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Educational Excellence

How are the levels of education denoted?
Preschool, Primary, Secondary, Tertiary, Academic, Technical, Vocational: Words that describe levels
of education are interchangeable depending on the country of origin. These levels are also directly tied to
the ages of students.
Preschool is provided for age 6 in both Costa Rica (Benavides-Segura) and Finland (Teikari). Then, at
age 7, students in these two countries begin their elementary grades, which last 6 years. These classes are
mostly self-contained with one main teacher. The next 3 years of schooling in Finland see students moving
daily from class to class based on specific subject-area teachers. The model for elementary (6 years) and
what is commonly called junior high (3 years) is common in many countries.
Secondary education also varies. Most students in the Unites States (Gatley) attend fully-funded public
high schools for 4 years. Additional choices may be available, many of which are affiliated with religious
groups and many of which require fees or tuition. Charter schools have also seen a rise in enrollments.
High schools in the United States are all intended to provide a general and integrated curriculum. Other
countries may offer a choice in secondary schools between an academic focus and technical/vocational
focus. In these schools, students take an exam that qualifies them for one or the other. Japan considers high
school to be higher education and, because it is not compulsory, students must take entrance examinations
(Fabian).
Higher education in the form of junior colleges and universities is available in the 17 member countries
of DKG. These institutions may be public, state affiliated, or private. Entrance requirements differ, as do
funding and costs.
Who sets the curriculum?
In what should be a straightforward answer, the response to this question is multifaceted. Curriculum
based on standards used to guide instruction can be defined by each country’s ministry or department of
education. Irrespective of the formal designation of these ministries/departments, the goal is to ensure a
high-quality education for all who attend during the compulsory ages. This education can be affected by
the GDP (see prior section) allocated to education.
With no national curriculum in the United States, individual states have primary authority over
education (Gatley). Every state has a department or agency that oversees its administration of public
education and establishes the standards to be used to guide instruction. Local districts and school boards
take their direction from the states regarding decisions over items such as testing, academic content,
graduation requirements, and number of school days—yet assume some local control. Many hot button
topics have dominated state legislatures and local school
boards in recent times, with laws and mandates enacted
that target controversial content.
Another country with a large population and
a decentralized system of governance is Canada
(Madhosingh, Moore, Kezar). Provincial governments
are responsible for establishing curriculum for their
schools.
The Japanese national curriculum standards are
revised every 10 years (Fabian). These Courses of
Study have the aim of enabling all students to receive a
certain degree of education regardless of where they are
educated in Japan.

Additional Educational Issues to Consider

Challenges to education have increased over

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