Elementary School Education

Elementary school education is also known as primary or infant and junior education.  It is the education that every person takes during their childhood in the United States and across the world, usually from age 5 to about 12.  In most countries, this type of education is mandatory for all children, though not every child may have the opportunity as in areas in third world nations where schools may not even exist or where working to feed a family may take priority over education.  Sadly, in some countries, certain restrictions are applied to children, removing their right to be educated.  One fine example was the Taliban regime of Afghanistan where girls and women were not allowed to be educated and kept as mere second class citizens.

Generally speaking elementary school education is divided into two parts: infant and primary, or infant and junior.  This is usually not done because there is a definitive division, but it better aids teachers to focus on the needs of the children they are teaching based on their maturity levels.  Obviously, a five year old has far different needs to a twelve year old.

Usually there is no transition in elementary school education occurs, except at age 13, the start of the secondary level, when students move into a different school.  In some cases, as was common in North America before the 1990’s, the secondary level was further divided into junior and senior/high levels, with students starting the senior level at age 16.  In the United Kingdom, children will move up to the secondary level at age 11. 
In the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa and Ireland, the lower level is further sub-divided into two other levels, infant and junior.  Again, most elementary schools in these countries have both divisions under one roof, but there are some schools that only deal with either infants or juniors.

Elementary school education is generally provided either publically or privately.  Children make gradual progressions in each year, building on a foundation in the early years of reading, writing, math’s, language arts, science, music (not every school), art, physical education, and social studies (history and geography), or the basic core subjects.  Classes are run by a single teacher, who may have a teaching assistant periodically, and this teacher is solely responsible within that classroom for the education, safety and well-being of each child in their care.  The teacher may have a class size varying from 10 to as many as 35 plus students.  However, due to the increase in technology and the ability it has given human beings to migrate to other parts of the world, the teacher may be further expected to deal with students who have little or no knowledge of the language of the class they are in.  Other teaching responsibilities in primary education have now extended to include administration, resource funding, psychology, counseling, second language educator and special needs education.  This has created frustration, lowered education standards and resulted in teacher’s strikes and/or confrontations with parents.