59876623-Spotlight-on-Britain

Top of the Pops

Top of the Pops is a programme that has been shown every week on BBC TV for many years. Each week computers in a number of record-shops throughout the United Kingdom show how many copies of a record have been sold that week. The new chart. issued each Sundav afternoon. shows which singles hav; sold the mbst copies during the previous week. With this information, the show's producers decide which songs will be played. Usually it will be those moving uo the charts, or the new releases which kebisc-jockeye (usually

called DJs) think will be 'hits'. Of course, each week the show finisheswith the number one single. Bands either appear live in the studio, or in a video recording made especially to sell the record. These videos have become so important in the last few years that they can help to make a record a hit.

TALKING POINT

What is your attitude to violence on television? Does it influence ~ e o ~andle how should it be controlled?

When the American rock-and-roll singer Chuck Beny first sang 'Roll over Beethoven and tell Tchaikowsky the newsl' in the I950s, he was telling the world that the new music, Rock-'n'-Roll, was here to stay. Over the last thirty years it has had an enormous effect on people's lives, and especially on the kind of clothes they wear.

The first group to be seen in the newspapers in the late 50s were the Ted& Boys.Their clothes were supposed to be similar to those worn in Edwardian England (Ted and Teddy are abbreviations of Edward): long jackets with velvet collars,

drainpipe trousers (so tight they looked like drainpipes!) and brightly-coloured socks. Their shoes had very thick rubber soles and their hair was swept upwards and backwards. Before the arrival of the Teddy Boys young people had usually worn what their parents wore. Now they wore what they liked.

In the mid-60s the Mods, (so called because of their 'modem' style of dressing) became the new leaders of teenage fashion. Short hair and smart suits were popular again. But perhaps the Mods' most important possessions were their scooters, usually decorated with large numbers of lights and mirrors. They wore long green anoraks, called parkas, to protect their clothes.

The Mods' greatest enemies were the Rockers who despised the Mods' scooters and smart clothes. Like the Teds, Rockers listened mainly to rock-and-roll and had no time for Mod hands such as The Who or the Small Faces. They rode ~owerful motor-bikes, had long untidy hair, and wore thick leather jackets. Whereas the Mods used purple-hearts (a stimulant or amphetamine, so called because of its colour and shape) 'to get their kicks', the rockers mainly drank alcohol.

Throughout the 60%on public holidays during the summer, groups of Mods and Rockers used to travel to the sea-side resorts of south-eastern England, such as Brighton and Margate, and get involved in battles with the police and with each other.

Nevertheless at that time 'swinging London' was everybody's idea of heaven! Young people were very clothes-conscious and London's Carnaby Street became the fashion centre of Europe and the world. It attracted thousands of tourists every year.

Towards the end of the 60s a new group appeared, whose ideas started in California, in the USA. The H&ies preached a philosophy of peace and love, wore necklaces of coloured beads, and gave flowers to surprised strangers on the street. The name comes from the fact that drugtakers in Asia and the Far East used to lie on one hip while smoking opium. Hippies didn't use opium but they smoked marijuana, and took powerful drugs such as LSD. Music, especially under the influence of the Beatles, began to include strange sounds and images in an attempt to recreate the 'psychedelic' or dream-like experience of drugs.

Hippies wore simple clothes, blue jeans and open sandals, and grew their hair very long. They often lived together in large communities, sharing their possessions. This was their protest against the materialism of the 60s and also against the increasing military involvement of the United States in Viemam.

TALKING POINTS

o Many people use drugs or stimulants in their everyday lives, although they are not usually thought to be as strong or dangerous as the ones mentioned in the text. Make a note of any you can think of. What is your attitude to drugs and stimulants? Should w e learn to live without them? Should alcohol and cigarettes be banned, since we know they cause s o much damage?

However, the dreams of peace and love disappeared in the early 70s as the mood of

societychanged. People's attention turned to life's more basic problems as the world price of oil increased, causing a fall in living standards and rising inflation.

Skinheads were racist, violent, and proud of the fact. The 'uniform' worn by most of them consisted of trousers that were too short, enormous boots, and braces. As their name suggests, they wore their hair extremely short or even shaved it all off. As unemployment grew throughout the 70s, groups of skinheads began to take their revenge on immigrants, who were attacked on the streets and in their homes.

Unfortunately the mass unemployment of the 80s has caused an increase in the number of skinheads. Many are members of the National Front, a political party that wants Britain to be for white people only.

A skinhead.

Towards the end of the 70s another style of music and dress appeared and is srill very popular, The word Punk derives from American English and is often used to describe someone who is immoral or worthless. The best-known punk band of the 70s and early 80s were the 'Sex Pistols', who are still famous for their strange names, including Johnny Rotten and Sid Vicious. They sang songs about anarchy and destruction and uoset manv neoole bv usine- bad lanmage on ;levision'a;ld dv i n h t i n p the ~u'en.-~unks' clothes show H rejection of conventional styles of dress.

Their music is loud, fast and tuneless. They feel that the music of the 70s had become too complicated. It had lost touch with the feelings of 'ordinary kids'.

In the 1980s many new bands have

reappeared. Out of punk has comeNew Wavemusic which totally rejects the ideas of the skinheads. Many of the bands contain both black and white musicians, and anti-racism concerts have been organized (known as Rock against Racism). West Indian music has also played a large part in forming people's musical tastes. Many new British bands combine

traditional rock music with an infectious reggae beat. From America, a new interest in discotheques and dancing has appeared.

L i e the Rockers, Bikers still enjoy 'heavy metal music' which is easily recognized by its high volume and use of electric guitars. 'Dancing' is simply shaking your head violently to the rhythm of the music and so has become known as 'head banging'.

Many of the new bands of the 80s have been able to use the changes in technology to develop their music. Computerized drum machines, synthesizers and other electronic instruments are now just as popular as the electric guitar.

Black music has bucome increasingly im~ortantwith inrernational srars like x i h a e l Jackson combining the best of modem music with spectacular live performances. 'Hip Hop' music has

combined fast speaking in rhyme (called 'rapping') with the excitement of the rock beat. Finally, Live Aid and charity records have shown that many modem pop stars are interested in using their talents to help raise money for the po.or.

READ AND NOTE

The text discusses seven major groups and the music they like: Teddy Boys, Rockers, Mods. Hippies, Punks, Skinheads and Bikers. Write down what you know about each of these groups.

Sport plays such a large part in British life that many idioms in the English language have come from the world of sport, for example 'to play the game' means 'to be fair', and 'that's not cricket' means 'that's not fair'.

The most popular sport in Britain as a whole is football. A lot of people support their local clubs at matches on Saturday afternoons, or watch the matches live on television.

The football league in England and Wales has four divisions. (Scotland has its own separate system, and there are not many professional sides in Northern Ireland.) Each division contains twentyteams,

and at the end of each season the top three clubs from the lower divisions are promoted to a higher one. Those who are at the bottom are relegated. .There are two main prizes each season. The football league championship is won by the team

that is top of the first division, whereas the FA cup (FA stands for Football Association) is a knockout competition between all the teams of the league. The final of this competition takes place every May at the famous Wembley stadium in London. Some of the best-known clubs in England are Manchester United, Liverpool and the Arsenal. In Scotland either Rangers, Celtic or Aberdeen usually win the cup or the championship.

Many clubs have problems with money at the moment; increasing costs and falling attendances. Some people say that the league is too big and that the players get paid too much. Others say that television is making the crowds stay at home. Many

clubs, however, are now earning extra income by using the players' shirts for advertising as a way of staying alive in the 1990s.

Sport at school

Sport has for a long time been a very important part of a child's education in Britain, not just-as youmay thinkto develop physical abilities, but also to provide a certain kind of moral education! Team games in particular encourage such social qualities as enthusiasm, cooperation, loyalty, unselfishness. Above all, absolute fairness (no cheating!) and being able to lose without anger (being a 'good loser') are considered important.

READ AND PUZZLE

Can you match the pictures of six popular team games in British schools with the six written descriptions?

aA game like the American game of baseball. Played with a long bat held in

one hand. The Derson battino hits the ball and then tries reach first, second, third or last post before the other team gets the ball back again.

bThe scoring of this game is a mystery even to many British people. Each team takes it in turns to bat. The bat is held with both hands, the bottom of the bat resting on the ground. The otherteam bowls and gets the ball back. Players usually wearwhite clothes.

cPlayed with a large leather ball. Each team tries to score goals by throwing the ball through the other team's net.

dPerhaps the most popular game in the world, played in many streets as well as on the field.

eThe goalposts in this game are in the shape of the letter 'H'. The ball looks as though someone has sat on it. There is a lot of pushing1

fEach player has a stick with which to hit the ball. This game is played on a pitch similarto a football pitch. The ball is small and hard.

(You will find the answers on page 139.)

Education in Britain is provided by the Local Education Authority (LEA) in each county. It is financed partly by the Government and partly by local taxes. Until recently, planning and organization were not controlled by central government. Eacli LEA was free to decide how to organize education in its own area. In September 1988, however, the 'National Cnnicnlum' was introduced, which means that there is now greater governmental control over what is taught in schools.

Nursery education(under5 years)

Children do not have to go to school until they reach the age of five, but there is some free nursery-school education before that age.

However, LEAs do not have nurseryschool places for all who would like them and these places are usually given to families in special circumstances, for example families with one parent only. Because of the small number of nursery schools, parents in many areas have formed play groups where children under 5 years can go for a morning or afiernoon a couple of times a week.

E'rimary education (5 to 11years)

Primary education takes place in infant schools (pupils aged from 5 to 7 years) and iunior schools (from 8 to 11vears). (Some LEAS have a dkerent system in w6ch middle schoolsreplace junior schoolsand take pupils aged from 9 to 12years.)

Private education (5 to 18years)

Some parents choose to pay for private education in spite of the existence of free state education. Private schools are called by different names to state schools: the preparatory (often called 'prep') schools are for pupils aged up to 13, and the public schools are for 13to 18 year-olds. These schools are very expensive and they are anended by about 5 per cent of the school population.

Secondary education (11 to 16/18years)

Since the 1944Education Act of Parliament, free secondary education has been available to allchildren in Britain. Indeed, children must go to school until the age of 16, and pupils may stay on for one or two years more ifthey wish.

Secondary schools are usually much larger than primary schools and most childrenover 80 per centgo to a comprehensive school at the age of 11. These schools are not selectiveyou don't have to pass an exam to go there.

In 1965 the Labour Government introduced the policy of comprehensive education. Before that time, allchildren took an exam at the age of 11called the '11+'. Approximately the top 20 per cent were chosen to go to the academic grammar schools. Those who failed the I l l + ' (80 per cent) went to secondary modem schools.

A lot of people thought that this system of selection at the age of 11was unfair on many children. So comprehensive schools wereintroduced to offer suitable courses for pupils of all ahiliues. Some LEASstarted to change over to comprehensive education immediately, hut some were harder to convince and slower to act. There are a few LEASwho still keep the old system of grammar schools, hut most LEAShave now changed over completelyto non-selective education in comprehensive schools.

Eton College isprobablythe mostfamous public (i.e. private) school in the world. This boy is wearing the school unifon?~.

Comprehensive schools

Comprehensive schools want to develop the talents of each individual child. So they offer a wide choice of subjects, from art and craft, woodwork and domestic science to the sciences, modem languages, computer studies, etc. AU these subjects are enjoyed by both girls and boys.

Pupils at comprehensive schools are quite often put into 'sets' for the more academic subjects such as mathematics or languages. Sets are formed according to ability in each subject, so that for example the children in the highest set for maths will not necessarilv

be in the highest set for French. All pupils move to the next class automatically at the end of the year.

School uniform

The pupils at Lynn Faulkner's school, like the pupils at most secondary schoolsin Britain, have to wear a school uniform. This usually means a white blouse for girls (perhaps with a tie), with a dark-coloured skirt and pullover. The colours may be grey, brown, navy blue, dark green or similar. Boys wear a shirt and tie, dark trousers and dark-coloured pullovers. Pupils of both sexes wear blazers -a kind of jacket -with the school badge on the pocket. They often have to wear some kind of hat on the way to and from schoolcaps for the boys, and berets or some other kind of hat for the girls. Shoes are usually black or brown and should be sensibleno high heels!

Young people in Britain often don't like their school uniform, especially the hats and shoes. Sometimesthey do not wear the right clothes. Schools will often give them a warning the first time that this happens hut will then punish them if they continue not to wear the correct uniform.

TALKING POINTS

w Do you think secondary education should be selective or comprehensive? What are the advantages and disadvantages of both systems?

w What do you think are the advantages of school uniform?And the disadvantages?

Computers

Computers have also started to play an impirrant part in educauon. Alosr schools -in- ~the United- - Kinadom- no1v have their own computer. As well as using them for school exercises, many young people are now able to write their own games as well. Although a large number of teachers and parents see the advantages of computers, others are not so keen. They say that some young people use computers only for games and don't really learn anything. This will interfere with reading development or traditional hobbies, such as drama or sport. In fact some people say that as computers become better at understanding and speaking we will prefer them to our friends!

TALKING POINTS

w Do you think that some people play computer games too much and too often?

w Do you think that computers could replace teachers in schools? Why?

w What are theadvantages and disadvantages of computers? How will they affect your life in the future?

Computer words

The arrival of computers has brought many new words into the English language. How many of these do you know?

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mou tin3 I D I ~ra~ndtiio~I = ~ a m d m do>~-de[

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Educational reform

In the late 1980sthe Conservative Government made impor~antchanges to the British educational system. One of the most fundamental changes was the introducuon of a new 'National Curriculum'. The aim was to provide a more balanced education.

In secondary schools, for example, 80% of the timetable must be spent on the 'core curriculum'. This must include English, Mathematics, Scienceand a Modem

Language for all pupils up to the age of 16. (Before 1989pupils of 13or 14used to choose the subjects they wanted to continue studying.) At the same time, the new curriculum places greater emphasis on the more practical aspects of education. Skills are being taught which students will need for life and work, and 'work experience' -when pupils who are soon going to leave school spend some time in a business or industry -has become a standard part of the school programme.

Together with the 'National Curriculum', a programme of 'Records of Achievement' wasintroduced. This programmeis known as 'REACH', andit attempts to set learning objectivesfor each t e r n and year in primary school, and for each component of each subject at secondary school.

This has introduced much more central control and standardization into what is taught. Many people thinkthis will raise educational standards, but some teachers argue that they have lost the ability to respond to the needs and interests of their pupils, which may be different from pupils in other areas.

As part of the 'REACH' programme, new tests have been introduced for pupils at the ages of 7,11,13 and 16. The aimof these tests is to discover any schools or areas

which are not teaching to high enough standards. But many parents and teachers are unhappy. They feel that it is a return to the days of the '11+' and that the tests are unfair because they reflect differencesin home background rather than in ability. Some teachers also fear that because of preparation for the tests, lessons will be more 'narrow', with a lot of time being spent on Mathematics and English, for example, while other interesting subjects which are not tested may be left out.

Educational reform is bringing other changes too. City Technology Colleges (CTCs) are new super-schools for scientifically gifted children, who -the Government hopeswill be the scientists and technological experts of the future. These schools are partly funded by industry.

In addition to the CTCs, since 1988 the Government has given ordinary schools the right to 'opt out o f (choose to leave) the LEA if a majority of parents want it.

Previously all state schools were under the control of the LEA, which provided the schools in its area with money for books etc., paid the teachers, and controlled educational policy. Now schoolswhich opt out will receive money direct from the Government and will be free to spend it as they like. They can even pay teachers more or less than in LEA schools if they want to, and they can accept any children -the pupils do not have to come from the neighbourhood. Many people fear that this will mean a return to selection, i.e. these schools will choose the brightest children. The Government says that the new schools will mean more choice for parents.

Exams

At the age of 14or 15, in the third or fourth form of secondary school, pupils

PUZZLE

Find the eleven words in the puzzle. They all appear in the 'Educational Reform section above, and the first letters are given.

Clues

1 The central part, also the middle of an apple

2 &3 Changes in schooling, a good title?

4 Written information about past facts

6Goal, aim

7What people speak if they're modern?

8Practical science, another modern subject?

9What education is about, not the present orthe past

3

10Something that has been successfully done

11A progamme of study

(You will find the answers on page 139.)

begin to choose their exam subjects. In 1988 a new public examinationthe General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)- was introduced for 16 year-olds. This examination assesses pupils on the work they do in the 4th and 5th year at secondary school, and is often internally assessed, although there may also be an exam at the end of the course.

Pupils who stay on into the sixth form or who go on to a Sixth Form College (17 year-olds in the Lower Sixth and 18 yearolds in the Upper Sixth) usually fall into two categories. Some pupils will be retaking GCSEs in order to get better grades. Others will study two or three subjects for an 'A' Level (Advanced Level) GCE exam (General Certificate of Education). This is a highly specialized exam and is necessary for University entrance. Since 1988 there has been a new level of exam: the 'AS' Level (Advanced Supplementary), which is worth half an 'A' Level. This means that if o u ~ i lwish to study more than two or three subjects in the sixth form they can take a combination

of 'A' and 'AS' Levels. In Scotland the

exam system is slightly different (see page90).

Leaving school at sixteen

Many people decide to leave school at the age of 16and go to a Further Education (FE) College. Here most of the courses are linked to some kind of practical vocational trainine-. for examole in eneineerine- -.. typing, cooking or hairdressing. Some young people arc givcn 'day release' (thcir cmploycr dlows them timc off work) so that they can follow a course to help them in their job.

For those 16 year-olds who leave school and who cannot h d work but do not want to go to FE College, the Government has introduced the Youth Opportunities Scheme (YOPS). This scheme places young, unemployed people with a business or an indusuy for six months so that they can get experience of work, and pays thcm a small wacc. Thcv aenerallv have n better chance of pettiup a ioh aftekards, and sometimes-the combany they are placed with offers them a permanent job.

Life at

British universities

There are 46 universities in Britain. Good 'A' Level results in at least two subjects are necessary to get a place at one. However, good exam passes alone are not enough. Universities choose their students after interviews, and competition for places at university is fierce.

For all British citizens a place at university brings with it a grant fiom their Local Education authority. The grants cover tuition fees and some of the living expenses. The amount depends on the parents' income. If the parents do not earn much money, their children will receive a full grant which will cover all their expenses.

Free a t last!

Most 18and 19 year-olds in Britain are fairly independent people, and when the time comes to pick a college they usually choose one as far away fiom home as possible! So, many students in northern and Scottish universities come from the south of England and vice versa. It is very unusual for university students to live at home. Although parents may be a little sad to see this happen, they usually approve of the move, and see it as a necessary part of becoming an adult.

Anyway, the three university terms are only ten weeks each, and during vacation times families are reunited.

Freshers

When they first arrive at college, first year university students are called 'freshers'. A fresher's life can be exciting but terrifying for the first week.

Often fieshers will live in a Hall of Residence on or near the college campus, although they may move out into a rented room in their second or third year, or share a house \vith friends. Alanv freshers will feel very homesick for t h e b s t week or so, but Living in hall soon helps them to make new friends.

During the first week, all the clubs and societies hold a 'freshers' fair' during which

they uyto persuade the new students to join their society. The freshers are told that it is important for them to come into contact with many opinions and activities during their time at university, but the choice can be a hit overwhelming!

On the day that lectures start, groups of freshers are often seen walking around huge campuses, maps in hand and a worried look on their faces. They are learning how difficult it is to change from a school community to one of many thousands. They also learn a new way of studying. As well as lectures, there are regular seminars, at which one of a small group of students (probably not more than ten) reads a paper he or she has written. The paper is then discussed by the tutor and the rest of the group. Once or twice a term, students will have a tutorial. This means that they see a tutor alone to discuss their work and their progress. In Oxlord and Cambridge, and some other universities, the study system is based entirelv around such tutorials which take place once a week. Attending lectures is optional for 'Oxbridge' students1

After three or four years (depending on the type of course and the university) these students will take their finals. Most of them (over 90 per cent) will get a first, second or third class degree and be able to put BA (Bachelor of Arts) or BSc (Bachelor of Science) after their name. It wiUhave been well earned!

TALKING POINTS

a IS it a good tning to .eave norne at tne age of 187 What are tne advantaoes- an0 disadvantages?

a Many British people believe that if you do nothing more than study hard at university, you will have wasted a great opportunity. What do they mean and do you agree?

a How do British universities differ from universities in your country? What do you like and dislike about the British system?