Education in Great Britain
материал по английскому языку (10 класс) по теме

                        EDUCATION IN GREAT BRITAIN

        The majority of schools in Great Britain are supported by public funds and the education provided is free. But there is a considerable number of public schools. Parents have to pay fees to send their children to these schools. The fees are high. As a 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 are not selective – you don’t have to pass an exam to go there.

       The National Education Act of 1944 provided these stages of education: primary, secondary and further education. Compulsory schooling in England and Wales lasts 11 years, from the age of 5 to 16. At 16 students take exams.

        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.

         British university courses are rather short, generally lasting for 3 years. The cost of education depends on the college or university which one chooses.

                                           Primary education

          Most children start school at 5 in a primary school. A primary school may be divided into two parts – infants and juniours. 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. Much time is spent in modeling from clay or drawing, reading or singing. At 7 children go on from the infants school to the junior school.

       Pupils were streamed, according to their ability to learn, into A, B, C and D streams. The last gifted were in the D stream. It was unfair. Now there is no streaming according to ability.

                                       Secondary Education

         After the age of 11. most children go to comprehensive schools. The idea of  comprehensive schools was to give all children of whatever background the same opportunity in education.

         At around the age of 16 students in Great Britain take GCSE examinations. GCSE examinations are taken by students of all levels of ability in as many subjects as they can manage.

          Students who hope to go to university stay at school to study for A-levels in two, three of four subjects. It is a school leaving examination in a particular subject. It is necessary to have three of four A-levels to go to a university or Polytechnic. However, good exams are not enough. Universities choose their students after interviews. Tuition is free for students from low-income class.

         Some of those who decide to leave school at the age of 16 may go to a college where they can follow a course in typing, engineering, cooking or hairdressing.

GCSE examination – General Certificate of Secondary Education – oбщий аттестат о среднем образовании.

Stream – распределять по потокам.

Read the definitions and guess.

1) a fee paying school

2) a school for higher or professional education

3) a school for children under 5

4) a secondary school for young people of all levels of ability

5) a school where children can live during the school year

6) a group of students of the same age and level of ability

7) a person who is studying in a school