The Difference Between Elementary and Junior High School

A school is an educational establishment designed to offer learning spaces and specific learning environments to students under the active instruction of qualified teachers. Most developed countries have systems of periodic formal education, which may be mandatory or semi-formal. In such systems, students pass through a sequence of elementary, middle and secondary schools. In some countries, the system of schooling may be characterized by a single school site, or by a network of junior and secondary schools located within a limited geographical area. In the United States, the federal law insists that all students be admitted to public or private educational establishments, irrespective of their age, nationality, race or social status. In addition, the school curriculum must comply with requirements laid down by the United States Department of Education, who appoints local school boards to implement educational policies.

In most US high schools, both junior high school and senior high school, the school year lasts for four years, inclusive of a summer vacation. In the United States, at least one school day is used for in-depth learning activities during which students can take up courses offering a thorough understanding of academic subjects like mathematics, reading, science, history, English, humanities and other such subjects. In fact, a student may complete a full school year without attending any classroom-based educational classes. Such in-depth learning activities can be done through books, internet access, vocational training programs, field trips, and related in-home work.

Junior high schools generally have a shorter duration for a school day than elementary schools, due to the greater flexibility provided by the nature of their curriculum. In junior high schools, many after-school instructional programs are conducted, which give students a taste of professional life, while preparing them for higher education. Such programs include sports and club activities, band activities, debate and discussion sessions, debate clubs, school fairs, and summer camps. As a result, the overall length of a junior high school day is significantly shorter than that of an elementary school day.