The School Education in Great Britain
The aim of education in general is to develop to the full the talents of both children and adults for their own benefit and that of society as a whole. It is a large-scale investment in the future.
The educational system of Great Britain has developed for over a hundred years. It is a complicated system with wide variations between one part of the country and another. Three partners are responsible for the education service: central government – the Department of Education and Science (DES), local education authorities (LEAs), and schools themselves. The legal basis for this partnership is supplied by the 1944 Education Act.
The Department of Education and Science is concerned with the formation of national policies for education. It is responsible for the maintenance of minimum national standard of education. In exercising its functions the DES is assisted by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate. The primary functions of the Inspectors are to give professional advice to the Department, local education authorities, schools and colleges, and discuss day-to-day problems with them.
Local education authorities are charged with the provision and day-to-day running of the schools and colleges in their areas and the recruitment and payment of the teachers who work in them. They are responsible for the provision of buildings, materials and equipment. However, the choice of text-books and timetable are usually left to the headmaster. The content and method of teaching is decided by the individual teacher.
The administrative functions of education in each area are in the hands of a Chief Education Officer who is assisted by a deputy and other officials.
Until recently planning and organization were not controlled by central government. Each LEA was free to decide how to organize education in its own area. In 1988, however, the National Curriculum was introduced, which means that there is now greater government control over what is taught in schools. The aim was to provide a more balanced education. The new curriculum places greater emphasis on the more practical aspects of education. Skills are being taught which pupils will need for life and work.
The chief elements of the national Curriculum include a broad and balanced framework of study which emphasizes the practical applications of knowledge. It is based around the core subjects of English, mathematics and science ( biology, chemistry, etc.) as well as a number of other foundation subjects, including geography, history, technology and modern languages.
The education reform of 1988 also gave all secondary as well as larger primary schools responsibilities for managing the major part of their budgets, including costs of staff. Schools received the right to withdraw from local education authority control if they wished.
Together with the National Curriculum, a programme of Records of Achievements was introduced. This programme contains a system of new tests for pupils at the ages of 7, 11, 13 and 16. The aim of these tests is to discover any schools or areas which are not teaching to a high enough standard. But many believe that these tests are unfair because they reflect differences in home rather than in ability.
The great majority of children (about 9 million) attend Britain’s 30,500 state schools. No tuition fees are payable in any of them. A further 600,000 go to 2,500 private schools, often referred to as the “independent sector” where the parents have to pay for their children.
In most primary and secondary state schools boys and girls are taught together. Most independent schools for younger children are also mixed, while the majority of private secondary schools are single-sex.
State schools are almost all day schools, holding classes between Mondays and Fridays. The school year normally begins in early September and continues into the following July. The year is divided into three terms of about 13 weeks each.
Two-thirds of state schools are wholly owned and maintained by LEAs. The remainder are voluntary schools, mostly belonging to the Church of England or the Roman Catholic Church. They are also financed by LEAs.
Every state school has its own governing body (a board of governors), consisting of teachers, parents, local politicians, businessmen and members of the local community. Boards of governors are responsible for their school’s main policies, including the recruitment of the staff.
A great role is played by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Practically all parents are automatically members of the PTA and are invited to take part in its many activities. Parental involvement through the PTA and other links between parents and schools is growing . The PTA forms both a special focus for parents and much valued additional resources for the school. Schools place great value on the PTA as a further means of listening to parents and developing the partnership between home and school. A Parent’s Charter published by the Government in 1991 is designed to enable parents to take more informed decisions about their children’s education.
Compulsory education begins at the age of 5 in England, Wales and Scotland, and at the age of 4 in Northern Ireland. All pupils must stay at school until the age of 16. About 9 per cent of pupils in state schools remain at school voluntarily until the age of 18.
Education within the state school system comprises either two tiers (stages) – primary and secondary, or three tiers – first schools, middle schools and upper schools.
Nearly all state secondary schools are comprehensive, they embrace pupils from 11 to 18. The word “comprehensive” expresses the idea that the schools in question take all children in a given area without, selection.
NURSERY EDUCATION. Education for the under-fives, mainly from 3 to 5, is not compulsory and can be provided in nursery schools and nursery classes attached to primary schools. Although they are called schools, they give little formal education. The children spend most of their time in some sort of play activity, as far as possible of an educational kind. In any case, there are not enough of them to take all children of that age group. A large proportion of children at this beginning stage is in the private sector where fees are payable. Many children attend pre-school playgroups, mostly organized by parents, where children can go for a morning or afternoon a couple of times a week.
PRIMARY EDUCATION. The primary school usually takes children from 5 to 11. Over half of the primary schools take the complete age group from 5 to 11. The remaining schools take the pupils aged 5 to 7 – infant schools, and 8 to 11 – junior schools. However, some LEAs have introduced first school, taking children aged 5 to 8, 9 to 10. The first school is followed by the middle school which embraces children from 8 to 14. Next comes the upper school (the third tier) which keeps middle school leavers until the age of 18. This three-stage system (first, middle and upper) is becoming more and more popular in a growing number of areas. The usual age for transfer from primary to secondary school is 11.
SECONDARY EDUCATION. Secondary education is compulsory up to the age of 16, and pupils may stay on at school voluntarily until they are 18. Secondary schools are much larger than primary schools and most children (over 80 per cent) go to comprehensive schools.
There are three categories of comprehensive schools:
schools which take pupils from 11 to 18,
schools which embrace middle school leavers from 12, 13or 14 to 18, and
schools which take the age group from 11 to 16.
The pupils in the latter group, wishing to continue their education beyond the age of 16 (to be able to enter university) may transfer to the sixth form of an 11-18 school, to a sixth-form college or to a tertiary college which provide complete courses of secondary education. The tertiary college offers also part-time vocational courses.
Comprehensive schools admit children of all abilities and provide a wide range of secondary education for all or most of the children in a district.
In some areas children moving from state primary to secondary education are still selected for certain types of school according to their current level of academic attainment. There are grammar and secondary modern schools, to which children are allowed at the age of 11 on the basis of their abilities. Grammar schools provide a mainly academic education for the 11 to 18 age group. Secondary modern schools offer a more general education with a practical bias up to the minimum school-leaving age of 16.
Some local education authorities run technical schools (11 – 18). They provide a general academic education, but place particular emphasis on technical subjects. However, as a result of comprehensive reorganization the number of grammar and secondary modern schools fell radically by the beginning of the 1990s.
There are special schools adapted for the physically and mentally handicapped children. The compulsory period of schooling here is from 5 to 16. A number of handicapped pupils begin younger and stay on longer. Special schools and their classes are more generously staffed than ordinary schools and provide, where possible. Physiotherapy, speech therapy and other forms of treatment. Special schools are normally maintained by state, but a large proportion of special boarding schools are private and fee-charging.
About 5 per cent of Britain’s children attend independent or private schools outside the free state sector. Some parents choose to pay for private education in spite of the existence of free state education. These schools charge between 300 pounds a term for day nursery pupils and 3,500 pounds a term for senior boarding-school pupils.
All independent schools have to register with the Department of Education and Science and are subject to inspection be Her Majesty’s Inspecrorate, which is absolutely independent. About 2,300 private schools provide primary and secdondary education.
Around 550 most privileged and expensive schools are commonly known as public schools.
The principal examinations taken by secondary school pupils at the age of 16 are those leading to the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). It aims to assess pupils’ ability to apply their knowledge to solving practical problems. It is the minimum school leaving age, the level which does not allow school-leavers to enter university but to start work or do some vocational training.
The chief examinations at the age of 18 are leading to the General Certificate of Education Advanced level (GCE A-level). It enables sixth-formers to widen their subject areas and move to higher education. The systems of examinations are co-ordinated and supervisedby the Secondary Examination Council.
Admission to universities is carried out by examinationor selection (interview). Applicants for places in nearly all the universities are sent initially to the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS). In the application an applicant can list up to five universities or colleges in order to preference. Applications must be sent to the UCAS in the autumn term of the academic year preceding that in which the applicant hopes to be admitted. The UCAS sends a copy to aech of the universities or colleges named. Each univesity selects its own students.
The overall pupil-teacher ratio in state primary and secondary schools is about 18 to 1, on of the most favourable in the world.
7
referat.store
Е Федеральное агентство по образованию
Федеральное государственное бюджетное образовательное учреждение высшего профессионального образования
Волгоградский государственный технический университет
КАФЕДРА ИНОСТРАННЫХ ЯЗЫКОВ
Семестровая работа за 2 семестр
ПО АНГЛИЙСКОМУ ЯЗЫКУ
Тема: «Education in Great Britain»
Выполнила
Студентка группы ТОА-125
Проверила: ст.преподаватель
Маркова О.В.
КРАТАКАЯ РЕЦЕНЗИЯ
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………
ОЦЕНКА РАБОТЫ _____________БАЛЛОВ
ВОЛГОГРАД, 2013г.
Education in Great Britain
English children must go to school when they are five. First they go to infant schools where they learn the first steps in reading, writing and using numbers. Children are divided into two groups according to their mental abilities.
When children leave infant school, at the age of seven, they go to junior schools until they are about eleven years old. When pupils come to the junior school for the first time, they are divided into three «streams» - A, B and C – on the basis of their infant-school marks or sometimes after a special test. The brightest children go to the A-stream and the weakest – to the C-stream. The school year normally begins in early September and continues into the following July. The year is divided into three terms of about 13 weeks each.
When the children leave the junior school, they start their secondary education. Since the 1944 Education Act of Parliament, free secondary education has been available to all children in Britain. Indeed, children must go to school until the age of 16, and pupils may stay on for one or two years more if they wish. Towards the end of their fourth year in the junior school, a certain percentage of English schoolchildren still have to write their “11+” Examinations. Those who passed such examinations went to a secondary school. Usually these examinations should reveal not knowledge of the children, but their mental ability. Approximately 20 per cent were chosen to go to the academic grammar schools. Those who failed the "1l+" (80 per cent) went to secondary modern schools. In 1965 the Labour Government introduced the policy of comprehensive education. A lot of people thought that the system of selection at the age of 11 was unfair. So comprehensive schools were introduced. However there are a few LEAs who still keep the old system of grammar schools, but most LEAs have now changed over completely to non-selective education in comprehensive schools. Today many children go to a comprehensive school at the age of 11. It is the most popular type of school, for it provides education for children from all strata. So such schools take over 90 % of schoolchildren in Great Britain. The pupils can study any subject which is taught in these schools. The comprehensive schools are of different types; all of them preserve some form of streaming, but pupils may be moved from one stream to another. Pupils at comprehensive schools are quite often put into "sets" for the more academic subjects. Sets are formed according to ability in each subject. All pupils move to the next class automatically at the end of the year. About 5 % of elementary school-leavers in Britain go to secondary modern schools. They do not provide complete secondary education. Study programs are rather limited there. Some modern schools do not teach foreign languages. In modern schools pupils are also streamed according to their intelligence. The secondary technical school, in spite of its name, is not a specialized school. It teaches many general subjects. Boys and girls in technical schools study such practical subjects as woodwork, metalwork. Not more than 2 % of schoolchildren in Britain go to technical schools. The grammar school is a secondary school taking about 3 % of children. It offers a full theoretical secondary education including foreign languages. Students can choose which subjects and languages they wish to study. The majority (80 or 85 %) of grammar school students, mainly children of poorer families, leave the school after taking a five-year course. Then they may take the General Certificate of Secondary Education at the ordinary level. The others continue their studies for another two or three years to obtain the General Certificate of Secondary Education at the advanced level, which allows them to enter university. There are many schools in Britain which are not controlled financially by the state. They are private schools, separate for boys and girls. The biggest and most important of them are public schools charging high fees and training young people for political, diplomatic, military and religious service. Other non-state schools which charge fees are independent and preparatory schools. Many of the independent schools belong to the churches. Schools of this type prepare their pupils for public schools. The doors of Oxford and Cambridge are open to the public school-leavers.
Applicants for places in nearly all the universities are sent initially to the Universities and Colleges Admission Service UCAS. In the application an applicant can list up to five universities or colleges in order to preference. Applications must be sent to the UCAS in the autumn term of the academic year preceding that in which the applicant hopes to be admitted. The UCAS sends a copy to aech of the universities or colleges named. Oxford and Cambridge are considered to be the best English universities, sometimes they are called Oxbridge. And the other universities are called Red-brick ones. London University is among them, although it is the biggest one in Great Britain.
Oxford
This university town is very beautiful. The oldest university there is Oxford. The first of its colleges was founded in 1249. The university now has thirty-five colleges and about thirteen thousand students, many of them from other countries.
There were no women at Oxford until 1878. When the first women's college Lady Margaret Hall, opened. Now most colleges are open to men and women. It is not easy to get a place at Oxford University to study for a degree.
But outside the university there are many smaller private colleges which offer less difficult courses and where it is easy to enrol. Most students in these private school take business, secretarial or English language courses.
Oxford is, of course, famous for its first-class education as well as its beautiful buildings. Some of the most intelligent men and women in the country live and work here. Oxford gives them what they need: a quiet atmosphere, friendly colleagues and the four-hundred-year-old library, which has about five million books.
Oxford has same of the finest architecture in Britain. Some of their colleges, chapels and libraries are there, four and even five hundred years old, and are full off books and precious paintings. You can see there many lovely gardens, where the students can read and relax in the summer months.
Cambridge
Cambridge is one of the best known towns in the world and it can be found on most tourists' lists of places to visit. Cambridge is famous for its university, which started during the 13th century and grew steadily, until today there are more than twenty colleges.
The oldest one is Peterhouse, which was founded in 1284. And the most recent is Robinson College, which was opened in 1977. But the most famous is King's College, because of its magnificent chapel. Its choir of boys and undergraduates is well known all over the world.
The Universities were only for men until 19th century when the first women's college was opened. Later the doors of colleges were opened to both men and women. Nowadays almost all the colleges are mixed.
The students in Cambridge have to wear special dark clothes and the «squares», the academic caps. During the course all students have to live in the college.
To the north of Cambridge is the Cambridge Science Park, the modern face of the University. This park has developed in response to the need for universities to increase their contact with high technology industry. It is now home to more than sixty companies and research institutes.
The whole area is in fact very attractively designed, with a lot of space between each building. The planners thought that it was important for people to have a pleasant, park like environment in which to work.
Every year thousands of students come to Cambridge from overseas to study English.
Английские дети идут в школу, когда им исполняется пять лет. Сначала они идут в детские сады, где они изучают первые шаги в чтении, письме и использовании чисел. Дети разделены на две группы согласно их умственным способностям.
Когда дети покидают детский сад, в возрасте семи лет, они идут в начальные школы, пока им не исполнится одиннадцать лет. Когда ученики переходят в начальную школу впервые, они разделяются на три "потока" - A, B и C – на основе их отметок детского сада или иногда после специального теста. Самые умные дети идут в A-поток и самые слабые – к C-потоку. Учебный год обычно начинается в начале сентября и продолжается до июля. Год разделен на три срока приблизительно 13 недель каждый. Когда дети заканчивают начальную школу, они начинают свое среднее образование.
Начиная с Закона об образовании 1944 года Парламента свободное среднее образование было доступно всем детям в Великобритании. Действительно, дети должны ходить в школу, пока им не исполнится 16, и ученики могут остаться в течение одного или двух лет больше, если они желают.
К концу их четвертого года в начальной школе определенный процент от английских школьников должны написать их “11 +” Экспертизы. Те, кто сдал такие экспертизы, идут в среднюю школу. Обычно эти экспертизы должны показывать не знание детей, а их умственные способности. Приблизительно 20 процентов будут выбраны, чтобы пойти в академические средние школы. Те, кто подвел "11 л +" (80 процентов), пойдут во вторичные современные школы.
В 1965 Лейбористское правительство ввело политику всестороннего образования. Много людей думало, что система выбора в возрасте 11 лет была несправедлива. Таким образом, единые средние школы были введены. Однако, есть несколько LEAs, кто все еще держит старую систему средних школ, но большинство LEAs теперь изменилось полностью к неотборному образованию в единых средних школах.
Сегодня много детей идут в единую среднюю школу в возрасте 11 лет. Это - самый популярный тип школы, поскольку это предоставляет образование детям всех страт. Таким образом, такие школы принимают 90% школьников в Великобритании.
Ученики могут изучить любой предмет, который преподается в этих школах.
Единые средние школы имеют различные типы; все они сохраняют некоторую форму вытекания, но ученики могут быть перемещены из одного потока в другой. Ученики в единых средних школах довольно часто помещаются в "наборы" для большего количества учебных дисциплин. Наборы формируются согласно способности в каждом предмете. Все ученики двигаются в следующий класс автоматически в конце года.
Приблизительно 5% элементарных выпускников школы в Великобритании идут во вторичные современные школы. Они не обеспечивают полное среднее образование. Учебные программы там ограничены . Некоторые современные школы не преподают иностранные языки. В современных школах ученики также сливаются согласно их интеллегенции.
Вторичная техническая школа, несмотря на ее имя, не является специализированной школой. Она преподает много общих предметов. Мальчики и девочки в технических школах изучают такие практические предметы как работа по дереву, металлоконструкция. Не больше чем 2% школьников в Великобритании идут в технические школы.
Грамматическая школа - средняя школа, берущая приблизительно 3% детей. Она предлагает полное теоретическое среднее образование включая иностранные языки. Студенты могут выбрать, какие предметы и языки они хотят изучить. Большинство (80 или 85 %) студентов средней школы, главным образом дети более бедных семей, покидают школу после взятия пятилетнего курса. Тогда они могут взять аттестат об общем среднем образовании на обычном уровне. Другие продолжают свои исследования в течение еще двух или трех лет, чтобы получить аттестат об общем среднем образовании на продвинутом уровне, который позволяет им поступить в университет.
Есть много школ в Великобритании, которыми не управляет в финансовом отношении государство. Они - частные школы, отдельные для мальчиков и девочек. Самыми большими и самыми важными из них являются государственные школы, взыскивающие высокие сборы и учебных молодых людей для политического, дипломатического, военного и религиозного обслуживания.
Другие негосударственные школы, которые взыскивают сборы, являются независимыми и подготовительными школами. Многие независимые школы принадлежат церквям. Школы этого типа готовят своих учеников к государственным школам.
Двери Оксфорда и Кембриджа открыты для выпускников общественных школ.
Претендентов на места в почти всех университетах посылают первоначально в Обслуживание Приема университетов и Колледжей UCAS. В заявлении претендент может перечислить до пяти университетов или колледжей по его предпочтению. Заявления должны быть посланы в UCAS в осеннем семестре учебного года, предшествующего этому, в котором претендент надеется быть допущенным. UCAS посылает копию в базу университетов или названных колледжей.
Оксфорд и Кембридж, как полагают, являются лучшими английскими университетами, иногда их называют Оксбридж.
Другие университеты называют «из красного кирпича». Лондонский университет среди них, хотя это – самый большой университет в Великобритании.
Оксфорд
Этот университетский город очень красивый. Самый старый университет здесь — Оксфордский. Первый из его колледжей был открыт в 1249 году. Сейчас в университете 35 колледжей и около 13 тысяч студентов, многие из которых иностранцы.
До 1878 года, когда был открыт первый женский колледж леди Маргарет Холл,ранее в университете не было женщин. Сейчас большинство колледжей открыты как для мужчин, так и для женщин. В Оксфордском университете нелегко получить степень.
Но вне университета существует большое количество маленьких частных колледжей, которые предлагают менее сложные курсы и куда легче поступать. Большинство студентов в этих частных школах посещают курсы бизнеса, секретарей и английского языка.
Конечно, Оксфорд знаменит своими красивыми зданиями так же, как и первоклассным образованием. Самые умные люди страны живут и работают здесь. Оксфорд дает им все: спокойную обстановку, дружелюбных коллег и 400-летнюю библиотеку, в которой около пяти миллионов книг.
В Оксфорде расположены красивейшие здания Британии. Некоторым колледжам, часовням и библиотекам триста, четыреста и даже пятьсот лет, и они полны книг и бесценных полотен. Здесь много красивых садов, где студенты читают и отдыхают в летние месяцы.
Кембридж
Кембридж — один из самых известных городов мира, он значится на большинстве туристических карт. Кембридж известен благодаря университету, который был открыт в XIII веке и занял прочные позиции, сегодня здесь более 20 колледжей.
Самый старый — Питерхаус, который был основан в 1284 году. А самый поздний по времени — Робинзон колледж, который открылся в 1977 году. Но самый известный — Кинге колледж, благодаря чудесной капелле. Его хор мальчиков и студентов последнего курса известен всему миру.
До XIX века университеты были только для мужчин, затем открылся первый женский колледж. Позднее двери колледжей открылись как для мужчин, так и для женщин. Сегодня почти все колледжи смешанные.
Студенты в Кембридже должны носить специальную темную одежду и "квадраты", академические заглавные буквы. Во время курса все студенты должны жить в колледже.
К северу от Кембриджа находится Кембриджский научный парк, современное лицо университета. Парк возник в ответ на необходимость наладить контакт университета с промышленностью высоких технологий. Сейчас в этом здании более чем 60 компаний и исследовательских институтов.
Вся площадь парка отлично спланирована, с пространством между зданиями. Дизайнеры позаботились о том, чтобы люди работали в приятной, похожей на парк, обстановке.
Ежегодно тысячи студентов со всего мира приезжают в Кембридж изучать английский.
yaneuch.ru
5.Pre-primary and Primary Education.
In some of England there are nursery schools for children under 5 years of age. Some children between two and five receive education in nursery classes or in infants classes in primary schools. Many children attend informal pre-school playgroups organized by parents in private homes. Nursery schools are staffed with teachers and students in training. There are all kinds of toys to keep the children busy from 9 oclock in the morning till 4 oclock in the afternoon while their parents are at work. Here the babies play, lunch and sleep. They can run about and play in safety with someone keeping an eye on them.
For day nurseries, which remain open all the year round, the parents pay according to their income. The local education authoritys nurseries are free. But only about three children in 100 can go to them: there arent enough places and the waiting lists are rather long.
Most children start school at five in primary school. A primary school may be divided into two parts-infants and juniors. At infants school reading, writing and arithmetic are taught for about 20 minutes a day during the first year, gradually increasing to about 2 hours in their last year. There is usually no written timetable. Much time is spent in modeling from clay or drawing, reading or singing.
By the time children are ready for the junior school they will be able to read and write, do simple addition and subtraction of numbers.
At seven children go on from the infants school to the junior school. This marks the transition from play to “real work”. The children have set periods of arithmetic, reading and composition which are all Eleven Plus subjects. History, Geography, Nature Study, Art and Music, Physical Education, Swimming are also on the timetable.
Pupils are streamed, according to their ability to learn into, A, B, C and D streams. The least gifted are in the D stream. Formerly towards the end of their fourth year the pupils wrote their Eleven Plus Examination. The hated 11 + examination was a selective procedure on which not only the pupils future schooling but their future careers depended. The abolition of selection at Eleven plus Examination brought to life comprehensive schools where pupils can get secondary education.
6.Secondary Education.
The majority of state secondary school pupils in England and Wales attend comprehensive schools. These largely take pupils without reference to ability or aptitude and provide a wide range of secondary education for all or most children in a district. Schools take those, who are the 11 to 18 age-range, middle schools (8 to 14), and schools with an age-range from 11 to 16. Most other state-educated children in England attend grammar or secondary modern schools, to which they are allocated after selection procedures at the age of 11.
Before 1965 a selective system of secondary education existed in England. Under that system a child of 11 had to take an exam, which consisted of intelligence tests covering linguistic, mathematical and general knowledge which was to be taken by children in the last year of primary schooling. The object was to select between academic and non-academic children. Those who did well in the examination went to a grammar school, while those who failed went to a secondary modern school and technical college. Grammar schools prepared children for national examinations such as the GCE at O level and A-level. These examinations qualified children for the better jobs, and for entry higher education and the professions. The education in secondary modern schools was based on practical schooling, which would allow entry into a variety of skilled and unskilled jobs.
Many people complained that it was wrong for a persons future to be decided at a so young age. The children who went to “secondary moderns” were seen as “failures”. More over, it was noticed that the children who passed this exam were almost all from middle-class families. The Labor Party, returned to power in 1965, abolished the 11+ and tried to introduce the non-selective education system in the form of “comprehensive” schools, that would provide schooling for children of all ability levels and from all social backgrounds, ideally under one roof. The final choice between selective and non-selective schooling, though, was left to LEAS that controlled the provision of school education in the country. Some authorities decided for comprehensive, while others retained grammar schools and secondary moderns.
In the late 1980s the Conservative government introduced another major change. Schools cloud now decide whether to remain as LEA-maintained schools or to “opt-out” of the control of the LEA and put themselves directly under the control of the government department. These “grant-maintained” schools were financed directly by central government. This did not mean, however, that there was more central control: grant-maintained schools did not have to ask anybody else about how to spend their money.
A recent development in education administration in England and Wales in the School Standards and Framework Act passed in July 1998. The Act established that from 1.09.1999 all state school education authorities with the ending of the separate category of grant maintained status.
There are some grant-maintained or voluntary aided schools, called City Technology Colleges. In 1999 there were 15 City Technology Colleges in England. These are non-fee-paying independent secondary schools created by a partnership of government and private sector sponsors. The promoters own or lease the schools, employ teachers and make substantial contributions to the costs of building and equipment. The colleges teach the NC, but with an emphasis on mathematics, technology and science.
So, today three types of state schools mainly provide secondary education: secondary modern schools grammar schools and comprehensive schools. There should also be mentioned another type of schools, called specialist schools. The specialist school programmer in England was launched in 1993. Specialist schools are state secondary schools specializing in technology, science and mathematics; modern foreign languages; sports; arts.
State schools are absolutely free (including all textbooks and exercise books) and generally co-educational.
Under the NC a greater emphasis at the secondary level is laid on science and technology. Accordingly, ten subjects have to be studied: English, history, geography, mathematics, science, a modern foreign language, technology, music, art and physical education. For special attention there of these subjects (called “core subjects”): English, science, mathematics and seven other subjects are called “foundation or statuary subjects”. Besides, subjects are grouped into departments and teachers work in teams and to plan work.
Most common departments are:
The latter brings together the practical subjects like cooing, woodwork, sewing, and metalwork with the new technology used in those fields. Students can design a T-shirt on computer using graphics software and make-up the T-shirt design. Students can also look at way to market their product, thus linking all disciplines. This subjects area exemplifies the process approach to learning introduced by the NC.
It is worth mentioning here the growing importance of personal and Social Education. Since the 1970s there has been an emphasis on “pastoral” care, education in areas related to life skills such as health (this includes looking at drug, discussing physical changes related to poverty, sex education and relationship). There are usually one or two lessons a week, from primary school through to sixth form and they are an essential part of the schools aim to prepare students to life in society.
Education in Britain is not solely concentrated on academic study. Great value is placed on visits and activities like organizing the school club or field trips, which are educational in a more general sense. The organization of these activities by teachers is very much taken for granted in the British school system. Some teachers give up their free time, evenings and weekends to do this “unpaid” work. At Christmas teachers organized concerts, parties and general festivities. It is also considered a good thing to be “seen” to be doing this extra work since it is fairly essential for securing promotion in the school hierarchy.
Classes of pupils are called “forms” (though it has recently become common to refer to “years”) and are numbered from one to beginning with first form. Nearly all schools work a five-day week and are closed on Saturdays. The day starts at nine oclock and finishes between three and four. The lunch break usually lasts about an hour-and-a-quarter. Nearly two-thirds of pupils have lunch provided by the school. Parents pay for this except for the 15 per cent who are rated poor enough and have it for free. Other children either go home for lunch or take sandwiches.
Schools usually divide their year into tree
www.studsell.com
1.Education.
The British education system has much in common with that in Europe,
that :
Compulsory education is free charge, though parents may choose a private school and spend their money on education their children. About 93% of pupils receive free education from public funds, while the others attend independent schools financed by fees paid by parents.
There is, however, quite a lot that distinguishes education in Britain from the way it works in other countries. The most important distinguishing features are the lack of uniformity and comparatively little central control. There are three separate government departments managing education: the Departments for Education and Employment is responsible for England and Wales alone; Scotland and Northern Ireland retain control over the education within their respective countries. None of these bodies exercises much control over the details does not prescribe a detailed program of learning, books and materials to be used, nor does it dictate the exact hours of the school day, the exact days of holidays, schools finance management and such lick. As many details possible are left to the discretion of the individual institution.
Many distinctive characteristics of British education can be ascribed at least partly, to public school tradition. The present-day level of “grass-root” independence as well as different approach to education has been greatly influenced by the philosophy that a school is its own community. The 19th century public schools educated the sons of the upper and upper-middle classes and the main aim of schooling was to prepare young men to take up positions in the higher ranks of the army, the Church, to fill top-jobs in business, the legal profession, the civil serves and politics. To meet this aim the emphasis was made on “character-building” and the development of “team spirit” rather than on academic achievement.
Such schools were (and still often are) mainly boarding establishments, so they had a deep and lasting influence on their pupils, consequently, public-school leaves for formed a closed group entry into which was difficult, the ruling elite the core of the Establishment.
The 20th century brought education and its possibilities for social advanced within everybodys reach, and new, state schools naturally tended to copy the features of the public schools. So today, in typically British fashion, learning for its own sake, rather than for any practical purpose is still been given a high value. As distinct from most other countries, a relatively stronger emphasis is on the quality of person that education produces rather than helping people to develop useful knowledge and skills. In other words, the general style of teaching is to develop understanding rather than acquiring factual knowledge and learning to apply this knowledge to specific tasks.
2.Public Schools For Whom?
About five per cent of children are educated privately in what is rather confusingly called public schools. These are the schools for the privileged. There are about 500 public schools in England and Wales most of them single-sex. About half of them are for girls.
The schools, such as Eton, Harrow, Rugby and Winchester, are famous for their ability to lay the foundation of a successful future by giving their pupils self- confidence, the right accent, a good academic background and, perhaps most important of all, the right friends and contacts. People who went to one of the public schools never call themselves school-leaves. They talk about “the old school tie” and “the old boy network”. They are just old boys or old girls. The fees are high and only very rich families can afford to pay so much. Public schools educate the ruling class of England. One such school is Gordonstoun, which the Prince of Wales, the elder son of the Queen, left in 1968. Harrow School is famous as the place where Winston Churchill was educated, as well as six other Prime Ministers of England, the poet Lord Byron, the playwright Richard Sheridan and many other prominent people.
Public schools are free from state control. They are independent. Most of them are boarding schools. The education is of a high quality; the discipline is very strict. The system of education is the same: the most able go ahead.
These schools accept pupils from preparatory schools at about 11 or 13 years of age usually on the basis of an examination, known as Common Entrance. There are three sittings of Common Entrance every year in February, June and November. Scholarships are rarely awarded on the results of Common Entrance. The fundamental requirements are very high. At 18 most public school-leaves, gain entry to universities.
3.Schooling.
Great Britain does not have a written constitution, so there are no constitutional provisions for education. The system of education is determined by the National Education Acts.
Schools in England are supported from public funds paid to the local education authorities. These local education authorities are responsible for organizing the schools in their areas.
Lets outline the basic features of public education in Britain. Firstly, there are wide variations between one part of the country and another. For most educational purposes England and Wales are treated as one unit, though the system in Wales is a little different from that of England. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own education systems.
Secondly, education in Britain mirrors the countrys social system: it is class-divided and selective. The first division is between those who pay and those who do not pay. The majority of schools in Britain are supported by public funds and the education provided is free. They are maintained schools, but there are also a considerable number of public schools. Parents have to pay fees to send their children to these schools. The fees are high. As matter of fact, only very rich families can send their children to public schools. In some parts of Britain they still keep the old system of grammar schools, which are selective. But most secondary schools in Britain, which are called comprehensive schools, are not selective you dont have to pass an exam to go there.
Another important feature of schooling in Britain is the variety of opportunities offered to schoolchildren. The English school syllabus is divided into Arts and Sciences, which determine the division of the secondary school pupils into study groups: a Science pupil will study Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Economics, Technical Drawing, Biology, geography; an Art pupil will do English Language and Literature, History, foreign languages, Music, Art, Drama. Besides these subjects they must do some general education subjects like Physical Education, Home Economics for girls, and Technical subjects for boys, General Science. Computers play an important part in education. The system of options exists in all kinds of secondary schools.
The National Curriculum, which was introduced in 1988, sets out detail the subjects that children should study and the levels of achievement they should reach by the ages of 7, 11, 14, and 16, when they are tested. Until that year headmasters and headmistresses of schools were given a great deal of freedom in deciding what subjects to teach and how to do it in their schools so that there was really no central, control at all over individual schools. The National Curriculum does not apply in Scotland, where each school decides what subjects it will teach.
After the age of 16 a growing number of school students are staying on at school, some until 18 or 19, the age of entry into higher education in universities, Polytechnics or colleges. Schools in Britain provide careers guidance. A specially trained person called careers advisor or careers officer helps school students to decide what job they want to do and how they can achieve it.
British university courses are rather short, generally lasting for 3 years. The cost of education depends on the college or university and special which one chooses.
4.Education in Britain.
classschoolagenursery school playgroup or kindergarten3
4reception class
year 1
infant school5
6year 2
year 3
year 4
year 5
year 6
primary school
junior school7
8
9
10
11year 7
year 8
year 9
year 10
year 11
secondary school12
13
14
15
16year 12
year 13sixth form college 17
18first year (fresher)
second year
third/final year
University or Polytechnic19
20
21postgraduateUniversity23
geum.ru
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. It is the time when children just get acquainted with the classroom, the blackboard, desks and the teacher. 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: a form to each year. 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:
1) infant 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;
2) 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;
3) 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 forth 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 also about 500 private schools in Great Britain. Most of these schools are boarding ones, where children live as well as study. Education in such schools is very expensive, that's why only 5 per cent 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.
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 5 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 It is the only university offering extramural education. Students learn subjects at home and then post ready exercises off to their tutors for marking;
The New ones. They are former polytechnic academies and colleges
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, London University College.
Universities usually select students basing on their A-level results and an interview.
After three years of study a university graduate gets 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).
www.ronl.ru
Twelve 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. It is the time when children just get acquainted with the classroom, the blackboard, desks and the teacher. 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: a form to each year. 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:
1. comprehensive 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; 2. 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; 3. 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 forth 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 also about 500 private schools in Great Britain. Most of these schools are boarding ones, where children live as well as study. Education in such schools is very expensive, that's why only 5 per cent 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. 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 5 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 It is the only university offering extramural education. Students learn subjects at home and then post ready exercises off to their tutors for marking; The New ones. They are former polytechnic academies and colleges. 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, London University College. Universities usually select students basing on their A-level results and an interview. After three years of study a university graduate 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).
В Великобритании 12 миллионов детей посещают около 40 тысяч школ. Образование здесь обязательное и бесплатное для детей от 5 до 16 лет. Многие дети идут в детский сад, когда им исполняется 3 года, но это не обязательно. В детских садах дети познают элементарные основы, такие как цифры, цвета и буквы. Помимо этого, они там же играют, едят и спят. Что бы они ни делали, за ними всегда кто-то присматривает. Обязательное образование начинается с 5 лет, когда дети идут в начальную школу. Начальное образование длится 6 лет. Оно подразделяется на 2 периода: школа для малышей (с 5 до 7 лет) и начальная школа (с 7 до 11 лет). В младшей школе у детей нет уроков. Они в основном играют и учатся через игру. Это время, когда дети ещё только знакомятся с классной комнатой, доской, партами и учителем. Но когда детям исполняется 7 лет, для них начинается настоящая учёба. Они уже не уделяют столько времени игре, как это было в младшей школе. Теперь у них настоящие уроки: они сидят за партами, читают, пишут и отвечают на вопросы учителя. Обязательное среднее образование начинается, когда детям исполняется 11 или 12 лет, и длится 5 лет. Средняя школа по традиции делится на 5 классов — по классу на год обучения. Дети изучают родной язык, математику, естествознание, историю, изобразительное искусство, географию, музыку, какой-либо иностранный язык и занимаются физкультурой. Предусмотрено и преподавание религии. Английский язык, математика и естествознание являются основными предметами. В возрасте 7, 11 и 14 лет школьники сдают экзамены по основным предметам.
Существует 3 вида государственных школ среднего образования:
1. Общеобразовательные школы. Они принимают учеников с любыми способностями без вступительных экзаменов. В таких школах дети обычно распределяются по разным группам — в зависимости от их уровня владения техническими или гуманитарными предметами. Практически все старшеклассники (около 90 %) идут в эти школы. 2. Грамматические школы. Они дают среднее образование на очень высоком уровне. Поступление в такую школу зависит от результатов письменного экзамена, который дети сдают в возрасте 11 лет. В грамматических школах практикуется раздельное обучение мальчиков и девочек. 3. Современные школы. Они не готовят детей к поступлению в университет. Обучение в таких школах даёт перспективы только в рабочей сфере деятельности. После пяти лет обучения в средней школе, в возрасте 16 лет, ученики сдают экзамен на получение сертификата об окончании средней школы. Уже в 3-м или 4-м классе они начинают выбирать предметы для сдачи экзаменов и занимаются подготовкой к ним. По окончании 5-го класса ребятам предоставляется выбор: они могут либо окончить школу и продолжить обучение в колледже, либо перейти в 6-й класс. Те, кто остаётся в школе после экзамена на получение сертификата об окончании средней школы, учатся ещё 2 года, после чего сдают экзамены уровня «А» по двум или трём предметам, что необходимо для поступления в один из британских университетов. В Великобритании также существует около 500 частных, или независимых, школ. Большинство из них являются школами-интернатами, где дети не только учатся, но и живут. Обучение в таких школах стоит очень дорого, поэтому их посещает только 5 % всех школьников. Существуют подготовительные частные школы (для детей до 13 лет) и привилегированные частные школы (для детей от 13 до 18 лет). Наиболее известные частные школы Великобритании: Итон, Харроу, Винчестер. После того как учащийся окончил школу, он имеет право подать заявление в университет, техникум или колледж для дальнейшего образования. В Великобритании 126 университетов. Они делятся на 5 типов:— древние. Основаны до XIX в., к их числу относятся Оксфорд и Кембридж;— «Красного кирпича» (Red Brick). Основаны в XIX или XX в.;— «Стеклянные» (Plate Glass). Основаны в 1960-х гг.;— Открытый университет (Open University). Это единственный университет, предлагающий заочное образование. Студенты изучают предметы дома, а затем посылают готовые задания преподавателям на проверку;— новые. К ним относятся бывшие политехнические академии и колледжи. По мнению журналов Тайме и Гардиан, лучшими университетами являются: Оксфорд, Кембридж, Лондонская школа экономики, Имперский колледж Лондона, Университетский колледж Лондона. Получение места в университете зависит от результата экзаменов уровня «А». После трёх лет обучения выпускник университета получает степень бакалавра гуманитарных, естественных или технических наук. Многие студенты продолжают учёбу, чтобы получить степень магистра, а затем и доктора наук.
Questions:
1. When do British boys and girls begin to go to school?2. What subjects do they study at school?3. How long does 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 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?
Vocabulary:
compulsory — обязательныйfree — бесплатныйto attend — посещатьnursery school — детский сад (государственный)letter — букваto keep an eye on smb. — следить за кем-либоprimary school — младшие классы, начальная школа, школа первой ступениinfant school — школа для малышей, младшая школаjunior school — начальная школа (для детей от 7 до 11 лет)to get acquainted — знакомитьсяsecondary education — среднее образованиеto be divided into — делиться наScience — естествознаниеArt — изобразительное искусствоcore subject — основной предметcomprehensive school — общеобразовательная школаaccording to — в соответствии сability — способностьgrammar school — грамматическая школаentrance — поступлениеsingle sexed school — школы для мальчиков и для девочек (разделённые по половому признаку)modern school — современная школаGCSE — экзамен на сертификат об окончании среднего образования"A" (advanced) Level Exam — экзамен уровня 'А' (продвинутого)private school — частная школаboarding school — школа-интернат, школа-пансионpreparatory school — подготовительная частная школаpublic school — привилегированная частная школаto apply — подавать заявлениеextramural — заочный, вечернийpolytechnic — политехникумtutor — преподавательDegree of a Bachelor — степень бакалавраMaster's Degree — степень магистраDoctor's Degree — докторская степень
english-lessons-online.ru
