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My Kid Had to Unlearn Everything America Taught Her About School

The Hickson Diaries

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After 3.5 years of living in England as an American expat, I’m breaking down the UK vs USA school systems to see why the US approach feels so outdated compared to the British education structure.

Drawing from my daily experience observing the local culture and navigating life across the pond, I’m discussing the stark differences I’ve noticed between these two nations. From the daily realities of an American in England to the fascinating way the UK handles learning, this is a raw look at why the American school system seems to be lagging behind and what the British approach gets right.

If you've ever wondered about the UK vs USA cultural divide or how moving to the UK from the US impacts education, this is for you. This is an honest perspective for anyone curious about the reality of life abroad and how our institutions differ once you're actually living in them.

Watch next: Leaving America Isn't All It's Cracked Up To Be. The TRUTH Behind the Novelty of Life in th...

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Let's chat in the comments: what is the most significant difference you have noticed between schools in your home country and abroad? Is there something the US or UK system could learn from the other?

⭐ CHAPTERS/TIMESTAMPS:
0:00 A Tale of Two Schooling Philosophies
1:52 Choosing Paths Versus Climbing Ladders
3:19 The Industrial Roots of Modern Work
6:12 Optimizing for Output or Capability

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20 Comments

@TheHicksonDiaries Creator 3 weeks ago Pinned

The culture shocks of leaving America & living in England are enormous; but nothing tops the educations systems. Today I'm talking about how British schools educate kids while schools in the USA just manufacture drones. LMK your thoughts, subscribe & hype of you can!

@Lazmanarus 3 weeks ago (edited)

It's not broken, it's working exactly as intended - keeping the population uneducated, unable to think for themselves & indebted for life.

@MrHorney1969 3 weeks ago (edited)

As Oscar Wilde said, 🇺🇸 is the only country that went from barbarism to decadence without civilisation in between

@modestadventurers 3 weeks ago

The only reason we know that America has an education system at all is because of all the school shootings.

@stevemarks9360 3 weeks ago

I didn't know America had an education system, it doesn't appear to be effective if it does exist.

@RichHill-x5n 3 weeks ago

One system is education the other is training.Rockefeller said 'Give me workers, not thinkers.'

@acetuned5242 3 weeks ago

The American system is designed to create hard workers that don't ask too many questions... Britain and Europe is designed to create individual people

@stephenedwardpaynter 3 weeks ago

I left school at sixteen in 1980 for a technician apprenticeship in electrical engineering with British Aerospace. This year, at 62, i took early retirement from the same company, having worked for it for forty five years. In that time the company paid for me to get a BSc in electrical and electronic engineering in 1986, and a PhD in mathematics for software engineering in 1993. I was lucky, and my job even survived the end of the Cold War.

@jamesaston410 3 weeks ago (edited)

The late, great George Carlin once said that the US education system is broken by design because the owners of America (the corporate guys) don’t want a population capable of critical thinking. They do not want well educated people who realise how badly they are getting ripped off by said owners.

He was right!

@rde4017 3 weeks ago

The more I hear about America the less I like it.

@billswifejo 3 weeks ago

My brother left school at the age of 16, back in 1961 and went to work for British European Airways as a computer programmer. Most people didn’t know what a computer was then, and one computer filled an entire aircraft hanger. Hard to believe now. He knew that there weren’t any A level or college skills that would help him at that time.
When he died, he was a director and co-founder of a computer company that carried out huge national and international contracts. I miss him but he certainly fulfilled his dream.

@ChinaPlate-9v 3 weeks ago (edited)

My grandson age 17 is a year into his motor mechanic apprentice.
From a boy to a young man with confidence and money in his pocket

@tmarsden1878 3 weeks ago

The "American Dream": Wealth! United Kingdom: Happiness!!

@SteGreen-v1f 3 weeks ago (edited)

I exited school earlier than most.
I already had the nod from the Army stating I was accepted.
Only one teacher truly had my back.
He managed to get me 6 months' work as an apprentice bricklayer.
I completed my Army training, and it turned out my Army career officer placed a note in the files. They rushed me onto a bricklaying course so I would always have something to fall back on.
School isn't for everyone, but good people are,,,
Two men helped shape my life and stopped me from going down the wrong path.

The rest is history,

@RdamplificationUk1 3 weeks ago (edited)

Leaving school at 16, I did a 4 year Apprenticeship in Electronic Engineering. Whilst being employed, earning a decent wage, learning the skill set, operating in a real work environment, I also commenced my higher education, BTEC, HNC, HND, which extended beyond the Apprenticeship time, also paid for by the company. This is an absolutely normal career path for most of our Technical workforce, and its not a 'lesser' or easier option. You only need to do a degree at University if that partcular BA/BSc qualification is required for your chosen career path. Apprenticeships in UK are a highly respected and sought after route to careers, particularly in Engineering, Commerce, IT and the Sciences.

@oscargrainger2962 3 weeks ago

I have just retired as a BTEC tutor in the U.K, I promise you we have some of the brightest and most intelligent kids in the world.

@alangravy27 3 weeks ago

The more i learn about the USA, the less it sounds like "the land of the free"

@sphericalcow-p9m 3 weeks ago

After getting poor "A" levels and flunking out of a biochemistry degree I bummed around an organic synthesis lab, then a pseudo pharma company (Homeopathic rubbish) before falling into the job I held for 33 years, technician (Then senior technician) at a girls' school. During that time I completed a chemistry degree by evening classes, learned how to record and mix multitrack sound for concerts and music exams, improved my photography and darkroom skills, learned to shoot and edit video, both long-form (Concerts and school plays) and "run-n-gun" school trips , and learned how to light said school plays (Which I extended to lighting for an am-dram group), and later I turned my video skills into how to script and shoot short films (Again in an amateur film club). I guess most of what I hav elearned happend after I finished formal education.

@markhindmarsh2811 3 weeks ago

In my school over 40yrs ago we had a class called nautical studies, this was to help the sons of fishermen. Navigation, safety on board boads ect. Staying in 6th form was seen as achievement and a working class kid going on to university was exceptional. Now A levels and university are seen as run of the mill. For the UK apprenticeships truly seem the way forward, having a real vocational skill sets you apart.