American vs British Public Education: What’s the Difference?

I have been fortunate enough to have taught in public schools in America (Florida) and the United Kingdom. As a result, one of the questions people often ask me is how do they differ? It seems that most British people have the preconception that the education system in America is flawed whilst people in the States, that I have met, think the education system in the United Kingdom is very strong. It seems that there is ignorance on both sides of the argument. This article sets to address the fundamental differences that I think are pertinent.

Terminology

In America, pupils are called students; in the U.K., schools call young people ‘pupils’ and older pupils ‘students.’ Predominantly, a student in the UK is a person that attends Higher Education. Somewhat confusing. Aside from how we distinguish titles of young people, they all share the same common characteristic: a love for learning and a willingness to grow and succeed. Furthermore, teachers are called educators in America, along with qualifications being credentials. A timetable is a schedule, a school site is a campus, a lesson is a class, and Administration refers to the Senior Leadership Team, with a Head teacher primarily referred to as a Principal.

School Uniform

Most public schools in the United States have a dress code but students do not need to wear a specific school uniform. Pupils in the United Kingdom, however, do have a specific school uniform and they must adhere to a uniform code of how it should be worn.

The School Day

In the United Kingdom, most (if not all) schools at every level start at the same time. Usually this is 8:30 - 9 am in the morning. In the State of Florida, High Schools start at 7:30am, Elementary Schools start at 8:45am and Middle Schools start at 9:30am. This is to accommodate school bus schedules so that those buses that collect High School students can then go and collect elementary and middle school students. As a teacher at Middle School level, the idea that I had to be on campus at 8:30am and commence lessons an hour later was exciting. However, this 8:30 start was often met with Parent Teacher Conferences or 504/IEP meetings. This late start time also meant that when the bell went, the school day accelerated ahead. Each lesson lasted 47 minutes exactly, meaning first period went from 9:30-10:17. Four minutes of transition time to Period 2 started at 10:21, and so on. The U.K. system is much more rigid and straightforward in this respect, with each lesson being an hour and for the most part, 5 lessons a day. In the State of Florida, to accommodate over-subscribed students, I taught 7 periods a day (meaning my planning period was removed in the exchange of a monetary bonus). At one point, I was teaching three subjects across a 7 period day from 9:30-3:50pm with a 25 minute lunch. One can distinguish, therefore, that teaching was at times stressful with little time to evaluate and reflect. However, what is even more alarming is the stress that this placed on young people to be on their A-game for a 7 period day with only a 25 minute lunch. In contrast, the United Kingdom system within the 5 period day incorporates a morning break and a lunch break. I do think it’s important for young people to have a break from academic rigor, to allow for play and time to process thoughts.

Sport

By far, one of the greatest differences between American and British education systems is sporting opportunities. In America, (again from my experience as a Middle School teacher), sports are offered as such in chronological order from the beginning of the school year:

Soccer, Volleyball, Basketball, Track & Field

The British equivalent is:

Football, Rugby, Cricket, Athletics. Cross-country and Tennis are also provided.

However, the difference is not so much what is offered but how it is offered. In America, every young person has the opportunity to ‘try-out’ for the team, regardless of age. The team represents the school as opposed to the year group. Following this try-out period, schools compete against other schools in their regional cluster. The top two/three from their cluster progress to the playoffs which is a knockout tournament. The school team has the opportunity to win the District Championship. This culture of sporting contest helps to create a school identity and improve morale.

Professional Development

This is one area which I often comment as the primary difference between American and British Education systems. As a Brit teaching in the United Kingdom, I can safely say we drag our feet when it comes to Professional Development and career growth.

The British way is often the following:

Obtain teacher status

Be observed (internally) - gain some form of feedback

Be observed (externally) - OFSTED grading

Performance Matters (targets and evidences) documented on an electronic platform

Attendance of at least one CPD course each year (usually at an expensive cost)

Sadly, I feel this system is more of a checklist than a growth model. These items are completed in isolation to one another, often completed annually and filed away until the next year. The process isn’t motivated by a need to grow but instead of a thing to do. In my opinion, this system is severely flawed and needs addressing. The issue in part is that new teachers are taught to be ‘reflective practitioners’ but many do not know what that means. Also, some school management teams focus so much on the need to obtain Ofsted gratification and yet fail to prioritize teacher career growth. It is not to just evaluate and document what worked and what did not from a lesson. It should be an internal lust to want to get better, to grow, to understand, to fail and to be prepared to try new things as a teacher. And more importantly, it is about growing not as an individual but as a collective staff, to accept failings and to become vulnerable, to accept coaching and acting upon feedback and advice in a healthy, non-competitive way to improve and become stronger.

In the State of Florida, observations are tied to teacher performance and student growth. This growth is tied to educational research, in particular the Robert Marzano model. In a nutshell, Marzano provides a number of instructional elements and each school district focuses upon a select number. Each educator is assigned an instructional coach and is tasked to research into their chosen element and provide evidence of this element during instruction. In turn, lessons are graded as Innovative, Applying, Developing, Needs Improvement and Not Using. Educators then document lesson preparations and evaluations which are supported by Administrator led conferences.

In addition to teacher performance growth in the classroom, to become a fully fledged teacher in the State of Florida, one needs to obtain a Professional Certificate. Once obtained, it can be renewed every 5 years. However, to obtain this renewal, one needs to complete additional certifications that show evidence of growth. Currently, this involves completing college credit courses, with the expense this entails. On one side, I agree with the need for growth but I do not necessarily agree with the financial and time burden it imposes upon educators, particularly as one does not have a choice but to complete this requirement to apply for another Professional Certificate.

However, the American system does drive Professional Development in a healthy way. They encourage collaboration, coaching and growth. They are a leader in promoting Professional Learning Communities and implementing this aspect of pedagogical necessity across all schools. The British system, on the other hand, does not embrace growth as much and instead is met with resentment and occasional arrogance that ‘my way is the best way.’ I would argue that if a teacher’s way is the best way then I would want to know about it. Sharing is caring. Ultimately, teaching is never about us but the young people we face on a daily basis.

Despite the differences, both systems have the common goal of wanting to provide the very best educational opportunities for every student or pupil that passes through every classroom door. Unlocking potential is the key to all academic success and both systems strive to do just that.