Education comes at a price/ Obrazovanje ima svoju cijenu

A person’s journey in education typically starts in a kindergarten and continues in primary school. In the U.S., this institution is called elementary school, and it is followed by 2 years of middle school and high school that takes 4 years to complete. In England, children go to elementary school for 6 years, followed by 6 years of secondary school. Students graduate with a high school degree/diploma, or a General Education degree when they finish secondary or high school. A vocational school is the equivalent of high school degrees in specialized jobs, such as hairdressing.

After high school, many people decide to go to a University or a college to pursue an advanced degree. In general, a college is a 4-year institution that offers Bachelor of Arts (B. A.) or Bachelor of Science (B. Sc.) degrees in specific subjects. On the other hand, a University (also a 4-year institution) consists of different colleges or schools (e.g., school of engineering) but it can grant advanced degrees, such as a Master’s degree (or Master of Arts/Sciences), or a Doctor of Philosophy. In undergraduate education it is not common to require students to write a thesis, but a thesis is mandatory for a Master’s degree, and so is a dissertation for a doctoral degree.

In a college or university, students focus their studies in a particular department. It is common to say that they major in a particular area. In a Business school, students may major in finance or accounting. Finally, if students attend a university-level education for only two years, they obtain an associate degree (U.S.) or a foundation degree (U.K.). In the U.S., certain professions require education beyond the 4 years of college. People may go to Law School or Medical School only after completing a University degree. However, not many people decide to pursue (post)graduate education.

One of the reasons is the cost of education in the U.K. and the U.S. Even if students do not go to private schools, educational institutions after high school charge tuition fees. Sometimes parents cover the costs, but in many cases students take student loans. Thus many people are eager to start working in order to repay their student loans. In the U.S., the tuition may run up to $40,000 a year. Although students may get merit-based (based on the grade point average, or GPA) or need-based scholarships, in most cases students are responsible for financing their own higher education. Universities sometimes refer to the money paid to graduate students as a stipend. In wealthy countries, higher education seems to be a privilege and not a right.