Stonewall High (was RE: Question for British list members (school years))

[Carol]

Geoff:
> You need to realise that the private sector, i.e. Public schools and
other private schools make up a very small percentage of UK schools.
Pupils go to these because parents /choose/ them for their offspring
and pay for the privilege.  And some fee-paying schools also operate
an entrance exam scheme, The great majority of UK pupils are in the
state system. Unless an LEA has opted for a Sixth Form College, then
they will have a High school/Community College/secondary school (call
it what you will!) with a Sixth Form. All state schooling is free. The
divisions between grammar schools, where you had to pass the 11+ exam
to get in, and secondary moderns which were for the rest have largely
been removed by the introduction of comprehensive schools.


Carol responds:
Okay. I'm starting to get the picture. However, I thought that the
Britishe term "public school" was synonymous with "private school" as
used in the U.S. (excluding parochial schools, which are private
schools run by a church or similar institution, often Roman Catholic).

Also, I'm not quite sure what "comprehensive school" means. Does that
mean a state-run public school open to any student without cost like a
U.S. public school? ("Comprehensive" usually means "covering
everything," so I don't quite understand what it "comprehends" in this
instance.)

BTW, "community colleges" in the U.S. are not secondary schools but
inexpensive alternatives to state universities or private colleges.
They offer two-year "associate" degrees in contrast to the usual
four-year bachelor of arts or sciences. Many students start out at a
community college and transfer to a university for their second or
third year. (Not all their credits transfer, unfortunately.)

Carol, speaking from her own experience teaching at the university
level, or rather, from that of her former students, which may differ
from that of other posters on the list, especially since it was some
time ago (1981-98)