Types of secondary schools?

Question

Hi,All secondary schools (in my country) can be divided into the following three categories:(1) "regular" schools(2)  lyceums(3)  gymnasiums That's how these words are normally translated into English (based on what I have seen).I guess (2) and (3) may look very unusual to native English speakers?Question#1: The problem with (2) can be solved very easily?  Just replace lyceum with the French lycee? Lyceum is obviously out of place in this context?Question#2:  If you hear the word gymnasium, won't it sound a little unusual to you (even if you are aware this term actually refers to a certain type of secondary school)?mus-te

Terryxpress · Accepted Answer

lycee: then French nationals and French Canadians will understand you, but don't expect too many others!

Who goes to 'regular' schools?
What's the difference between lycee, which is a secondary school, and gymnasium (also found in Germany) which "prepares students for university"?
Is it that students of a lycee will enter trade apprenticeships, and be secretaries etc after graduation?

CalifJim · Answer

MUSCOVITEQuestion#1: The problem with (2) can be solved very easily? Just replace lyceum with the French lycee? Lyceum is obviously out of place in this context?

That substitution won't help solve the problem.

MUSCOVITEQuestion#2: If you hear the word gymnasium, won't it sound a little unusual to you (even if you are aware this term actually refers to a certain type of secondary school)?

Yes, it's very unusual.
_______

I think you'll need terms like "trade schools", "college prep schools", "occupational training", ..., depending what exactly these three classifications actually represent.

CJ

MUSCOVITE · Answer

Terryxpress, CalifJim:
THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSES!

What are the differences between 'Russian lycee' - 'Russian gymnasium' - 'Russia regular secondary school'?
I am afraid there is no hard and fast rule to tell one from another .... anyway let me pick my friends' brain ...they are career (Russian) teachers ....they should be in the picture.

Looks like the German gymnasium and the Russian g-m basically mean the same thing (as follows from Terryxpress's reply)?

Thanks again!

mus-te

BlessedAndrew · Answer

The difference among them is only an education program

MUSCOVITE · Answer

The principal differences among the three ( 'regular secondary school' VS 'Russian lycee' VS 'Russian gymnasium' ) are as follows:
(1) To begin with, a typical 'regular' school is considered inferior to a lycee or gymnasium. Well-off parents seem to prefer their young ones to go to a lycee or gymnasium rather than an ordinary school. Lycees and gymnasiums are believed to have more proficient, experienced, better-paid, etc faculty than their poor relations (=regular secondary schools) can afford.
(2) Gymnasiums and lycees can boast of more advanced/sophisticated cirriculums than a regular school. There are more subjects in the curriculum. At least two foreign languages are normally taught. For example, in a gymnasium, they often start teaching a first foreign language in grade 1. A second language may appear in the curriculum in, lets say, grade 5.
(3) Gymnasium students will normally major in humanities. Lycee students are supposed to major in sciences (math, physics, biology, etc.)

Note that regular secondary schools, lycees and gymnasiums are all based on a 11-grade concept.

Is it possible to find (in the UK or USA school systems) something close enough to the above outlined "Russian lycees' and "Russian gymnasiums'? Probably not.... There is no doubt all these new-fangled 'lycees' and 'gymnasiums' will keep growing like mushrooms in Russia ... in the wake of the growing social stratification in this country..............

Types of secondary schools?

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