What would you say if you were asked about the education system in the UK?

16. What would you say if you were asked about the education system in the UK?

The quality of a country’s future life depends on the quality of its education system. Britains have always shown a great concern for education. Education in the United Kingdom is compulsory from the age of five to sixteen. Children under five go either to nursery schools, or to playgroup. Both types of pre-primary educational establishments are non-state; the differences is that a child spends the whole day in nursery school, while he or she can stay in a playgroup only for some hours a day. The main aim of such kind of establishments is to make the children ready for primary schools. Children play, draw, model things from clay and learn to work together. Compulsory education for all children begins at the age of five. There are more than thirty thousand state schools in Britain. All of them are the responsibility of the Local Educational Authorities. Those parents who prefer to send their children to private institutions, and could afford it, are free to do so. The Local Educational Authorities caters for the curriculum and exams in each region, they also appoint head teachers and held tests at schools. Primary school is for children from five to eleven. At first the studies are more like playing than working; English teachers say that this is the best way for children to get used to school. Probably they are right: children learn better when they play. Until 1964 children took an «eleven plus» exam at the age of eleven. At this exam they were selected according to their current level of academic attainment, for education in different types of secondary schools (Grammar, Modern Schools). In 1965 non-selective comprehensive schools were introduced. So, at the age of eleven pupils go to comprehensive schools. Children usual wear a uniform, it is different in different schools. They study Maths, English, Arts, English Literature, Geography, one or two foreign languages, usually French, German or Italian, Physical Education, Information Technology, Science, Biology. At the end of their studies they take General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations O-level and then they either leave school and start working or continue their studies at school or at college for two more years. They take only the subjects they need for entering the university of their choice. At the age of eighteen they take General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations A-level. They usually take three or four A-levels. There are no entrance exams to universities, so the students can enter the university or a college on the results of their A-level exams. Speaking about education in the UK it is necessary to say that there is a great difference between state education and private education. State schools are free and about ninety per cent of all children attend them. Private or public schools are very expensive. These are usually boarding schools, where children stay while they study, coming home only on vacations. These schools are for children between 13 and 18. Before entering, a public school children are usually educated at home. State schools are usually mixed, while private schools are typically, single-sex, with a few exceptions. Eton is one of the oldest public schools in Great Britain. It is a single-sex school. Some words about University Education in Great Britain. There are 46 universities in Britain. But not all universities are equal. They differ from one another in history, tradition, academic organization. Not all British universities are backed by a well-known reputation. Oxford and Cambridge, the oldest universities are world-known for their academic excellence. The University of London is one of the best UK’s university. A British university usually consists of colleges. The departments of the colleges are organized into faculties. University teaching in the UK differ from that in other countries. The first degree of Bachelor is given to students who pass exams at the end of three or four years of study. Further study or research is required for the first post-graduate degree of Master and Doctor. University teaching combines lectures given by professors, readers or lecturers, practical classes and small group teaching in seminars and tutorials. Nowadays teacher training in GB is realized at universities and colleges of higher education. The Programme usually consists of three components: School-based experience, Subject studies and Education studies. Theory of Education is one of the main subjects. Junior students go into school for one, day each week, watching experienced teachers at work. Senior students spend fifteen weeks on teaching practice. They observe lessons and take an active part in discussing them with a tutor on school practice. Final examinations are taken at the end of the course.