religion is also given focus to quite a good extent in Canada. Religious affiliations are made in many schools in Canada. But this system is again subjected to variation from province to province. Policies for international students in Canada are stricter than the policies in the United States. The policies accepting the international students and fees charged on them also vary to large extents (Secondary schools). For the purpose of admission in the secondary schools in Canada the requirements which are essential is that the students seeking admission must be within the age range of 13 and 19. There are very few schools that absorbs the students at younger ages. They are also required to submit the past three years of academic transcripts in the secondary schools where they are trying to seek admission. The students may be also entitled to take various tests in Maths and English and French where ever applicable. Interviews may also be scheduled by the school authorities in many cases. There are some secondary schools that also require various tests like TOEFL and some independent secondary schools also demand proof or guardianship for the students who are under the age of 16 ( Secondary schools requirement). 3.2 Higher education In Canada after high school education, the students seek admission in University colleges. The University colleges provide a robust base of education which fosters applied skills of the students so that they can move on life and excel in a dynamic way. In these institutions there are provisions of university degrees and college diploma and various certificate programs. English is specially stressed in Canadian college universities. There are also a wide variety of program choices from which the students can take up any one and it also provides curriculum with English as second language programs. Within the college universities, the students get the opportunity of opting courses either in the academic branches or in practical oriented college programs, diplomas and certificates. In the Canadian college system the distinction of the university colleges are emphasized by the strong support of student along with small campus and the great infrastructural milieu. The college universities have also the provision of the degree diploma programs as well as many university transfer programs. The university transfer programs are unique programs offered by the college universities of Canadian educational system. A student who opts for a college degree has the provision of studying in a community college and he or she shall also have the opportunity in earning credits. The credits which are earned by the students in their course of learning should be able to transfer them to the universities as of the first and second years of degree program. The community colleges and universities that offer transfer programs bear a synchronized relationship with the nearby universities. It is also important for checking with the college authorities for determining the particular university which will accept the transfer of these credits (University Colleges). There are strict requirement for taking admission in a Canadian university. The students are required to possess academic records which should be converted into English or French as stipulated by the Canadian authorities. In some of the institutions there may be also requirement of notarized official transcripts. There should be also proof of completion of Canadian secondary or high school. In some schools there are also provisions which may be required by the students for ensuring that they indeed possess appropriate academic background or not. The students are also required to submit their proof of English proficiency. An approximated TOEFL score of 550 is required by the candidates. There may be other forms of assessment of English and French. Successful language program are required by many institutions for the purpose of admission. The students must also satisfy the minimum age requirement of 18 years (University College Requirements). 4. Cultural differences between the two nations 4.1 Universalist culture in the United States Both the nations are in the continent of North America and it has been explored by researchers, travelers, and common people that both the nations are almost similar in the cultural dimension. But in this paper our focus is to reflect distinct differences to satisfy the aim in this paper. Society of USA has been often referred to as “the great melting pot of society” (Tompkins et al, 2) as it is a nation where people from all over the world have established their livelihood here. In this nation people from different races are seen to abide by some common community standards making the culture of the nation strong. From the studies of Trompenaars and Hampden-Turner United States have been referred to as a guided missile culture and such cultures are “egalitarian, impersonal and task oriented, which is consistent with a “universalistic” value system” (Tompkins et al, 2). In the society of USA universalism prevails which concentrates on certain developed norms which can find its application in any type of situation. Within the Universalist cultural system a dominant notion is there which highlights that whatever is good and true are subjected to discovery, definition and application to every situation. In USA in the sphere of business the people show the tendency of relying on a contract for communicating the terms of agreement as well defining relationships between parties in the business. Within the Universalist cultural domain, utilization of courts for mediating conflicts is wide spread. It is a fact that the legal system consists of more lawyers per citizen as in comparison with the other countries. When a country is more Universalist then there emerges a greater necessity of protecting the truth. If evaluated from the dimension of international trade, the international business thinkers are majorly guided by the principles of universalism. In every small business aspects in United States is handled by seasoned lawyers who assure the maintenance of every legal detailing and protection. In USA the focus is majorly entailed on various rules rather than on relationships. The employees of USA usually engage them in hard competition for getting better job positions. A cut throat policy is applicable in the US cultural system where the people do not care about their colleagues and their relationship with them. The employees in the labor market of USA believe in active participation (Universalism versus particularism) 4.2 Particularism in Canada The notion of particularism in culture is centered on the logic of heart and human friendship. In Canadian culture all types of people are invited in joining the nation and they focus on retaining their cultural identities, tradition completion languages and customs. The people of Canada rely very much on the relationship with their partners. Unlike Americans as we have studied above, in the work culture trust is maintained on stronger basis. The official language of Canada is Inuitituk. With requirement, secondary services may be made in English. In USA there was a severe civil war which did not take place in Canada. Canada maintains a peaceful relationship with America. In Canada, peace is more rigorously maintained. Canada is described as kinder as and gentler than USA. The Canadians also did not go through any tough trials, tribulations as well as revolutionary or civil war. There is also stark difference between the constitutions of the two countries. In USA, the constitution highlights mainly on the notion of liberty, life and pursuit of happiness. On the other hand, the Canadian constitution focuses primarily upon the notions of peace, order as well as good government. The Canadian culture entails focus on the notions of compromise, dispensation, bilateral relations and development on the public sector development (Schafer, 13). 5. Conclusion The brief study of the paper gives a proper idea about the educational system of United States of America and Canada and also their cultural aspects. In both the nations education is valued at apex levels and it is regarded as a key driver for social development. In USA education is regulated by different states and in Canada, education is regulated by different provinces. In United States education is compulsory at the fundamental levels and is funded by the states while in Canada there is no such free provision. The educational system of USA is more flexible than the Canadian educational system and offers a great variety of learning options, career opportunities and easy access. While on the other hand Canadian education provides a strict platform for the entry of the foreigners. Higher education is tougher in Canada as compared to USA as it has various strict yardstick of assessment. In the cultural forefront, Canada follows a particularist approach with a conservative and peace loving country keeping good relation with outsiders. The attributes of partnership is strong and they are found within their work culture. Regional culture is omnipotent in Canada. In USA, Universalist approach is followed and they overemphasize on the logical explanation and experimentation. In the work culture they follow an individualistic approach and hardly care about their colleagues. Works Cited Education in the United States, 2011, September 19, 2012, from: http://www.uta.fi/FAST/US2/NOTES/edu.html Schafer Paul, CULTURE AND CUSTOMS OF CANADA, 2012, November 24, 2012 from, http://www3.sympatico.ca/dpaulschafer/CultureAndCustomsOfCanada.pdf Secondary schools, n.d., November 24, 2012 from, http://www.studycanada.ca/english/canada_secondary_schools.htm Secondary schools requirement, n.d., November 24, 2012 from, http://www.studycanada.ca/english/canada_secondary_schools.htm Tompkins et al, Universalism, Particularism and cultural self-awareness: a comparison of American and Turkish university students, 2012, November 24, 2012 from: http://www.aabri.com/manuscripts/09324.pdf Studying in Canada, n.d., November 24, 2012 from: http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/china-chine/study-etudie/index.aspx?lang=eng&view=d The American Education System, n.d., November 24, 2012 from: http://www.internationalstudentguidetotheusa.com/articles/american_education_system.php USA Education System, 2008, November 24, 2012 from,http://networthoverseas.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=50&Itemid=73 University College Requirements, n.d., November 24, 2012 from,: http://www.studycanada.ca/english/req_college.htm University Colleges, n.d., November 24, 2012 from: http://www.studycanada.ca/english/canada_university_colleges.htm Walker, Carolee. Education More Important than Ever, Expert Says, (2006), retrieved on: October 20, 2012, from:http://www.america.gov/st/educ-english/2006/November/20061128140407bcreklaw0.4179193.html What is Culture?, n.d., November 24, 2012 from: http://anthro.palomar.edu/culture/culture_1.htm Read More