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Democratic Education (From Aboubakar Sidiki TRAORE, Lycée Yamwaya of Ouahigouya)

The Constitution of the United States makes no provision whatever concerning education; there is no Federal control of the school system. Private schools and parochial schools have full liberty to exist, and Catholics maintain a great number of them for their children. Other young people attend the public schools, where education is provided free of charge by the State.

From the age of 5 or 6, and for about eight years, children go to the elementary school. There they follow the usual courses in the classroom, develop group consciousness in the auditorium, and are trained in sports on the playing field. Their teachers do their best to bring them into contact with the different aspects of life at home. They ,learn even when very young, to be useful and to shoulder their responsibilities. When the children come out of school, for instance, a big boy, wearing his badge of office, will control the traffic like a policeman, to prevent accidents. Plans are also made for hobbies, games and clubs during after- school time. In short ,everything is done both to cultivate individual abilities and to prepare the pupils for the part they will have to play later in the community.

But it is at the High School that young people can best develop their interests and personality. In the course of the four years which they spend there, they specialize, with a view to the career that they have chosen, whether industry, commerce, agriculture ,art or higher studies. Sports, too, figure prominently in the life of the students. Dramatic clubs, orchestras, cosmopolitan clubs, language clubs, bear withness to the range of activities and variety of talents to be found among the students. Their little republic has its own newspaper, edited with skill and humor. Self-government which involves self-discipline, is the rule. Many secondary schools are run on the honor system, by which the word of boys and girls is trusted to the fullest extent: When given a test, a class will be left alone by the teacher, as each student has pledged himself to write his paper without receiving or giving information.

The great majority of the student body show themselves worthy of the confidence placed in them. This is education at its best it teaches future citizens that liberty is the reward of self-discipline.

Extract from Carpentier F et Lamar, Les Etats Unis,Civilisation, Hachette, 1948.

QUESTIONS

1) What is the role of the teachers in the elementary schools?(2pts)
2) Elementary schools in the USA prepare the pupils to be more responsible later in the community. Justify this assertion on the basis of the text .(3pts)
3) What shows in the text that the USA educational system is democratic?(4pts)
4) Do you think that the USA secondary school system is better than BURKINA FASO secondary school system, Justify your answer.(5pts)

TRANSLATE INTO FRENCH

From “The Constitution of the United States……” to “…of charge by the state.”(6pts)