Education

There are some differences between the educational systems in Canada and Serbia, in particular related to how and when students begin to specialize. For example, after I finished grade 8 in Serbia, I decided to go to college so I could specialize earlier. Also, I applied straight from college to university without taking any additional exams. That kind of educational system in Serbia gives you more opportunities to find a job more easily when you have some qualifications, and to get some knowledge for further education.

While in Canada every grade has their own teacher, in Serbia, after grade 4, every module has their own professor. In order to teach that individual module, the professor that is teaching it has to have a university degree in that field. For example, a teacher who is teaching a biology class must to have a degree in biology. On the other hand, in Canada students have one or two teachers for all modules, and the teachers are not specialists in that particular field.

Secondary school in Canada starts after grade 7 and goes up until grade 12. They still have teachers for every grade. In Canada, students start to work at part-time jobs after school or during weekends. In Serbia, after grade 8 students continue school like high school or a combination of high school and college where they can specialize for certain professions. Students are focused on school, so they don't work until they finish school. In both countries, kids have the same extracurricular activities that they attend after school. An advantage of the Canadian system is that students can afford lots of things before they finish school and have full-time jobs.

In order to go to university, Canadian students have to have some specialized exams for some schools, while Serbian students can apply for university straight from high school. During 8 years of elementary school, students in Serbia are preparing for further education. They are deciding what they are going to specialize in. They are putting lots of effort in their learning and they don't have much time for other things. Also, better marks can open door to better colleges or universities.

Overall, Canada gives opportunities for students to earn some money before they actually start working and students take their time to decide what they are going to choose for a profession. On the other hand, students in Serbia are more focused on school so they can specialize earlier.