IN WHAT WAYS IS HIGH SCHOOL DIFFERENT FROM PRIMARY SCHOOL?

Moving up from primary to secondary school is exciting. There is that feeling of growing up and becoming independent. But there is no denying it, you are wondering; in what ways will high school be different from primary school?

This is a common worry for all high school bound students. When you are able to identify and understand the differences between primary school and high school, You can benefit more throughout your four-year high school journey. The truth is, primary school and high schools are pretty different in a lot of ways.

Your perception is based on what you are able to see or touch. In the story, each of six blind men touch parts of an elephant, but the individual descriptions of the same elephant are based only on what each blind man is able to perceive. It also illustrates a range of truths and misleading notions about the difference between primary school and high schools.

When asked about high school, one girl said, “In high school, teachers cane you using a gas pipe, it’s so painful.” Another one responded to the same question by saying; “high school is fun, no one bothers you.” Certainly at numerous occasions you may have interacted with different high school students. Their perceptions and descriptions about High School are as different as the blind men’s description of the elephant.

There those who view high school as a snake or a place of torture. They will describe high school using words and stories that fill one with apprehension. You may find some aspects of their narration terrifying. Then there are those who liken High School to a tree whose fruits that are sweet. For such people, their stories about High School will fill you with hope, desire, and motivation. To them it is a great place with vast, memorable, and rewarding experiences. Knowing what to expect before you go to high school can help reduce the amount of stress and confusion in an environment where everything seems foreign to you.

The Main Differences Between Primary and High School

There are a lot more ways in which high school is different from primary school. The difference between primary schools and high schools are not meant to scare you. They are simply meant to give you accurate descriptions that will enable you start your experience on a positive note. The differences can be grouped into several groups namely. Academics, Social, Culture and Developmental

Academics:

1. Subjects: The most obvious difference are in academics. While primary school pupils learn mathematics, languages, social studies and religious studies. High school has some of the same subjects taught in an expanded way. High schools also have an additional set of new subjects other than what you learnt in primary.
2. Learning: Primary School teaches you recognition and recall of basic knowledge, which happens to be a way of laying a solid foundation and focus on developing basic skills in subjects. On the other hand, High School subjects builds on what you learned in primary school, aim at improving your critical thinking and prepares you for college and eventual career.
3. Classes: In Primary School, every subject is taken by the same group of students, while in Secondary School there is more choice in subjects. Not everyone will takes subjects that are similar to yours.
4. Teachers: In Primary School teachers guide you most of the time, in High School, you take more responsibility and to a greater extent, you self direct your learning process. You will be required to learn more on your own, this includes identifying your academic goals and taking on extra work. Furthermore, in primary, classroom interaction is with a few teachers unlike High School where each teacher handles a specific subject.
5. 5. Workload: The number of academic subjects will increase these means class and homework assignment will increase or become a bit more challenging.

Social:

1. Status: When you left primary school, you were in a group of senior and the oldest pupils. When you join high school, your group will be the junior one with the youngest scholars in the entire school, at least for a year.
2. Neighborhood: In primary School, most of your classmates and school mates were from the immediate community. In High School, they are likely to be drawn from anywhere outside your neighborhood, county or district, and in some cases all over the country.
3. Co-Curricular: In primary school, you experience just a few co-curricular activities. In High school you will have a wide range of sports, arts and co-curricular activities to choose from. It is a fantastic time to explore your interests.
4. Living Arrangements: In primary school, you most likely lived with your family and attended same school with your friends and siblings. In high school, and in this case boarding school, you will live away from your family maybe for the first time. It also involves becoming semi independent and taking up some responsibilities (e.g., taking care of your own personal needs and managing your finances)
5. Friends: In primary school, pupils make friends easily, in high schools strong and meaningful friendships require time to form and the risk of falling in with the wrong crowd or cliques is real.
6. Buildings: In primary school there are fewer and less complex buildings, in high school the buildings are many and specialized for different activities, (e.g. laboratories, library and kitchen/ dining hall)

These are some of the main differences. Remember that, you are in High School not because of other peoples experience and stories, but because you have excelled and harbour a desire to achieve more in your life. Maya Angelou said; “A bird doesn’t sing because it has an answer, it sings because it has a song.” You are in high school because you have a greater purpose and responsibility to fulfill. Prepare yourself for a wonderful experience and you will realise one. Have known what to expect, it is now time for you to experience High School in your own unique way.