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Education in Britain
The school system in the UK can proudly call itself one of the most complicated in Europe. Not only it is not the same across the kingdom but also a number of changes that have taken place in the last 50 years have made it equally confusing for a British person and for a foreigner.
Let’s start from the beginning. There are two types of schools in the UK: state schools where education is free and private schools where you have to pay.
Most state schools are given money by the government. Some state schools are grant-maintained (школа, контролируемая и субсидируемая группой людей, но не отделом местной власти). These schools are supported by the central government and are considered by some people to provide a better education. There are some church schools that also receive money from the government and offer free education. In Scotland and Ireland most schools are still managed by local authorities.
There are three stages in the state educational system: primary education, secondary education and further education.
British children legally have to start school at the age of five. All children between the ages of 5 and 16 must, by law, receive secondary school education. This education is compulsory.
The first step of compulsory education in Britain is primary schooling for children between 5 and 11. The first two years are the years of infant school (младенческая школа, первая ступень начального образования) where the children are encouraged to read, to write in their own words, to understand and make use of numbers. Many children attend informal pre-school playgrounds organized by parents in private houses. Teachers and students in training work there. Kids are in the nursery classes while their parents work. At the age of 7 children go to the junior school (младшая школа, вторая ступень начального образования)where the teaching becomes more formal. They work in arithmetic, history, geography, nature study and music and English. The infant and junior schools may be regarded as two levels of primary education.
Children begin their secondary education at about eleven years age. There are different types of secondary schools in England and Wales. The most popular are comprehensive schools. These are large state schools for boys and girls of all abilities aged 11-16 (or 18). Comprehensive schools were introduced in the 1960s with the aim to replace the system of dividing children between more academic (grammar) schools and less academic (modern) schools. There are some Grammarschools that still exist now. They teach more academic subjects than comprehensive schools.
According to the National Curriculum, introduced in 1988, children at the age of 7, 11, 14 and 16 are tested. At the age of 14 children complete their Standard Assessment Tasks(SATs). At the end of their fifth year of secondary education most children of all abilities aged 16 take General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE)exams in a particular level. Children, who need to pass “A” (Advanced) level exam to enter a University or a College of Further education, continue their studies at the sixth-form class up to the age 18.
Until the year of testing schools are allowed to choose the subjects to teach and the ways of teaching those subjects. Besides, schoolchildren are given the opportunities to choose the subjects to learn. The English School Syllabus (программа обучения) is divided into Art (or Humanities) and Sciences. Art pupils study English Language and Literature, History, Foreign languages, Music, Art, Drama. Science pupils study Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Economics, Technical Drawing, Biology, Geography. Besides, secondary school students must do general education subjects like Physical Education (PE), Home Economics for girls and Technical subjects for boys, General Science and Computers which take the leading position in education.
There is a wide network of further education institutions in Britain. They give students the chance to increase their theoretical background and professional training. Students may get their further education after they have passed their GCSE exam taken at the age of 16. Further education includes sixth-form colleges and classes where students work for “A” level exams necessary to enter a university. Many further education courses prepare people for jobs.
Outside the state system of education there exists the system of private schools. The only thing is that private schools in Britain are called public. Why? A long time ago when education was a privilege of the rich, the only schools where poor people could go were funded by charities. As it was public money, the schools for the poor were called public schools. But in the course of history many public schools became very successful and turned into expensive private schools but the conservative British continued to call them public schools.
Until very recently public schools were either all-boys or all-girls. Public schools can be full boarding (pupils live there all academic year except for holidays), normal (pupils go home every day) and mixed (some pupils go home every weekend and some stay).
The first thing you need to have is money as some public schools charge up to 20,000 pounds a year. There are some grants for bright pupils as well but the places are few and the competition is very strong as public schools are believed to provide a better education in comparison with state schools. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that only 6% of the people in the UK can afford it. The other important criterion is that you have to belong to the right class as the class system in Britain is still very important. Mostly, public education is a privilege of the upper middle and upper classes, as they are known to give the right social background for top jobs in the Establishment.
Some public schools are rather old and very famous. One of them is Eton College. Because Eton is so popular it is very difficult for parents to get a place for their sons. So some parents put their sons’ names on the waiting list while they are still babies! Those who studied at Eton College call themselves Old Etonians. A great number of former public school students become the students of the most famous and prestige universities. Oxford and Cambridge Universities are the first among them.
Most people in Britain are concerned about education. They think that education should be free of charge in all stages and levels. The state is expected to pay much more attention to students who now pay their own fees at university as well as their living expenses. Poorer students should receive enough financial help from the state to be able to acquire better knowledge.
II. Read the text again and answer the questions.
1. What are the stages in state education in England and Wales?
2. When do children start schooling?
3. What are the first two levels of education at school?
4. What division does the English school syllabus have?
5. What main exams do pupils in secondary school have?
6. What children can study at public schools?
7. What education do public schools offer to pupils?
III. Complete the sentences according to the information given in the text.
1. Children between 2 and 5 receive education in …. .
2. Children take their “A-level” at the age of … .
3. Children may enter University, Polytechnics or Colleges of further education … .
4. Children go to junior schools where they study … .
5. Physical education is … .
6. Public schools can be … .
7. You need to have … at public schools.
8. Art pupils study … .
IV. Decide if the following statements are true or false.
1. There are two stages in the state educational system in England.
2. Children start junior school at the age of seven.
3. Pupils study at secondary school more than ten years.
4. Art pupils must study Chemistry.
5. Science pupils don’t do Physical Education.
6. Private schools are schools for ordinary pupils.
7. Children are tested only at the age of 15.
8. British people don’t think much of their educational system.