View source for Specialist school

{{Short description|Type of school}}
{{About|schools specialising in certain areas of the curriculum|other types of school sometimes known by this name|Specialist school (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=July 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
[[File:NUAST 7997c.jpg|thumb|[[Nottingham University Academy of Science and Technology]] is a [[STEM]] specialist school in [[Nottingham]], England.]]
'''Specialist schools''', also known as '''specialised schools''' or '''specialized schools''', are schools which specialise in a certain area or field of curriculum.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Steele |first1=Fiona |last2=Vignoles |first2=Anna |last3=Jenkins |first3=Andrew |year=2007 |title=The Impact of School Resources on Pupil Attainment: A Multilevel Simultaneous Equation Modelling Approach |journal=Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series A |pages=32 |via=[[London School of Economics]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Moore |first=Chris |title=Teacher Thinking and Student Diversity. |publisher=[[Educational Resources Information Center]] |publication-date=23 April 1999 |page=14 |id=ED 429 947}}</ref><ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=21 July 2015 |title=How Diverse Are Charter Schools? |url=https://www.aei.org/education/k-12-schooling/how-diverse-are-charter-schools/ |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=American Enterprise Institute – AEI |language=en-US}}</ref> In some countries, for example New Zealand, the term is used exclusively for schools specialising in [[special needs education]], which are typically known as [[special schools]]. Specialist schools often have admission criteria making them [[selective school]]s as well.
== In Europe ==
Specialist schools have been recognised in Europe for a long period of time. In some countries such as Germany and the Netherlands, education specialises when students are aged 13, which is when they are enrolled to either an academic or vocational school (the former being known in Germany as a [[Gymnasium (Germany)|gymnasium]]). Many other countries in Europe specialise education from the age of 16.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |url=https://www.ngsa.org.uk/downloads/NGSA-21stCentury-Complete.pdf |title=Grammar Schools in the Twenty-first Century |date=Autumn 2001 |publisher=[[National Grammar Schools Association]] |page=4}}</ref>
=== Germany ===
==== Nazi Germany ====
The [[Nazi Regime]] established new specialist schools with the aim of training the future [[Nazi Party]] elite and leaders of Germany:<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Warnock |first1=Barbara |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3ZqeZayvKS8C&pg=PA1912 |title=Life in Nazi Germany, 1933–45 |last2=Ellis |first2=Steve |date=22 February 2013 |publisher=[[Hachette UK]] |isbn=9781444177473 |pages=1912–1913}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Nazi social and economic policies: Youth movements and education |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/guides/zsdfr82/revision/4 |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=[[BBC Bitesize]] |language=en-GB}}</ref>
* [[National Political Institutes of Education]] – Run in a similar way to military academies, these were [[boarding schools]] for boys aged 10–18. They fell under the control of the ''[[Schutzstaffel]]'' (SS) from 1936.
* [[Adolf Hitler Schools]] – These were [[State school|free-to-attend]] boarding specialist schools for leadership, serving 12–18-year olds. Students were selected for their leadership skills and [[Aryan race|Aryan]] likeness.
* [[NS-Ordensburgen|Order Castles]] – These schools trained elite 25–30-year olds who were expected to become future political and military leaders.
==== Since 1945 ====
After the [[Second World War]], Germany was separated into the capitalist West Germany and communist East Germany. In East Germany, a comprehensive system of education was established while in West Germany a specialised system was present. After [[German reunification]] in 1990, the former East Germany abandoned comprehensive education and implemented the specialised education of West Germany.<ref name=":1" />
In modern Germany, education becomes specialised from the age of 13, with students attending either academic schools known as gymnasiums or vocational schools.<ref name=":1" /> Vocational specialist schools and academies offer vocational qualifications.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The educational system in Germany |url=http://www.baltic-education.eu/pdf/Germany_esystem.pdf |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=Baltic Education}}</ref>
=== Netherlands ===
In the Netherlands, many specialist schools exist within the public education system.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last1=Hofman |first1=R. H. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=LTdIfDfLss4C&pg=PA165 |title=Institutional Context of Education Systems in Europe: A Cross-Country Comparison on Quality and Equity |last2=Hofman |first2=W. H. A. |last3=Gray |first3=J. M. |last4=Daly |first4=P. |date=16 January 2006 |publisher=Springer Science & Business Media |isbn=978-1-4020-2745-1 |page=165 |language=en}}</ref> Education is specialised between vocational and academic schools from the age of 13,<ref name=":1" /> however there are many specialist schools in the primary sector of education, with specific types including partnership schools, [[Dalton Plan|Dalton schools]] and brede schools/community schools.<ref name=":2" />
Brede schools (broad schools), also known as extended schools or community schools,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Hertzberger |first=Herman |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=uBE-TcROFtQC&pg=PA169 |title=Space and Learning: Lessons in Architecture 3 |date=2008 |publisher=010 Publishers |isbn=978-90-6450-644-4 |page=169 |language=en}}</ref> combine education with important parental and children's services such as childcare and [[community health centres]], and follow a goal of delivering effective and affectionate education while granting equal opportunities of education to adults, children and teenagers.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web |last=Velsen |first=Job van |title=Brede School: All-day community school |url=https://eunec.eu/sites/www.eunec.eu/files/event/attachments/all-day_community_school_netherlands.pdf |access-date=2022-08-03}}</ref> They may also be an alliance between schools and services rather than one institution<ref>{{Cite book |last= |first= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=poZSHWQCta8C&pg=PA31 |title=Education in the Netherlands |publisher=School Choice International |year=2008 |isbn=978-0-9815964-2-6 |page=31 |language=en}}</ref> (e.g. the DE Brede School in [[Amsterdam]] is a collaboration between three separate primary schools).<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Mulder |first1=Andre |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EeePDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT35 |title=Learning for Life: An Imaginative Approach to Worldview Education in the Context of Diversity |last2=Berg |first2=Bas van den |date=8 March 2019 |publisher=Wipf and Stock Publishers |isbn=978-1-5326-7686-4 |page=23 |language=en}}</ref> Brede schools do not receive additional funding on a national level, nor is there a centralised model of brede schooling, with funding and policy being decided locally. In [[Rotterdam]] for example, brede schools are integrated into the education system. In addition to primary schools, pre-schools and secondary schools can also be brede schools. There are over 1,200 brede schools. In the 1990s, the majority of breed schools were located in areas which were historically deprived, namely those with significant levels of migration.<ref name=":3" />
=== United Kingdom ===
{{Main|Specialist schools in the United Kingdom}}
In the United Kingdom, the term specialist school refers to a school with an emphasis or specialist focus on a certain field or area of the curriculum,<ref>{{Cite web |date=18 June 2010 |title=Free Schools: What are the options? |url=https://www.channel4.com/news/articles/politics/domestic_politics/free%2Bschools%2Bwhat%2Bare%2Bthe%2Boptions/3685092.html |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=[[Channel 4 News]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Alexandra |date=9 February 2007 |title=Q&A: Specialist schools |url=http://www.theguardian.com/education/2007/feb/09/schools.newschools |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Wallace |first=Susan |title=Oxford Dictionary of Education |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |year=2015 |isbn=9780191758454 |edition=2nd |page=46}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Woodward |first=Will |date=29 November 2002 |title=Fund to help hard-up schools win specialist status |url=http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2002/nov/29/uk.schools |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Tinniswood |first=Rachael |date=6 February 2022 |title=Why our schools want to be special; As the Government announces an extra 149 specialist schools, three headteachers tell RACHAEL TINNISWOOD why it means so much. |work=[[Liverpool Echo]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=22 January 2009 |title=Specialist schools' value queried |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/7842726.stm |access-date=2022-07-11}}</ref> with these specialised areas being called specialisms.<ref name=":1998 RISE Briefing 1">{{Cite web |last=Edwards |first=Tony |date=May 1998 |title=RISE Briefing No. 1: Specialisation Without Selection? |url=https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/38616/2/Specialisation%20Without%20Selection.pdf |access-date=2022-06-17 |website=RISE Trust}}</ref> British specialist schools intend to act as [[Centre of excellence|centres of excellence]] in their specialism.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Specialist Schools |url=https://www.politics.co.uk/reference/specialist-schools/ |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=[[Politics.co.uk]] |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |date=17 July 2001 |title=Specialist schools 'boost confidence' |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/1444120.stm |access-date=2022-08-03}}</ref> Specialist schools have been present in the primary,<ref>{{Cite news |date=22 June 2007 |title=Primary schools are to specialise |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/6230584.stm |access-date=2022-08-03}}</ref> secondary<ref>{{Cite web |last=Taylor |first=Ros |date=8 February 2001 |title=Nearly half of all secondaries to specialise |url=http://www.theguardian.com/education/2001/feb/08/schools.news |access-date=2022-08-03 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref> and further education sectors.<ref name=":4">{{Cite web |title=DfE invites top universities to open specialist maths free schools |url=https://www.newschoolsnetwork.org/what-are-free-schools/free-school-news/dfe-invites-top-universities-to-open-specialist-maths-free |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=[[New Schools Network]]}}</ref> There have been specialist schools in England,<ref>{{Cite news |date=29 January 2004 |title=Specialist schools now a majority |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/3438825.stm |access-date=2022-08-03}}</ref> Scotland<ref>{{Cite news |date=23 February 2005 |title=Specialist schools plan go-ahead |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/4289725.stm |access-date=2022-08-03}}</ref> and Northern Ireland,<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 March 2006 |title=NI specialist schools announced |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4803742.stm |access-date=2022-08-03}}</ref> but none in Wales.<ref name=":5">{{Cite web |last=Northern |first=Stephanie |date=15 February 2011 |title=What became of the bog-standard comprehensive? |url=http://www.theguardian.com/education/2011/feb/15/bog-standard-comprehensive-uniformity-specialism-faith |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref>
==== England and Northern Ireland ====
{{Main|Specialist schools programme}}
In England, secondary specialist schools may select up to ten per cent of their yearly student intake for aptitude in their specialism provided that it includes either the performing arts, visual arts, [[physical education]], sports or [[modern foreign languages]].<ref name=":Guardian Selection Q&A">{{Cite web |last=Andalo |first=Debbie |date=22 May 2007 |title=Q&A: Secondary school selection |url=http://www.theguardian.com/education/2007/may/22/schools.uk3 |access-date=2022-06-25 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}}</ref> There was a near-universal specialist system of secondary education in England in 2011,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Gove |first=Michael |author-link=Michael Gove |date=20 September 2010 |title=Specialist schools programme: Michael Gove announces changes |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/specialist-schools-programme-michael-gove-announces-changes |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=[[GOV.UK]] |language=en}}</ref> with 96.6% of English state secondary schools having specialised.<ref name=":5" />
Under the [[specialist schools programme]] which ran from 1993 and 2006 until 2011,{{Efn|September 1993 – April 2011 (England),<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.theyworkforyou.com/debates/?id=1995-12-20a.1501.0 |title=Schools (Broadstairs) |date=20 December 1995 |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=[[TheyWorkForYou]]}}</ref><ref name=":MichaelGove">{{OGL-attribution|{{cite web|title=Specialist schools programme: Michael Gove announces changes|url=https://www.gov.uk/government/news/specialist-schools-programme-michael-gove-announces-changes|access-date=2022-01-22|website=[[GOV.UK]]|language=en}}}}</ref> September 2006 – August 2011 (Northern Ireland).<ref>{{Cite web |date=6 August 2005 |title=SPECIALIST SCHOOLS PILOT: INVITATION TO SCHOOLS |url=http://www.nics.gov.uk/press/edu/050906h-edu.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060107075721/http://www.nics.gov.uk/press/edu/050906h-edu.htm |archive-date=2006-01-07 |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=[[Department of Education (Northern Ireland)|Department of Education]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=23 April 2012 |title=Specialist Schools |url=http://www.deni.gov.uk/index/80-curriculum-and-assessment/108-specialist-schools.htm |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120423120738/http://www.deni.gov.uk/index/80-curriculum-and-assessment/108-specialist-schools.htm |archive-date=23 April 2012 |access-date=2022-02-04 |website=[[Department of Education (Northern Ireland)|Department of Education]]}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} secondary schools pursuing specialist school status in England and Northern Ireland had to go through a designation process where they were required to pass benchmarks and demonstrate achievement in their desired specialism, while also raising between £20,000 and £50,000 in private sector sponsorship.{{Efn|Secondary schools in England had to raise £50,000, though schools with less than 500 students had to raise £20,000 instead,<ref name=":DCSFapplications">{{cite web |date=9 June 2009 |title=Part 3: First Applications |url=http://www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/local/word/1stapp_part3.doc |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090609005908/http://www.standards.dcsf.gov.uk/local/word/1stapp_part3.doc |archive-date=2009-06-09 |access-date=2022-02-06 |website=[[Department for Children, Schools and Families]]}}</ref> while secondary schools in Northern Ireland had to raise £25,000.<ref>{{Cite news |date=14 March 2006 |title=NI specialist schools announced |language=en-GB |work=[[BBC News]] |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4803742.stm |access-date=2022-02-04}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} Passing the process gave designated schools specialist status in one of 10 or 15{{Efn|In England, there were 10 specialisms to choose from.<ref>{{cite web |date=26 October 2007 |title=The Standards Site: What are Specialist Schools? |url=http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/specialistschools/what_are/?version=1 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026090041/http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/specialistschools/what_are/?version=1 |archive-date=2007-10-26 |access-date=2022-02-06 |website=[[Department for Children, Schools and Families]]}}</ref> Two more specialisms, [[Applied Learning College|applied learning]] and [[SEN College|SEN]], were available to mainstream schools as one half of a combined specialism or as a second specialism taken in re-designation. Standalone SEN specialisms were offered exclusively to special schools.<ref name=":DCSFapplications" /> Five more specialisms were offered exclusively in Northern Ireland,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Baker |first=Pete |date=21 October 2005 |title=Shortlist for specialist schools pilot |url=https://sluggerotoole.com/2005/11/21/shortlist_for_specialist_schools/ |access-date=2022-04-22 |website=[[Slugger O'Toole]]}}</ref> however most schools were designated with one of the English specialisms; [[information and communications technology]] was the only Northern Irish specialism to be granted.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2010 |title=A Third Evaluation Report on The Specialist Schools' Programme |url=https://www.etini.gov.uk/sites/etini.gov.uk/files/publications/%5Bcurrent-domain%3Amachine-name%5D/a-third-evaluation-report-on-the-specialist-schools-programme.pdf |access-date=2022-04-23 |website=Education and Training Inspectorate |pages=10 and 11}}</ref>|group=lower-alpha}} available specialisms and an optional curricular [[rural dimension]]. Two of the 10 or 15 specialisms could be combined to form one specialism. The reward for specialist status was a £100,000 government grant alongside an additional £129 in funding for every student enrolled to the school. Every three years, schools had to renew their status and re-designate. Re-designation brought with it the possibility of a second specialism and [[high performing specialist status]]; both of these would grant additional funding. Selected primary schools joined the specialist schools programme in 2007 as part of a government trial. Since 2011, secondary schools in England no longer need to designate or re-designate for specialist status and can gain specialisms beyond the 12 originally available in the specialist schools programme. [[Academy schools]], which were specialist schools at this time, were already unrestrained in their choice of specialism.<ref name=":MichaelGove" /> The United Kingdom's specialist schools programme has attracted other countries toward specialisation.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Davies |first=Arthur |date=March 2011 |title=The System of Local Management of Schools in the UK – Achieving an Optimal Balance of Centralization and Decentralization in Education |url=https://postmodernopenings.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/03/PO-5-7.pdf |journal=Postmodern Openings |publisher=Lumen Publishing House |volume=5 |issue=5 |page=98 |issn=2068-0236}}</ref>
Any state secondary school in England, whether they are [[Local authorities in England|local authority]]-maintained or independent from their control, can become a specialist school.<ref>{{Cite web |date=15 June 2022 |title=Types of school |url=https://childlawadvice.org.uk/information-pages/types-of-school/ |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=[[Thomas Coram Foundation for Children|Child Law Advice]]}}</ref> Unique types of specialist school include [[City Technology Colleges]],<ref>{{Cite web |title=Oliver case study: Thomas Telford School |url=https://www.softlinkint.com/case-study/thomas-telford-school/ |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=Softlink}}</ref> early academy schools,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Copps |first=John |url=https://www.thinknpc.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/On-your-marks-full-report.pdf |title=On your marks: young people in education, a guide for donors and funders |date=April 2006 |publisher=[[New Philanthropy Capital]] |isbn=9780954883683 |page=61}}</ref> [[University technical college]]s,<ref>{{cite web |date=7 October 2011 |title=Q&A: University technical colleges |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-15220425 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111011125951/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-15220425 |archive-date=2011-10-11 |access-date=2012-08-06 |publisher=[[BBC News]]}}</ref> [[studio school]]s<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burke |first=Jude |date=14 August 2018 |title=Toby Young: Allow UTCs and studio schools to select pupils |url=https://feweek.co.uk/allow-utcs-and-studio-schools-to-select-pupils-argues-toby-young/ |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=FE Week |language=en-GB}}</ref> and [[maths school]]s.<ref name=":4" />
== Other countries ==
=== Australia ===
{{Main|Education in Australia#Specialist schools}}
Schools that operate specialist education programs exist in all Australian states and territories. These schools are typically associated with the arts or elite sports programs. In [[South Australia]], specialist schools cover the arts, gifted and talented programs, [[Languages other than English|languages]], [[agricultural school]]s, [[science, technology, engineering and mathematics]], advanced technology project schools, [[sports school]]s, and trade training centres.<ref>{{cite web |date=n.d. |title=List of secondary schools with special interest or specialist programs |url=https://www.education.sa.gov.au/sites-and-facilities/education-and-care-locations/special-interest-schools-or-programs/list-secondary-schools-special-interest-or-specialist-programs |access-date=5 September 2019 |work=Department of Education |publisher=Government of South Australia}}</ref> In [[Victoria (Australia)|Victoria]], examples of specialist government schools include those focused on science and maths (e.g.[[John Monash Science School]]), performing arts (e.g. [[Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School]]), sports (e.g. [[Maribyrnong Secondary College]]), and leadership and enterprise (e.g. The Alpine School).<ref name="VIC-types">{{cite web |date=11 June 2019 |title=Types of school |url=https://www.education.vic.gov.au/parents/going-to-school/Pages/school-types.aspx |access-date=5 September 2019 |work=Department of Education and Training |publisher=Victorian Government}}</ref> An alternative model is those sporting organisations that deliver specialist programs to a narrow selection of schools, such as [[Cricket Australia]]'s Specialist School Program to three [[Western Australian]] schools.<ref>{{cite web |date=2019 |title=Specialist School Programs |url=https://www.waca.com.au/get-involved/kids-and-schools/specialist-school-programs |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190905113925/https://www.waca.com.au/get-involved/kids-and-schools/specialist-school-programs |archive-date=5 September 2019 |access-date=5 September 2019 |publisher=WACA Western Australia Cricket Association}}</ref> The [[Victoria State Government]] defines specialist schools as schools which specialise in subjects and also schools which specialise in special needs teaching.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 December 2022 |title=Types of schools: An overview of the different types of schools in Victoria. |url=https://www.vic.gov.au/types-schools#specialist-schools |access-date=18 February 2023 |website=Victoria State Government}}</ref>
=== Canada ===
In Canada, there have been specialized schools in [[Calgary]], Toronto and [[Niagara Falls, Ontario|Niagara Falls]]. These schools, also known as niche schools and [[alternative school]]s,<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hammer |first=Kate |date=7 September 2009 |title=More alternative schools opening than ever in Toronto |language=en-CA |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/more-alternative-schools-opening-than-ever-in-toronto/article4290931/ |access-date=2022-07-11}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Pearce |first=Tralee |date=18 August 2011 |title=Skateboard school or single-sex? Niche schools take off |language=en-CA |work=[[The Globe and Mail]] |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/education/skateboard-school-or-single-sex-niche-schools-take-off/article591159/ |access-date=2022-07-11}}</ref> are usually selective,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodrigues |first=Gabby |date=3 May 2022 |title=TDSB to change process for admissions to specialized programs, schools based on 'interest' |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/8805381/tdsb-admissions-specialized-programs-schools-toronto/ |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=[[Global News]] |language=en-US}}</ref> however the [[Toronto District School Board]] has recently scrapped its old admission arrangements and have made its specialized schools enrol students based on the students' interest in attending the school.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Herhalt |first=Chris |date=26 May 2022 |title=TDSB trustees vote to remove all entry exams, auditions to specialized schools |url=https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/tdsb-trustees-vote-to-remove-all-entry-exams-auditions-to-specialized-schools-1.5919194 |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=[[CTV News]] |language=en}}</ref>
=== China ===
In the 1990s, the Chinese government addressed demands for a trained workforce by establishing selective specialist schools. The main type of specialist school is the [[Education in China#Key schools|key school]]. These are primary and secondary schools serving academic children. Schools can be designated with key status by meeting requirements in facility and teaching quality. Between 15 and 20 per cent of Chinese schools satisfied these criteria in 1999.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Jones |first1=Robin |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MUF5AgAAQBAJ&dq=%22specialist+schools%22+%22china%22&pg=PA91 |title=Sport and Physical Education in China |last2=Riordan |first2=James (Jim) |date=11 September 2002 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-135-81433-5 |language=en}}</ref>
China has established [[Confucius Institute|Confucius]] colleges and classrooms across 87 countries.<ref>{{Cite web |date=29 November 2009 |title=Understand a China of Diversity |url=http://gb.china-embassy.gov.cn/eng/sgxx/sghd/2009ee/200912/t20091221_3386270.htm |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=[[Embassy of China, London|Embassy of China]], London}}</ref> The [[Ministry of Education (China)|Ministry of Education]] has also identified 3,916 middle schools and primary schools as specialist schools for youth football.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=10 August 2018 |title=3,916 Chinese schools identified as specialist schools in youth football |url=https://global.chinadaily.com.cn/a/201808/10/WS5b6d4a21a310add14f38526d.html |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=China Daily}}</ref>
=== Japan ===
In Japan, the first specialist schools were the {{Jp|2=専門学校|3=[[Senmon Gakkō]]}}. These were officially defined during the [[Meiji era]] in the [[Decree|ordinance]] of 1879 as a [[tertiary institution]] which taught one curricular subject. However, in practice, the term defined [[Private university|private]] institutions which taught multiple subjects. Before they were allowed [[university status]] in 1918, being a ''Senmon Gakkō'' was the highest status that these institutions could achieve. An example of one of these specialist schools was [[Waseda University]], which opened in 1882 as {{Jp|2=東京専門学校|3=Tōkyō Senmon Gakkō}} but was given its current name after claiming university status in 1902<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mehl |first=Margaret |title=Private Academies of Chinese Learning in Meiji Japan: The Decline and Transformation of the Kangaku Juku |publisher=NIAS Press |year=2005 |isbn=9788791114946 |pages=19–20}}</ref> (the school did not receive official recognition as a university until 1920 and instead remained a private college).<ref>{{Cite web |date=10 February 2022 |title=Honoring 100 years since the death of Shigenobu Okuma, founder of the University / Part 2 |url=https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/topic/75279 |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=[[Waseda University]] |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=10 March 2022 |title=Honoring 100 years since the death of Shigenobu Okuma, founder of the University / Part 3 |url=https://www.waseda.jp/top/en/news/topic/75333 |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=[[Waseda University]] |language=en}}</ref>
In March 1903, the government increased its oversight over the ''Senmon Gakkō'' through Imperial Ordinance 61, officially called the ''Senmon Gakkō Rei''. This ordinance required the schools to seek approval from the [[Ministry of Education (Japan)|Ministry of Education]] for their name, location, teaching staff, admission quotas, academic year, fees, curriculum and regulations, and those that failed to receive approval were closed down. The schools also needed permission to hold examinations from the [[Ministry of Justice (Japan)|Ministry of Justice]]. The ordinance also expanded the term specialist school to include Japan's prestigious [[Imperial Universities]] and also military academies, although both of these were put in a "special category" separate from the ''Senmon Gakkō'' and given different regulations to them.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Spaulding |first=Robert M. Jr. |title=Imperial Japan's Higher Civil Service Examinations |date=8 December 2015 |publisher=[[Princeton University Press]] |isbn=9781400876235 |publication-date=8 December 2015 |pages=133–134}}</ref> Under the ordinance, many private institutions became vocational ''Senmon Gakkō''.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Breaden |first=Jeremy |title=The Organisational Dynamics of University Reform in Japan: International Inside Out |date=7 December 2012 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-136-18944-9 |page=17 |language=en}}</ref>
In modern Japan, the ''Senmon Gakkō'' are tertiary specialist schools for vocational education with two years of study. The majority of them are private.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Randall |title=The Japanese Economy: Strategies to Cope with a Shrinking and Ageing Population |date=23 May 2022 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=978-1-000-56608-6 |page=161 |language=en}}</ref> There are also other private specialist schools in Japan called ''Senshūgakkō''. These offer curricular subjects such as [[computer programming]], [[Language education|languages]] and [[bookkeeping]].<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Okano |first1=Kaori |title=Education in Contemporary Japan: Inequality and Diversity |last2=Oprandy |first2=Robert |last3=Tsuchiya |first3=Motonori |date=8 April 1999 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-0-521-62686-6 |page=65 |language=en}}</ref> There was previously a system of specialist schools for teacher training which consisted of [[normal school]]s, higher normal schools and [[College of Arts and Sciences|colleges of arts and sciences]]. In 2002, former prime minister [[Yasuhiro Nakasone]] recommended establishing new specialist schools "to train prospective education professionals", with these schools being "separate from ordinary universities".<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nakasone |first=Yasuhiro |title=Japan—a State Strategy for the Twenty-first Century |date=2002 |publisher=[[Psychology Press]] |isbn=978-0-7007-1633-3 |page=142 |language=en |author-link=Yasuhiro Nakasone}}</ref>
=== New Zealand ===
In New Zealand, a specialist school is a special school for students with high needs.<ref name=":NZ specialist schools parents">{{Cite web |date=4 February 2022 |title=Specialist schools: Specialist schools support high needs students, either in day schools or residential schools across New Zealand. |url=https://parents.education.govt.nz/learning-support/secondary-school-learning-support/special-schools/ |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=[[Ministry of Education (New Zealand)|Ministry of Education]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=29 June 2022 |title=Learning support |url=https://www.taikura.org.nz/education/ |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=Taikura Trust |language=en}}</ref> Students with high needs are defined as those with "significant physical, sensory, neurological, psychiatric, behavioural or intellectual impairment". In 2010, students with high needs accounted for three per cent of the student population in New Zealand.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://ero.govt.nz/sites/default/files/2021-05/Including-Students-with-High-Needs-2010-pdf-with-cover2.pdf |title=Including Students with High Needs |year=2010 |publisher=[[Education Review Office (New Zealand)|Education Review Office]] |isbn=9780478340624 |publication-date=June 2010 |page=3}}</ref> The specialist schools can be [[Day school|day]] specialist schools or [[Boarding school|residential]] specialist schools. Day specialist schools teach years 1–13, with students allowed to attend until they reach the age of 21. There are currently 28 such schools across the country, although they may hold [[Satellite campus|satellite classes]] in mainstream schools to provide their specialist services in a normal educational environment. Residential specialist schools are for high needs students with a "slow rate of learning". Places are offered only when a student has a Specialist Education Agreement or when their needs cannot be met by the schools in their local area.<ref name=":NZ specialist schools parents" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=12 May 2022 |title=Specialist schools: Learn about access to specialist schools, including day specialist schools, residential specialist schools and regional health schools. |url=https://www.education.govt.nz/school/student-support/special-education/specialist-schools-for-students-with-high-needs/ |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=[[Ministry of Education (New Zealand)|Ministry of Education]] |language=en-NZ}}</ref>
=== South Africa ===
In South Africa, a specialist school is an [[Education in South Africa|ordinary school]] with a focus on teaching an offered particular specialised field of curriculum.<ref>{{Cite web |date=9 May 2012 |title=Admission of Learners to Public Schools, 2012 |url=https://www.naptosagp.org.za/index.php/docman/general-documents/953-regulations-on-admission-of-learners-to-public-schools-2012/file |access-date=2022-07-09 |at=1: Definitions}}</ref> There are established agricultural schools, commercial schools, trade schools, technical schools, secondary [[art schools]] and, since 2018, [[Sports academy|sports academies]]. [[Minister of Basic Education]] [[Angie Motshekga]] has led an initiative to introduce specialist schools since 2015, when schools of specialisation were opened in [[Gauteng]]. These schools have an [[English-medium education]] and are located near [[township]]s.<ref>{{Cite web |last=du Toit |first=Tania |date=17 October 2018 |title=Other specialist and/or career-focused schools in South Africa, apart from arts and aviation schools |url=https://gildes.solidariteit.co.za/en/other-specialist-and-or-career-focused-schools-in-south-africa-apart-from-arts-and-aviation-schools/ |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=Solidariteit Gildes |language=en-US}}</ref> Specialist schools for mathematics and science have also opened to improve South Africa's educational standard in these subjects.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Case Studies and Examples: Specialist Schools |url=https://trialogueknowledgehub.co.za/index.php/casestudies-stem/specialist-school/135-specialist-schools |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=Trialogue Knowledge Hub}}</ref>
=== Singapore ===
Since 1987, the [[Government of Singapore]]'s education policy has been based on diversifying curricular provision between its schools. There are four government designated specialist schools offering a specialist education in chosen areas of the curriculum.<ref name=":Dimmock2011">{{Cite book |last=Dimmock |first=Clive |title=Leadership, Capacity Building and School Improvement: Concepts, themes and impact |date=7 December 2011 |publisher=[[Routledge]] |isbn=9781136729263 |publication-date=7 December 2011}}</ref>{{Rp|page=193}} These [[fee-paying school]]s, officially named [[Education in Singapore#Specialised Independent Schools (SIS)|specialised independent schools]], specialise in either applied learning, mathematics, science, sport or art. There are also four other independent specialised schools with a specialist vocational curriculum. These are known as specialised schools.<ref>{{Cite web |date= |title=School type |url=https://beta.moe.gov.sg/schools/types/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181224023755/https://beta.moe.gov.sg/schools/types/ |archive-date=2018-12-24 |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=[[Ministry of Education (Singapore)|Ministry of Education]]}}</ref> In 2011 over half of the public schools in Singapore were [[Niche school (singapore)|niche schools]]. These schools are specialist schools for [[extracurricular]] and unconventional subjects such as [[fencing]], music, the performing arts and [[Scouting|uniformed grouping]].<ref name=":Dimmock2011" />{{Rp|page=188}} Specialist curricular areas are known as niche areas, niche domains<ref>{{Cite web |date=February 2017 |title=Advancing 21st Century Competencies in Singapore |url=https://asiasociety.org/sites/default/files/2017-10/advancing-21st-century-competencies-in-singapore.pdf |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=[[Asia Society]] |page=20}}</ref> or simply a niche, and niche schools are entitled to select up to five per cent of their intake in these areas. In 2013, the [[Ministry of Education (Singapore)|Ministry of Education]] set a goal for every Singaporean school to have a niche by 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Yng |first=Ng Jing |date=17 July 2013 |title=Schools' niche programmes help students hone creativity |url=https://www.todayonline.com/singapore/schools-niche-programmes-help-students-hone-creativity |access-date=2022-07-09 |website=[[Today (Singapore newspaper)|TODAY]] |language=en}}</ref> Schools are awarded niche status after demonstrating achievement in their desired niche and are rewarded with extra funding from the Ministry. Primary niche schools are called school-based excellence schools.<ref name=":Dimmock2011" />{{Rp|page=164}}
=== United States ===
{{Main|Charter schools in the United States|Magnet school|Alternative school}}
There is a successful small tradition of specialized schools for particular curricular areas in the United States. Specialized schools for a variety of subjects such as the performing arts or science exist in some cities, with specialized vocational and technical schools being the most typical.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Allen |first=Dwight William |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ODON2vqlbk4C&pg=PA14 |title=Schools for a New Century: A Conservative Approach to Radical School Reform |date=1992 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |isbn=978-0-275-93649-5 |language=en}}</ref> Most of these schools are highly selective,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Milne |first=Jonathan |date=5 September 2007 |title=Ideas unlimited: boxing to bomb disposal |url=https://www.tes.com/magazine/archive/ideas-unlimited-boxing-bomb-disposal |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=[[TES (magazine)|Tes]]}}</ref> and are often referred to as exam schools.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.educationnext.org/exam-schools-from-the-inside/|title=Exam Schools from the Inside|author=Chester E. Finn, Jr|author2=Jessica Hockett|publisher=Education Next|date=
Spring 2024}}</ref> The term specialized school is also used to refer to [[boarding school]]s for children with [[special needs]], as boarding provision is a small part of their educational provision.<ref>{{Cite CiteSeerX |last=Mann |first=Candiya |date=January 2006 |title=Educational Placement Options For Blind And Visually Impaired Students: A Literature Review |page=9|citeseerx=10.1.1.597.7203 }}</ref>
A large number of charter schools in the United States are specialized schools. In 2015, a study evaluated the diversity between charter schools in 17 cities. The ratio between specialized charter schools and non-specialized charter schools in these cities was found to typically be around 50/50. 55 per cent of enrolled students attended non-specialized charter schools while 45 per cent attended specialized charter schools.<ref name=":0" /> There are also two other main types of specialized school in the United States, the magnet school and alternative school.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Merritt |first1=Edwin T. |title=Magnet and Specialized Schools of the Future: A Focus on Change |last2=Beaudin |first2=James A. |last3=Cassidy |first3=Charles R. |last4=Myler |first4=Patricia A. |publisher=Lanham, Md |year=2005 |isbn=9781578861804 |pages=3–5}}</ref> Magnet schools are public schools which specialise in a particular course or curriculum. There were 3,497 of these schools in the United States during the 2019/2020 [[academic year]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Duffin |first=Erin |date=30 March 2022 |title=Number of magnet schools in the U.S. 2020 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/686895/number-of-magnet-schools-in-us/ |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=[[Statista]] |language=en}}</ref> Alternative schools are educational establishments with untraditional methods and curriculae, including a specialised curriculum.<ref>[http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/Alternative%2520school.html Definition of alternative school] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013042627/http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/alternative%2520school.html|date=13 October 2008}}, accessed 9 August 2007. [https://web.archive.org/web/20081013042627/http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_/alternative%2520school.html Archived] 31 October 2009.</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Definition of alternative school {{!}} Dictionary.com |url=https://www.dictionary.com/browse/alternative-school |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=www.dictionary.com |language=en}}</ref> There were 10,900 alternative schools in the United States in the 2000/2001 academic year.<ref>{{Cite web |date=January 2003 |title=Policy Research Brief: Alternative Schools and the Students They Serve: Perceptions of State Directors of Special Education |url=https://ici.umn.edu/products/prb/141/ |access-date=2022-07-11 |website=[[University of Minnesota]]}}</ref>
==See also==
*[[Specialized schools in the Soviet Union]]
* [[Junior college]]
== Notes ==
{{Notelist}}
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Schools}}
[[Category:Specialist schools| ]]
[[Category:School types]]