Education in Great Britain

T welve million children attend about 40 000 schools in Britain. Education in Great Britain is compulsory and free for all children between the ages of 5 and 16. There are many children who attend a nursery school from the age of 3, but it is not compulsory. In nursery schools they learn some elementary things such as numbers, colours, and letters. Apart from that, babies play, have lunch and sleep there. Whatever they do, there is always someone keeping an eye on them.

Compulsory education begins at the age of 5 when children go to primary school. Primary education lasts for 6 years. It is divided into two periods:

• infant schools (pupils from 5 to 7 years old) and

• junior schools (pupils from 7 to 11 years old).

In infant schools children don't have real classes. They mostly play and learn through playing. But when pupils are 7, real studying begins. They don't already play so much as they did it in infant school. Now they have real classes, when they sit at desks, read, write and answer the teacher's questions.

Compulsory secondary education begins when children are 11 or 12 and lasts for 5 years. Secondary school is traditionally divided into 5 forms. Children study English, Mathematics, Science, History, Art, Geography, Music, a Foreign Language and have lessons of Physical training. Religious education is also provided. English, Mathematics and Science are called "core" subjects. At the age of 7, 11 and 14 pupils take examinations in the core subjects.

There are 3 types of state secondary schools in Great Britain. They are:

• c omprehensive schools*, which take pupils of all abilities without exams. In such schools pupils are often put into certain sets or groups, which are formed according to their abilities for technical or humanitarian subjects. Almost all senior pupils (around 90 per cent) go there;

• grammar schools**, which give secondary education of a very high standard. Entrance is based on the test of ability, usually at 11. Grammar schools are single sexed schools;

• modern schools***, which don't prepare pupils for universities. Education in such schools gives good prospects for practical jobs.

After five years of secondary education, at the age of 16, pupils take the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) examination. When they are in the third or in the fourth form, they begin to choose their exam subjects and prepare for them.

After finishing the fifth form pupils can make their choice: they may either leave school and go to a Further Education College or continue their education in the sixth form. Those who stay at school after GCSE, study for 2 more years for "A" (Advanced) Level Exams in two or three subjects which is necessary to get a place at one of British universities.

There are about 500 private schools in Great Britain. Most of these schools are boarding ones, where children live and study. Education in such schools is very expensive, that's why only 5 % of schoolchildren attend them. Private schools are also called preparatory (for children up to 13 years old) and public schools (for pupils from 13 to 18 years old). Any pupil can enter the best university of the country after leaving this school. The most famous British public schools are Eton, Harrow and Winchester.

There is a considerable enthusiasm for post-school education in Britain. The aim of the government is to increase the number of students who enter into higher education. The driving force for this has been mainly economy. It is assumed that the more people who study at degree level, the more likely the country are to succeed economically. A large proportion of young people – about a third in England and Wales and almost half in Scotland – continue education at a more A-level beyond the age of 18. Nearly every university offers access and foundation courses before enrolment on a course of higher education of prospective students who do not have the standard entry qualifications.

Higher education in Britain is traditionally associated with universities, though education of University standard is also given in other institutions such as colleges and institutes of higher education, which have the power to award their own degrees.

So after leaving secondary school young people can apply to a university, a polytechnic or a college of further education.

There are 126 universities in Britain. They are divided into some types:

• The Old ones, which were founded before the 19th century, such as Oxford and Cambridge;

• The Red Brick, which were founded in the 19th or 20th century;

• The Plate Glass, which were founded in 1960s;

• The Open University is the only university offering extramural education.

The best universities, in view of "The Times" and "The Guardian", are the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge, London School of Economics, London Imperial College, and London University College.

Universities usually select students basing on their A-level results and an interview.

After three years of study a university graduates get the Degree of a Bachelor of Arts, Science or Engineering. Many students then continue their studies for a Master's Degree and then a Doctor's Degree (PhD).

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* comprehensive schools – единая школа, которая охватывает наибольшее количество учеников. Учебные заведения данного типа предлагают образовательную программу, где можно получить как теоретические, так и практические навыки.

** grammar schools – грамматические школы, в которых акцентируется внимание на академической составляющей, то есть детей готовят к поступлению и дальнейшему обучению в вузах.

*** modern schools – cовременные школы − учебные заведения, которые дают практическую подготовку для того, чтобы в ускоренном режиме получить профессиональную квалификацию.

Task 3. Find the answers to these questions in the text:

1. When do British boys and girls begin to go to school?

2. What subjects do they study at school?

3. How long does the secondary education last?

4. What subjects are called "core" subjects?

5. At what age do children have their exams?

6. What's the difference between modern and grammar schools?

7. What are the private schools?

8. Would you like to study in Britain? Why?

9. Compare British and Russian education.

10. What types of British universities do you know?

Task 4. What words and word combinations in the text do mean the following?

1. Schools where children learn some elementary things.

2. Schools where children go at the age of 5.

3. The education, which lasts for 6 years.

4. Schools where the pupils are from 7 to 11 years old.

5. Schools where children do not have real classes.

6. The education begins when children are 11 or 12 and lasts for 5 years.

7. Three types of state secondary schools in Great Britain.

8. The examination after five years of secondary education.

9. Schools where the education is very expensive.

10. Higher education in Britain is traditionally associated with … .

Task 5. Learn the words and word combinations:

1.	to acquire	приобрести, получить
2.	respectable	приличный, достойный
3.	candidate's own selection	собственный выбор кандидата
4.	exacted	обязательный
5.	to desire	желать, хотеть
6.	to obtain	получить
7.	succession	последовательность
8.	to merge	сливаться
9.	insensibly	незаметно
10.	steadily	неуклонно
11.	skill	умение, навык
12.	to justify	оправдывать
13.	to confer	подтверждать
14.	upon	относительно, касательно, о
15.	responsibility	обязанность, ответственность
16.	notable	заметный, примечательный
17.	modification	изменение, поправка
18.	clinical unit	клиническое подразделение
19.	whole	постоянно, все время
20.	officer	сотрудник, служащий
21.	to assign	присвоить
22.	suitable	подходящий
23.	ward	палата
24.	accommodation	помещение
25.	vicinity	окрестности
25.	ample supply	достаточный запас, количество
27.	out-patient	поликлинический
28.	throughout	на протяжении
29.	in every respect	во всех отношениях
30.	allocation	распределение, назначение
31.	forerunner	предшественник
32.	sufficient fullness	достаточная полнота
33.	thoroughness	тщательность
34.	to devote	посвятить
35.	to defer	откладывать
36.	to keep abreast with advances	идти в ногу с прогрессом
37.	to be employed	работать, быть трудоустроенным
38.	tight cooperation	тесное сотрудничество
39.	task	задача
40.	to correspond	соответствовать
41.	need	потребность
42.	to differ	отличаться
43.	duration	продолжительность
44.	general professional	общая профессиональная
45.	basic specialized	основная специализированная
46.	to award	присуждать
47.	to be familiar	ознакомиться
48.	to acquire	получать, приобретать
49.	appropriate	соответствующий
50.	expended	затраченный
51.	to be credited in favor	быть зачтенным в пользу

Task 6. Read the text and translate it.