Устная тема "EDUCATION"

EDUCATION

Education is very important in our life. An educated person is one who knows a lot about many things. I think that education is a key to a good future.

In Belarus there are 4 stages of education: preschool education, primary school education, secondary school education and higher education. In our country primary and secondary school educations are compulsory. All in all it lasts 11 years. Children start attending primary school at the age of 6 or 7 and secondary at the age of 10 or 11 years old. Their school year begins on September 1^st and ends at the end of May. It is divided into 4 terms. At the end of each term children have holidays. Summer vacations are the longest.

The school day starts at 8 a.m. and finishes at 3 p.m. It`s also required in many schools to wear a school uniform. Alongside with comprehensive schools there are private schools which charge tuition fee. State schools are free of charge.

After the 9^th Form children can enter a college or a lyceum. These establishments provide a deeper specialization in different spheres and are more focused on the practical side of education.

To receive a GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) pupils must take 4 exams: the Russian or Belarusian Language, Mathematics, History of Belarus and Foreign Language. After the 11^th Form pupils can enter a university to get a higher education.

If we compare our system of education with the British one, there will be several differences. In comparison with Belarus, school year in Britain runs through to July and is divided into 3 terms. Schools fall into 2 main categories: state which are free and independent (private or public) which charge tuition fee. There are also academically-oriented grammar schools. To enter such a school children aged 11 should write a test of ability (11+). Public schools also require the so-called Common Entrance exams at the age of 11 for girls and 13 for boys. The brightest pupils or children from poor families can be provided with scholarships. The world famous British public schools are Eton, Harrow and Winchester.

Students in England take GCSE exams at 16. Those who want to enter a university may complete a 2-year degree course. Students are assessed with grades from A to E where A is equal to our 10 mark.

To study is not an easy thing, of course, but nowadays it is quite necessary to be highly skilled and educated specialist.