I'd like to tell you a few words about education in Britain and in Russia and I'd like to start with British education system.
Primary education begins at the age of 5 in England. It includes three age ranges:
nursery for children under 5 years,
infants from 5 to 7,
juniors from 7 to 11 years old.
In nursery schools babies don’t have real classes, they learn some elementary things such as numbers, colours and letters. Besides, they play, have lunch and sleep there. Children usually start their school education in an infant school and move to a junior school at the age of 7.
Compulsory secondary education begins when children are 11 or 12 and lasts for 5 years: one form to each year. Secondary schools are generally much larger than primary ones. Schoolchildren attend:
State schools
Private or public schools ( they are often boarding schools where children live and study, the most famous public schools are Eton (where prince William studied, Harrow and Winchester)
Grammar schools
Comprehensive schools
About 5 per cent of schoolchildren attend fee-paying private or public schools. Most of these schools are boarding ones, where children live as well as study. The most famous British public schools are Eton, Harrow and Winchester.
The large majority of British schools teach both boys and girls together. But grammar schools, which give state secondary education of a very high standard, teach boys and girls separately.
The main school examination, the General Certificate of secondary education (GCSE) examination is taken at the age of 16. If pupils are successful, they can make their choice: they may either go to a Further Education College or a Polytechnic or they may 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 enter one of British universities.
Higher Education
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).
As for Russian education it differs from British
In Russia children at the age of 3 to 6 years old can go to a preschool or kindergarten if their parents want it. And when they are 7 they go to school.
In Russia children begin going to school at the age of seven. First they study at the elementary school. It lasts three or four years. At the elementary school children get the elementary education, they learn to read, write and count.
From the fifth form the secondary education begins. Children begin learning different subjects, such as Literature, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Computing, Foreign Languages and soon. The nine-year secondary education is compulsory in our country, but after completing the nine-year schooling pupils face the first serious decision in their lives. They have to decide either to continue their studies in the tenth and eleventh forms at a general secondary school, or go to specialised colleges to choose a particular career. Colleges give young people a secondary education plus trade training. This means that after finishing a college they are both educated and financially independent, able to go straight to a job.
After finishing school or college young people may enter institute or university to get the higher education. After finishing the fourth course they get the bachelor's degree and after graduating from the higher educational establishment - the master's degree. To study is not an easy thing, of course, but nowadays it is quite necessary to be highly skilled and educated specialist.
Everyone in our country has the right to education. It is said in our Constitution. But it is not only a right, it is a duty, too. Every boy and every girl in Russia must go to school, that is they must get a full secondary education. So, when they are 6 or 7 years old they begin to go to school.
If all good people were clever and all clever people were good, the world would be nicer than ever. I think that education is a key to a good future. And schools are the first step on the education-way. Schools help young people to choose their career, to prepare for their future life, they make pupils clever and well-educated. They give pupils the opportunity to fulfil their talent.
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