Political System of Australia. Education. Политическая система Австралии. Образование.

Тема урока: Political System of Australia. Education

Политическая система Австралии. Образование

Класс: 9
Цель урока: расширение эрудиции учащихся в области лингвострановедческих знаний.
Задачи урока:
Образовательные: 

1. развитие умения в реализации трёх видов речевой деятельности: аудирование, чтение, говорение; 

2. формирование у учащихся лингвистических понятий; 

3. повторение, закрепление лексики по теме «Политическая система Австралии. Образование», знакомство с новыми лексическими единицами (по содержанию отрывка)

Воспитательные: 

1. становление межкультурной компетенции через приобретение новых лингвострановедческих знаний; 

2. воспитание доброжелательного отношения к окружающим людям через создание эмоционально-положительной атмосферы на уроке;

3. формировать отношения в классе, взаимную ответственность и потребность в сотрудничестве.

Развивающие: 

1. развитие лингвистических способностей (фонематический слух, языковая догадка, имитация); 

2. развитие наблюдательности; концентрации внимания; 

3. развитие языковой интуиции, способности прогнозировать содержание отрывка; способности соотносить увиденное и услышанное.

Методы обучения: беседа, наглядный, мозговой штурм.

Тип урока: комбинированный.
Ресурсы: 

1. мультимедийные средства;

2. раздаточный материал.

Время: 40 минут

Ход урока
Stage 1. Organizational moment:

1.Greeting

2.Checking attendance

3. Naming the date

4. Introduction of the lesson’s program, aims

Stage 2. The teacher asks some questions about the political system of Australia, what the students know about the politics as a whole and about its education.

Stage 3. Reading

The current Australian political system is not as old as that of Britain or the United States - elements of both of which have been borrowed - but it is older than that of many other countries in the world, dating from the constitution which created the nation in 1901. If Australia can be said to have a 'founding father', then it was Henry Parkes (1815-1896) who was prime minister of New South Wales for five terms and led the movement towards a federal state which in fact he never lived to see.

THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH

Like Canada, The Commonwealth of Australia – to use the country's full name - is a constitutional monarchy so the Head of State is the monarch of the United Kingdom, currently Queen Elizabeth II. There is a growing movement in Australia to change this and turn the country into a republic. Meanwhile the monarch's power is mainly symbolic and it is usually exercised through a Governor-General at federal level and Governors at state level.

The Governor-General is advised by the current Prime Minister and the Federal Executive Council and by convention acts on this advice. All past and current Ministers are members of the Council, although in practice only current Ministers attend meetings.

The Prime Minister appoints the Cabinet from members of the legislature (either the House of Representatives or the Senate) and the normal size is around 16 members out of a total 'Ministry' of around 28.

THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

In the Australian political system, the lower chamber is the House of Representatives. The constitution requires that “as nearly as practicable” the House has double the number of seats as the Senate which has 76 seats.

Therefore the House has 150 members elected from single-member electoral divisions, commonly known as "electorates" or "seats", allocated to states on the basis of population, with each original state guaranteed a minimum of five seats.

Elections to the House of Representatives are held at least every three years with all members being up for election each time. The Prime Minister chooses when the election is to be held but the maximum term is three years. Elections to the House are held at the same time as elections to the Senate.

Since 1994, an interesting feature of the House of Representatives has been its Main Committee which is designed to be an alternative debating chamber. It is modelled after what is called the Committee of the Whole that exists in several different legislatures, particularly the lower houses in both the UK and the USA.

Parliament House is surmounted by a flag mast that rises 266 feet (81 metres).

THE SENATE

In the Australian political system, the upper chamber is the Senate. There are 76 senators: 12 each from the six states (New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia) and two each from the two mainland territories (the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory).

Elections to the Senate are held at least every three years but only half of the membership comes up for election each time. Senators have overlapping six-year terms except for those from the territories, whose terms are not fixed but are tied to the electoral cycle for the House of Representatives, so only 40 of the 76 places in the Senate are put to each election (unless the cycle is interrupted by what is called a double dissolution when all Senators are up for election as well as all members of the House). Elections to the Senate are usually held at the same time as elections to the House of Representatives. There is no constitutional requirement that elections be held simultaneously, but they mostly are - partly to avoid the obvious duplication of costs and partly because it is felt that voters would not look kindly upon a government that called separate elections. The last time only a half-Senate election was held was in 1970.

As in most bicameral legislatures, the assent of both chambers is required for legislation to be carried but, whereas in many countries the lower chamber is in practice more powerful than the upper chamber, in Australia the Senate has law-making powers almost equal to those of the House of Representatives. Historically the majority party in the House has often not had a majority in the Senate which makes votes in the upper house particularly vital and the position of minority parties crucial.

POLITICAL PARTIES

There are three major political parties:

• The Australian Labor Party which is Centre-Left and traditionally tends to align with workers and trade unions

• The Liberal Party which is Centre-Right and tends to align with the interests of business and the self-employed

• The National Party which traditionally aligns with graziers, farmers and other rural voters

Other political parties include the Greens (currently represented in the federal parliament) and the Australian Democrats (currently not represented in the federal parliament) plus parties that operate only at a state level.

In federal elections, the Liberal and National Parties usually run as a coalition in opposition to Labor.

THE JUDICIAL BRANCH

The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by both the federal and state parliaments, and interprets the Constitution.

Membership of the High Court is seven justices – one the Lord Chief Justice – each of whom is appointed by the Governor-General to serve until the age of 70.

The second highest court in Australia is called the Federal Court which covers almost all civil and some criminal matters arising under federal law. Membership consists of 45 justices appointed by the Governor-General to serve until the age of 70.

The Australian Flag is based on the Blue Ensign. It is a plain blue flag with the British Union Jack in the upper corner of the hoist. This symbolises both Australia's colonial background and the present-day membership of the British Commonwealth. Underneath is the seven-pointed Commonwealth star. Each point represents either a state or territory. On the right hand side there are five white stars in the shape of the Southern Cross, the constellation most characteristic of the Australian sky at night.

At the time of Federation in 1901, there was no Australian flag. Because we were then a colony of Britain, we used British flags. The new Government held an international competition which attracted an enormous number of entries, 32,823! From these the present design was chosen - it had been submitted by five different people, including a 14 year old boy, an 18 year old and a New Zealander. King Edward VII approved the design in February 1903. In 1908 the six pointed white star was replaced by a seven pointed star to represent the territories.

3 September each year has been declared Australian National Flag Day (not a public holiday).

Any Australian citizen or organisation may display the Australian National Flag. This may be done between 8am and sunset, or at night if properly illuminated.

The Aboriginal Flag

The Aboriginal Flag was designed by Harold Thomas, an artist and an Aboriginal, in 1971. It has become a symbol for modern Aborigines in their fight for land rights and equality.

Black is for the colour of the people.
Red is for the land and for the blood that has been shed since the European invasion.
Yellow is for the sun, the life-giving source uniting both the land and the people.

First flown in 1972 at the Tent Embassy in Canberra.

The Aboriginal flag is increasingly being flown by both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. In 1994 the Government took steps to give the flag legal recognition. After a period of public consultation the Government, in July 1995, decided that the flag should be proclaimed a "Flag of Australia" under section 5 of the Flags Act 1953. The flag was so proclaimed by the Governor General of Australia, William Hayden, on 14 July 1995.

ADVANCE AUSTRALIA FAIR

Australians all let us rejoice,

For we are young and free,

We've golden soil and wealth for toil;

Our home is girt by sea;

Our land abounds in nature's gifts

Of beauty rich and rare;

In history's page, let every stage

Advance Australia Fair.

Beneath our radiant Southern Cross,

We'll toil with hearts and hands;

To make this Commonwealth of ours

Renowned of all the lands;

For those who've come across the seas

We've boundless plains to share;

With courage let us all combine

To Advance Australia Fair.

In joyful strains then let us sing,

Advance Australia Fair.

The Coat of Arms The present coat of arms was granted in 1912 by King George V. It consists of a shield composed of six parts, each containing a badge for each state. These are surrounded by an ermine border, signifying the federation of the States into the Commonwealth. The shield is supported by two Australian animals, the kangaroo on the left and the emu on the right. They are standing on ornamental rests, behind which are small branches of wattle. The crest consists of the seven-pointed Commonwealth gold star, a symbol of national unity. At the base of the shield is a scroll on which is printed the word "Australia".

Australia's National Colours

Three colour combinations traditionally claim to be Australia's national colours: red, white and blue; blue and gold; and green and gold.

Red, white and blue were featured in the first Coat of Arms of the Commonwealth in 1908 and are the colours of the Australian national flag.

The colours blue and gold have heraldic significance as they are the colours of the crest in Commonwealth Coat of Arms.

Green and gold gained wide popularity and acceptance in sporting events, both here and internationally. They were proclaimed Australia's national colours by the Governor-General on 19 April 1984. Prior to that there were no official colours.

Education in Australia.

Pre-school, or Day Care, centres allow children to get used to being away from their parents while playing with other children. Parents often enrol their child in Pre-school or Day Care when returning to work. Pre-schools are generally open from 9am to 2:30pm. While not a formal learning environment, Pre-school helps children to learn through play. Some Pre-schools are government run and funded, while privately run centres charge around $50 a day. After Pre-school, children generally move on to Kindergarten.

Kindergarten is the first stage of schooling in Australia. Children typically attend Kindergarten in the year before Primary school, at around the age of four to five.

Kids attend Primary school for six or seven years. With compulsory entry usually by age six, students start out in 'Grade Prep'. They then move on to 'Grade One', 'Grade Two' and so on until 'Grade Six'. In some states and territories, the first year of Primary school is called 'Year 1' and the last, 'Year 7'. Primary school includes teaching students basic language, arithmetic, health and social education. After graduating, students move on to Middle or Secondary school.

Some schools have a Middle School, which bridges the Primary to Secondary school years. Students from Grade Five or Six through to around Year 10 move through the Middle school. They then enter their final years at Secondary school.

Secondary school is also known as 'High school'. Most Secondary schools offer a general curriculum, including English, maths, science and humanities subjects. Australia also has some agricultural, language and technical schools that offer vocationally focused curriculum. Some high schools have a separate senior school campus for students completing their final two years.

Students must attend every weekday until they graduate their final year, at around 18 years of age. Or students can opt to leave at the school leaving age for their State or Territory (see below). Students can receive their School Certificate at the end of Year 10. This certificate is usually required to gain employment or an apprenticeship. To enrol in a TAFE course (see below) also usually requires a Year 10 School Certificate. To attend University, students must complete their final year and examinations. They then receive a certificate and a mark, which universities use to wholly or partly determine whether they will accept the student into one of their courses.

At University, students study for an Undergraduate or Bachelor degree to help them enter their career of choice. This is their first degree and is referred to as 'Higher Education'. Students can then undertake 'Further Education', which can include an extra year of study called an 'Honours' year, as well as a Masters degree and Doctorates. Most Australian Universities offer on-campus and distance education learning to students. Courses available include Medicine, Information Technology, Business, Media and Arts.

Students must pay fees to attend University. Fees vary according to the area of study. The federal government offers a loan scheme to students to help pay for their University education. This is called HECS-HELP. Students pay back the loan once they reach the minimum threshold for compulsory repayment.

The Australian education system also includes TAFE, which stands for Technical and Further Education. TAFE courses are vocational, which means they are designed to expedite entry into a job after graduation. A TAFE education costs considerably less than university.

Public or 'State' schools in Australia are non-fee paying schools. They are run by the Department of Education (part of the Australian Government), which funds Public school education. Most are co-educational day schools, with a small number of high schools also being boarding schools. Most State schools request voluntary levies from parents to fund extra resources and activities. Other expenses include uniforms, text books and field excursions. Students usually attend a State school that is geographically close to their home. Some State schools house both Primary and Secondary schools on the same campus (usually rural areas). State schools must follow federal government guidelines when setting their curriculum. This means the curriculum is similar in State schools across the country.

Private schools are partially funded by the government but also charge fees. These fees are usually quite high and depend on factors including a student's age, the school's location and its reputation. As a guide, fees can range from $2,000 to $13,000 per year. Most Private schools offer scholarships for tuition fees that are awarded based on academic ability.

Australia has both day and boarding Private schools. Private schools are often single-sex, especially at Secondary school level. Private schools usually have smaller class sizes, which may contribute to their reputation as offering a superior education to Public schools. In Private schools, each year level is usually referred to as a 'form', in line with British naming conventions. Private schools often have long waiting lists for entry.

Parents can choose to Home School their children, rather than send them to a traditional Public or Private school. No teaching qualifications are needed by parents. Parents can teach their children or employ a tutor. For more information, search for the Alternative Education Resources Group in the state or territory you're interested in.

Australia has dedicated schools for children with deafness and blindness. There are also hospital schools for children who are sick and are hospitalised for long periods. Many schools also have special programs for students with learning difficulties and disabilities. Parents are encouraged to send children with disabilities to mainstream schools. For more information, search for the Specific Learning Difficulties Association (SPELD).

• The school year in Australia starts in late January and finishes in December, just before Christmas.

• Every two years, students' literacy skills are tested as part of the Literacy For All program. This program has raised Australia's numeracy and literacy levels.

• Each school has a Parents and Citizens committee. Parents and teachers work together to decide on school policies, some curriculum and to raise extra funds.

• Local students are given priority entry to their closest school and are guaranteed a place at their local high school. Students can attend a non-local school if there is a vacancy.

• Admission enquiries can be made straight to a school's principal (headmaster).

• During Primary and Secondary school, Parent-Teacher interviews are held, which give teachers and parents the opportunity to discuss a student's progress.

• In Primary school, students usually have one teacher. In Secondary school, students usually have one teacher for each subject.

• School usually starts between 8-9am and finishes by 3-4pm. Students are given a morning break, lunch break, and in some schools, an afternoon break. Morning, After School and Holiday Care is available at some schools for working parents.

• Students enjoy around two weeks of holidays between school terms. Over summer the break extends to six or seven weeks. During the year, students get Public Holidays off school including Anzac Day (25 April). Plus, students are not required at school on 'Curriculum Days', which are professional days for teachers to work on the school's curriculum.

• Most schools require students to wear uniforms. These usually include embroidered Summer, Winter and Sports uniforms.

Task 4. Speaking

Using the diagram below speak about the education in Australia.

Using the diagram below speak about the political system of Australia

Stage 5. Setting home task

Learn new facts about the Political System and education of Australia.