Education during Exchange

Education During Exchange

The purpose of this exchange program is to allow students to become familiar with life in their host country.  Attending school is a very important part of life for participants.  Education systems differ around the world and students and parents need to show flexibility when becoming familiar with the system in the Host country.   The exchange period is approximately 30 months, 6 months prior to departure, 12 months during the exchange year, 12 months during Rebound year.

The responsibility for attending class during this period rests with the exchange student. 

Some differences in school systems students have told us about (not all apply to each country):

• Attendance may or may not be taken.  This is because the funding of education differs from that in Oregon and Washington.  
• Extracurricular activities can be limited or non-existent.   Sports, music, dance, etc. are often learned by enrolling in private lessons or belonging to special clubs.
• Class sizes are often smaller at the “grade” level and school where the students are placed, due to their mandatory education involving separate tracks; vocational, university preparation, etc.
• Education at this level is considered a privilege, not a right, and students are expected to apply themselves or suffer the consequences of failing the university entrance exams.
• The class may retain the same students and meet in the same room over several years.
• Teachers may change classrooms to cover their assigned subjects while the students remain in the same room.
• Most participants in this program attend University preparation level classes and are expected to study and learn the assigned material.  
• Teachers assign homework as an adjunct to the syllabus expecting the students to use the assignments to further their understanding of the course material.
• Each day’s schedule may more closely resemble that of an American college student rather than a high school one.  
• Students have reported class loads of up to 12 different subjects per week with some classes only meeting once during that time.
• Grading is generally done using a number system.  Various systems are used.
• Occasionally students have been placed in a grade level with much younger students because they lack language skills adequate to allow effective study at their own grade level.
• Teachers are often aware that exchange students are not fluent in the country’s language and should make accommodations accordingly.

Rotary does not promise that participants in this program will receive any school credit for the time students have spent away from their home school.  Each student should meet with their school counselor to find out what credit if any, the school might allow the student for participating in this program.   Many of our local schools do allow quite a bit of credit to be earned by participants, enough that if they complete all graduation requirements, they are able to finish school with their class. 

The exchange student is responsible for contacting their US school to discuss the following, and obtain it in writing, prior to the exchange: 

• What credit will the school permit for the exchange experience?
• What records and reports should the student plan to present to the school following the exchange?
• Is a student diary and report following the exchange required?
• What about the class syllabus and or test results?
• What credit can be earned during the training period prior to the exchange for speeches, language training, etc?
• What classes should the student take before and after the exchange to allow them to complete graduation requirements at the same time as the rest of their class?

When the student returns to school in the US without adequate records from their exchange school, the US school is under no obligation to allow credit for the educational opportunities that were skipped no matter what agreement was reached prior to departure.  A student in this category will most likely be required to repeat the missing year in order to make up the required credits for graduation.

Remember that attendance at school during the exchange is the responsibility of the student, no one else.  Rotary sponsors of the student have no responsibility to assist in paying for missed classes or insist the US school allow credit for any classes missed.   If a student does not attend school regularly and the Host government becomes aware of this, his or her student Visa can be revoked.  In this case, the student would be required to return home.