Holly Ferencuha Photography
- I grew up in the US where the educational system was more general.
- I didn't learn about world history or geography, and I was discouraged from pursing my dream job.
- My wife grew up in the UK and got a better education, becoming a more-rounded adult.
Having grown up over 3,000 miles apart, I am quickly learning the differences between my wife's education in the UK and mine in the US.
I recently married my wife, Kaajal, who was born and raised in London. My education in the suburbs of Pittsburgh emphasized an overview of general subjects, whereas Kaajal narrowed down her desired career through a series of specialized courses and exams.
Last year, for example, when preparing for a trip to Africa, my then-fiancée witnessed the differences in our education firsthand.
"I can't find Mozambique in this travel guidebook," I said, puzzled.
"That's because it's a guidebook for South Africa," Kaajal answered.
Yes, I thought Mozambique was a city within South Africa. If my wife and I have children, we'll undoubtedly move to the UK for superior academics to better prepare them for a career.
It seems the UK prepares students for the real world
After passing the GCSE exams in England, my wife was allowed to decide between immediately entering the workforce at age 16 or continuing her high school education to prepare for attending a university. Knowing she wanted to pursue a university degree, Kaajal studied history, computing, math, and biology for her A-level exams.
There, students choose only three to four preferred subjects to review in the final two years of schooling. More rigorous than the GCSE, the A-level exams help universities identify the leading candidates for their programs.
In the US, rather than specializing in preferred subjects, the majority of my education consisted of general subjects. In high school, you gain more freedom in your classes each year; however, you're required to continue taking math, science, and English courses throughout most of your education.
While my wife was focusing on only three chosen subjects to decide on a major in university, I was taking a random statistics course, environmental science, and four study halls. One of my study hall periods concluded my day, so I would join a gym class for fun or slip out to go home.
A guidance counselor was assigned to me — and hundreds of other students — to pick the few optional courses. When asked what I'd like to study in college, I quickly told my guidance counselor that I wanted to pursue a career in writing. I was told it wouldn't happen due to my average grades and the unlikelihood of success in a writing career.
Over 15 years later, I thankfully found my path to my dream job as a freelance mental health and wellness writer.
A British education provided my wife with an overview of potential career choices and prepared her for university. My US education discouraged me from my passion and left me with generalized knowledge. I entered a psychology program in college with little idea of my career choices and no anticipation of the student debt to follow.
I also learned very little about other cultures and religions
I took my first course on world cultures in my master's program as a 22-year-old adult. In the suburbs of Pittsburgh, I was surrounded by primarily white people identifying as Christian. Looking back, I recall one Jewish classmate and two to three non-white students. Courses emphasizing various cultures and religions of the world were truly needed to raise awareness of diversity and increase multicultural respect.
Meanwhile, in England, my wife and her classmates learned about cultures and religions throughout the world as early as age 4.
Geography is also thoroughly reviewed in the UK
History and geography are covered throughout US education, starting in elementary school. However, US history and geography are often the primary focus. In the fifth grade, I was expected to memorize all the US states and capitals. I can pinpoint Little Rock, Arkansas, but I recently realized that the European country Estonia exists.
Similarly to religion, the British school system provides a collective overview of world history and geography starting at a young age.
In my personal experience, the UK education system is significantly better than the US education system in preparing students for their careers, instilling well-rounded cultural experiences, and educating on the world map.
It's clear to me that my wife was better prepared to be an intelligent adult than I was in the US.