Introduction:
Please describe your background, family, and immigration to America including where you/your family work, and/or attend school.
I live in Naperville with my husband and two children (9, 11). Before I moved to the U. S., I had lived in Poland and spent there most of my live. I and my husband had always dreamt of living in the U.S.A. and that desire pushed him to take part in the Diversity Visa Lottery Program. He sent the applications in 2011 and the following year, he discovered that he had won a green card and would be able to immigrate with his close family. We didn’t hesitate even for a while, so we completed all paperwork, attended the interview in American embassy in Warsaw, Poland, and on June 23, 2013 we landed at O’Hare …show more content…
In Poland children start their elementary school education at the age of 7 and also are required to take a one year of pre-elementary education in the kindergarten at the age of 6. Another difference between these two systems is the type of schools offered. After middle school, students can choose between a general lyceum, a vocational school or a technical secondary school. Students are admitted to the school depending on the results of their compulsory exams which are taken at the end of middle school and which determine whether a student qualifies to continue education in a chosen school. Also, at the end of high school students take their exams which decide in which college or university they continue their education The better the school, the more points you have to score on your high school final exam. A further variation is the amount of time spent in schools. My children went to Polish school and completed their first grade. Depending on day, they stayed at school between four to five hours. In Poland children also have a Catholic religious education and about 90% of students attend to these classes. Because we are not Catholics, therefore my children did not participate in the Religious Education, and on the days other kids have this lesson in their schedule, my kids were picked up …show more content…
Children begin to learn a foreign language even at the age of four. During kindergarten and three first years of elementary schools students learn mostly English, and then it is usually German. In middle and high school, they can choose between English, German, French, Spanish, Latin and many more. Moreover, Polish schools offer a higher level of mathematics, geography, history compared to American schools. In the recent OECD global math and science ranking Poland achieved 11th place while the U.S. ranked in 28th place. However, we must remember that Poland who educates thousands of students who speak only one language, has no idea how its system and education would stress if it has to educate millions who speak different languages, children with special needs included in general classrooms and ELL students. The truth is that Poland would simply collapse under the weight that the U.S. education system bears every single day. So, one of the aspects which U.S. schools offer that schools in Poland do not is inclusion students with special needs, who are provided with full and free access to education and schools go above and beyond in their offerings. This golden standard is also offered to immigrant children who do not speak English and/or whose families reside illegally. I am impressed by the number of services offered by public schools to immigrant families: Polish students are offered
Please describe your background, family, and immigration to America including where you/your family work, and/or attend school.
I live in Naperville with my husband and two children (9, 11). Before I moved to the U. S., I had lived in Poland and spent there most of my live. I and my husband had always dreamt of living in the U.S.A. and that desire pushed him to take part in the Diversity Visa Lottery Program. He sent the applications in 2011 and the following year, he discovered that he had won a green card and would be able to immigrate with his close family. We didn’t hesitate even for a while, so we completed all paperwork, attended the interview in American embassy in Warsaw, Poland, and on June 23, 2013 we landed at O’Hare …show more content…
In Poland children start their elementary school education at the age of 7 and also are required to take a one year of pre-elementary education in the kindergarten at the age of 6. Another difference between these two systems is the type of schools offered. After middle school, students can choose between a general lyceum, a vocational school or a technical secondary school. Students are admitted to the school depending on the results of their compulsory exams which are taken at the end of middle school and which determine whether a student qualifies to continue education in a chosen school. Also, at the end of high school students take their exams which decide in which college or university they continue their education The better the school, the more points you have to score on your high school final exam. A further variation is the amount of time spent in schools. My children went to Polish school and completed their first grade. Depending on day, they stayed at school between four to five hours. In Poland children also have a Catholic religious education and about 90% of students attend to these classes. Because we are not Catholics, therefore my children did not participate in the Religious Education, and on the days other kids have this lesson in their schedule, my kids were picked up …show more content…
Children begin to learn a foreign language even at the age of four. During kindergarten and three first years of elementary schools students learn mostly English, and then it is usually German. In middle and high school, they can choose between English, German, French, Spanish, Latin and many more. Moreover, Polish schools offer a higher level of mathematics, geography, history compared to American schools. In the recent OECD global math and science ranking Poland achieved 11th place while the U.S. ranked in 28th place. However, we must remember that Poland who educates thousands of students who speak only one language, has no idea how its system and education would stress if it has to educate millions who speak different languages, children with special needs included in general classrooms and ELL students. The truth is that Poland would simply collapse under the weight that the U.S. education system bears every single day. So, one of the aspects which U.S. schools offer that schools in Poland do not is inclusion students with special needs, who are provided with full and free access to education and schools go above and beyond in their offerings. This golden standard is also offered to immigrant children who do not speak English and/or whose families reside illegally. I am impressed by the number of services offered by public schools to immigrant families: Polish students are offered