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Growing up in a European country and never witnessing what it's like to go to an American school, watching American high school comedies, to me, has always been a pretty surreal experience. I'm sure that most of you fellow non-Americans reading this article could relate to me on this.

There are so many things about American schools that have always seemed utterly fascinating to me. For instance, you get letter grades instead of number ones, schools have swimming pools inside them, there's a club for almost anything, you have to get a hall pass to go to the bathroom during class, and lunch meals are usually pretty bizarre. The list goes on. With that being said, Bored Panda invites you to look through this list of tweets from non-American Twitter users in which they share things that they find the strangest about American schools. Feel free to explain to us the things we don't understand or add your own in the comment section!

#1

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GC
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I don’t ever know what A levels etc. are. One of these days I need to look it up.

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#3

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, but the cheerleaders were just normal students, not stuck up and they didn't wear their uniforms in class.

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#4

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Jamziee
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yes, because if you're in the hall without one, then you MUST be commiting murder (Sarcasm lads)

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#5

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Charlotte A.
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In Sweden it starts in august and ends in june. Nothing odd about it, to me.

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#8

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

They used to have E as a failing grade, but people thought it meant Excellent, so they changed it to an F.

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#10

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Juniper
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Wait, don't all schools have cafeterias? Where do you eat your lunch?

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#12

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Aunt Messy
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Canadian here. They don't close schools in Canada unless it's been colder than -40C for three days in a row.

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#18

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#21

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The Zooble
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

To be very honest, I'm English and I usually do page count rather than word count

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#25

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#26

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Caitlin Davenport
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3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not really. We have nearby schools we compete against in sports, but any rivalry is very light-hearted.

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#32

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Caitlin Davenport
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Candy was usually a very tiny part, if it was there at all. But it was the most exciting part!

RoseTheMad
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I love how this person linked a tweet of a clearly british origin... "Primary" school? If they were american they'd say Elementary. Also Jaffa cakes should clearly signal that this is british.

Tim Welsh
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Also the 'black currant flavored' Capri-Sun is a dead giveaway. Black currants were banned here in the US for most of the 20th century. There was some plant disease that damaged the logging industry. It think a few states can grow them now, but most Americans have no idea what they are.

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ズムᄃノ
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because we need enough sugar to deal with the bullshit we are learning.

BG
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Jaffa Cakes and Black Currant Capri-Sun are not American. Schools cafeterias are strictly not allowed to give candy as part of a meal. They can only give fruit or juice as a dessert.

RuralAnemone
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because it's the only thing we've taught our children to eat and like

Gwenda Christenson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

usually they aren't -- the food isn't great - but you don't usually get candy

Ivory Tower
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We call it elementary school or high school, not primary. The original post probably wasn't from the U.S.

Maple Syrup
Community Member
10 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

None of that is a school thing. That’s a parent choice in packing lunch for them to take to school from home. Look up standard prison meals from America. The public school system in 32 states use the same food distribution as the government prisons

Renea Ellenaj
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

????? The lunch they serve at school is not candy filled. If you bring your own lunch then you can have whatever you want in it.

Marguerite White
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

they aren't. You won't get candy in a school lunch. If mom packs a lunch most aren't going to give candy, they might put a pack of cookies or a pudding for recess or snack time but no....no candy

Cybele Spanjaard
Community Member
2 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

American food companies are well known to sweeten foods almost double of Australia and have a sweet acceptance and are more likely to add more because of it. Similar to fats. Other countries need to be followed with their children's healthy lunches too

Lou Herout
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

From the US: I've never received candy. If parents send a cold lunch then cookies or something sweet isn't uncommon

Susan Egan
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not when I was in school. Nor did my kids get candy or sweets. The only time they had that is if we packed the lunches.

Camila PerezDuran
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

the kids might say that the parents gave it to them, but most of them probably just stole it

Erica Cochrane
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

also everything shown there were snacks that were available when i was in primary school (scotland, mid 90s).

Elizabeth Robert
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

We never had candy....we had the sweets that the cook made....chocolate chip cookie bars, etc.

Miranda Prince
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think that photo is British. We don't have Jaffa Cakes or blackcurrant-flavored Capri Sun in America. Also, that pink plastic thing is a Pringles container, so that's not candy. :-)

Faith Hurst
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Depends on who packs them. School provided or purchased lunches usually have a nutritional requirement. Funny that this comes with a picture of Jaffa Cakes.

Carol Lewis
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

In my school district candy is never served and kids are not supposed to bring it.

Alien
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What?!?!? My school never gave candy! All we had was ice cream every Friday and that went away after kindergarten!

Gabriella Peach
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What, The closest thing my school had was these frozen yogurt cups.

Don't Look
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Candy is inexpensive and attractive. Therefore Americans are willing to put the money towards it and think they deserve it.

Citizen Josie
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Sugar is a quick cheap source of energy. Is also a horrible source of energy. They assume this is not the only plate of food you will eat in the day And you will balance your nutrition with the other ones. Eating healthier.

NWB
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No sweets allowed at most Australian schools! You will get a note home about it!

CatWoman312
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Do they just get their ideas from google or some random tv show? This was no ones lunch

JessG
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

American schools don’t have those orange cookie things, and America doesn’t have that Caprisun flavor. But no, schools don’t feed kids candy, WTF?

Lsai Aeon
Community Member
3 years ago

This comment has been deleted.

Jean H.
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Because children drive the buying of fun filled foods. Keep the kid happy and they won't whine.

Whitney Anderson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

we never got treats. we sometimes got just a small cookie before chritmas and thats it

Ace Cole
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'm not even sure if the "food" most schools serve is even edible. It is nasty.

Jessica Cifelli
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Are we just going to ignore the black currant Capri Sun? Never even knew that was a flavor...

Samantha Lomb
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Black currents are illegal in the US due to an antiquated fear of plant disease

Bunzilla
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

what you put in your lunch is up to you. I don't think most of my friends actually have super unhealthy lunches though, and I didn't. I got like a sandwich, a snack, fruit, and a granola bar.

Robin Childers
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

You're going on OLD information. They've cracked down on what's in school lunches in the last few years, opting for more 'healthy' options. Water, veggies, and don't get me started on 'food alergies'.

John Topper
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Our food here is basically carbohydrates with a few other things mixed in. We have massive farming subsidies for corn and grain, so all of our food is loaded with them. There are a number of reasons we are so unhealthy, with diet being one of the key contributors.

Demetri
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

No candy as part of the meal. If anything, dessert was extra and you got a small piece of cake--in primary school. By middle and high school, kids, especially females, brought their own gum, candy. In the 60's, Chiclets gum and Adams gum and pops were everywhere.

ArtistinResidence
Community Member
3 years ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When students fix their own lunch they tend to fix them with a lot of snacks as most kids will. I have noticed parents put a lot of junk in there and then wonder why their kids are overweight or don’t have the energy to make it through a day. When you grow up eating sweets you crave them all the time and our students are no different.

LJ Robinson
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Normally, the lunch provided thru the school doesn't have any candy. If you bring your own lunch, you can have candy. The ones pictured above like the Pringle caddy, are from home.

Lucas
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Yep - and that's down to the indivual and their parents. Though in the UK I have heard of school packed lunches being judged unsuitable by staff and notes going back to parents.

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Erin Kavik
Community Member
3 years ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why did they make a comment about American school food in reply to a British tweet?

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