greatbritain

UNIT 4

EDUCATION

Part 1. Schools

In Britain it is compulsory for everyone between the ages of 5 and 16 years to receive some officially recognised form of schooling, though most secondary schools continue to provide education until the age of 18. The vast majority of pupils (85%) attend state comprehensive schools1, which are absolutely free, including all text books and exercise books. There are also about 500 private schools providing secondary education, which are not financed by the state (so called «independent» schools). The most famous of these schools, confusingly known as public schools2, are Eton, Harrow, Rugby and Winchester.

Compulsory education begins at 5, and most children attend state primary schools until they are 11. Normally the primary school is divided into Infants — 5–7 years old, and Juniors — 7–11 years old.

At the age of 11 pupils change from primary to secondary school, where they stay until they are 16. The schools are not ‘specialised’ — pupils choose from the numerous subjects taught in their particular school. According to the National Curriculum introduced in 1988 a number of subjects became compulsory, however, for all types of schools. Now three core subjects — English, Mathematics and Science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics)3, and seven other foundation subjects — Technology4, History, Geography, Music, Art, Physical Education (P.E.) and a modern foreign language — are included in the curricula of all pupils.

To help young people to plan their careers different types of vocational training were introduced in some state schools for 14 to 18 year-olds in the subject areas of health, business, social care, information technology, manufacturing and others.

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UNIT 4. EDUCATION

After ten years of of study usually at the age of 16, most pupils take their examinations for General Certificate of Secondary Educationl (GCSE)5. The pupils are assessed on the basis of a mixture of course work and written examination, in the individual subjects. The highest mark or grade is A, then go B, C, D, F and G, unsatisfactory mark is U.

Those pupils who have got some vocational training and leave school at the age of 16 for employment can also take examinations for General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs)6 Foundation Level, which is equivalent to four GCSEs at grades D to G.

Young people who decide to continue their education at the age of 16 can go on to further education either in schools or in colleges. In this case students must have their examination grades in their GCSE exams not lower than C.

Many continue their education in schools in the Sixth Form7, or in Sixth Form Colleges and study for General Certificate of Education Advanced level (GCE A-level)8 qualifications. A-levels are taken in schools and colleges after two years of study. Students normally specialise and take exams in two or three subjects which are necessary for them to enter the university. Others take up GNVQs, usually at Intermediate and Advanced Levels.

GNVQs Intermediate Level is equivalent to 5 GCSEs at grades A to C, and Advanced Level is equivalent to two GCE A –levels.

Both GCE A-levels and GNVQs Advanced Level are accepted as entry qualifications for higher education in the universities.

Vocabulary

a)academic (year), according to, advanced (level), boarding school, compulsory, core (subjects), course (work), curriculum (pl.: curricula), employment, entrance (examinations), entry, foundation (subjects), grade, higher (education), independent, information technology, manufacturing, mark, a number (of), numerous, particular, a pass, primary, private, secondary (education), social (care), (un)satisfactory, vocational (training), at least, either… or…;

b)to accept, to assess, to change (from…to…), to finance, to provide, to receive, to recognize, to specialise.

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PART 1. Schools

Notes on the text

1.state comprehensive schools — государственные общеобразовательные школы;

2.public schools — частные школы;

3.Science — естественные науки, предмет включает основы биологии, химии и физики;

4.Technology — зд.: труд ( предмет в школе);

5.General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) — общее свидетельство (аттестат) о среднем образовании;

6.General National Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs) — Общее национальное свидетельство о профессиональной квалификации (Аттестат о среднем профессиональном образовании), выдается разных уровней: «foundation» level – «основной» уровень; «intermediate» level — «средний» уровень; «advanced» level — «продвинутый» уровень;

7.Sixth Form — «шестой класс», два года обучения в старшей школе или специальном колледже (Sixth Form College) для получения Аттестата о среднем образовании «продвинутого уровня» (см. п. 8), дающего право поступления в вуз;

8.General Certificate of Education Advanced level (GCE A-lev- el) — аттестат о среднем образовании повышенного уровня сложности («продвинутый уровень»).

Exercises

1. Practice the pronunciation of the following words.

Technology [tFk`nOlqGI], Eton [`Jtqn], Harrow [`hxrqu], Rugby

[`rAgbI], Winchester [`wInCqstq], comprehensive [kOmprI`hFnsIv], certificate [sq`tIfIkIt], compulsory [kqm`pAlsqrI], primary [`praImqrI], numerous [`njHmqrqs], particular [pq`tIkjulq], curriculum

[kq`rIkjulqm], core [kL], specialise [`spFSqlaIz], finance [faI`nxns], assess [q`sFs], recognise [`rFkqgnaIz], accept [qk`sFpt].

2. Fill in the gaps with the words from the text “Scools”.

1. Children aged from 5 to 7 receive ………. Education. 2. When pupils are about 11 they continue their education at a …………

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UNIT 4. EDUCATION

school. 3. Schooling is ……….. for everyone under 16. 4. There are two main types of schools in Britain — ………. ..and …………..

schools. 5. Education in state schools is……….., and pupils don’t pay for textbooks and exercise books. 6. Private schools are not……….. by the state. 7. The ……….. for public schools are very high. 8. According to the National …………… several subjects are compulsory for all pupils. 9. The……… compulsory subjects are English, Maths and ………. . 10. When students finish compulsory secondary education they have to take their ……… exams. 11. If a student decides to go to university, he has to……….. for two more years in two or three ……… . 12. Both ………and …….. are used as an entrance qualification for university.

3. Find English equivalents for the following expressions and use them in the sentences of your own.

Обязательное среднее образование; получать образование; посещать государственную общеобразовательную школу; бесплатное образование; школа-интернат; плата за обучение; государственная программа обучения; базовые предметы; учебный год; сдавать экзамены; получать аттестат о среднем образовании; профессиональное обучение; оценивать знания на основании результатов экзаменов.

4. Use the chart below and describe British primary and secondary education.

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PART 2. Higher Education

5. Read the text below and answer the following questions:

1)What is the admission procedure to public schools?

2)What do public schools emphasize in their teaching methods?

3)Why do pubic schools have a great influence on the English social structure?

The admission of boys to public schools is decided by the authorities of each public school, who may take into account various factors, such as the eminence of the boy’s father. The boys at a public school are nearly all sons of people who have substantial social position. In their teaching methods the public schools emphasize the importance of character-building and training the boys for future positions of leadership. Although the number of public schools is not big, they have a great influence on the English social structure. Almost all ministers of the past Conservative Cabinets, most of the bishops of the Anglican Church, judges, top civil servants, the generals in the army, and the men who hold the leading positions in the business world were educated at public schools.

6. Read the following English proverbs and sayings and find their Russian equivalents.

It is never too late to learn.

A wise man changes his mind, a fool never will.

A Jack of all trades is master of none.

Better unborn than untaught.

Part 2. Higher Education

Higher educational establishments for those who left school are usually called universities or colleges. There are today 90 higher educational establishments in the UK.

The universities fall into the following categories.

1.The oldest and most famous universities are Oxford and Cambridge (or ‘Oxbridge’), founded in the middle ages, and Durham founded in 1832.

2.Scotland has four old universities — Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Glasgow and St. Andrew’s, all dating from the 15th — 16th centuries, and four new ones.

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UNIT 4. EDUCATION

3.Provincial1 universities (or “Redbrick”). It is the name for the group of universities founded between the late 19th and mid-20th century to serve the needs of their city or surrounding area. They include Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Liverpool, and some others.

4.The new universities, opened after 1960. They are: East Anglia, Essex, Sussex, Kent, Lancaster, Warwick, York. Like Oxbridge, the new universities are “national”, not “provincial”.

5.The University of Wales comprises several university colleges, the Welsh National School of Medicine and the University of Wales Institute of Science and Technology.

6.The Open University was established in 1969 and has its own specific structure.

7.London University was opened in 1836. It is the biggest university in Britain and has its own specific structure as well.

8.In Northern Ireland there are two universities in Belfast and in Colerain.

In addition to universities there are also polytechnics2 — the higher institutions which represent centres for advanced courses of university level in a wide range of subjects. They provide more work-oriented courses than universities which are aimed at giving an academic education and do not usually prepare students for a particular profession. Some of these courses are part-time when the students are released by their employers for one day a week or longer periods.

Universities in Britain enjoy complete academic freedom3, choosing their own staff and deciding which students to admit, what and how to teach, and which degrees to award. They are mainly governmentfunded except for the totally independent University of Buckingham.

The basic qualification for university admission is the GCE at “A” level or GNVQs at Intermediate and Advanced level, but applications for places at universities exceed the number available. Therefore entry to the universities is competitive.

Virtually all students on full-time courses receive grants or loans from the government, which cover their tuition fees, accommodation

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PART 2. Higher Education

and everyday expenses. Full-time students may be provided with accommodation in a hostel also called ‘a hall of residence’ or ‘hall’. If a student has a room in a private house where the landlady provides his or her meals, he is said to live in lodgings4 (or in ‘digs’)3 A student can also rent a flat which he or she usually shares with one or more others, or live at home with parents.

The university academic year (or more formal ‘session’) is divided into three terms: the first term (October, 5 — December, 15), the second term (January, 10 — March, 20), the third term (April, 25 — June, 30). Universities and colleges have vacations often called ‘vacs’ in conversation. They are the Christmas, the Easter and the summer vacations. At the end of each academic year sessional examinations are held. If examinations are also held in the middle of the session, they are called mid-sessionals.

The university day is usually divided into hours also called classes or lectures. If classes last two hours, they are called ‘a double period’ or ‘a double’. Student’s work is usually assessed by means of grades from A — the highest — down to D or E. ‘B’ is average, and ‘C’ or below is considered less than satisfactory.

Besides studies students are encouraged to participate in extracurricular activities, such as clubs, societies, choirs, dramatic productions, excursions, and others. The most popular among these are sports clubs, especially rowing, golf, football and tennis.

The number of faculties and subjects they include varies from one university to another. For example, the list of faculties of Birmingham University includes Arts, Science and Engineering, Medicine and Dentistry, Law, Commerce and Social Sciences.

The Faculty of Science exists in all English universities. It can be subdivided into pure theoretical science, applied science and agricultural science. The Faculty includes natural or physical sciences, such as biology, chemistry, mathematics, geography and others.

The university staff includes: assistant lectures — usually a beginner’s post — lectures, senior lectures (or readers, or assistantprofessors) and professors; ‘professor’ is the highest rank. The head of the university is a Chancellor5, but it does not correspond

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UNIT 4. EDUCATION

to the Russian “ректор”, it is purely an honorary and ceremonial appointment. The Chancellor is a public figure who attends the degree ceremony and some other events but has nothing to do with6 running the university.

The head of the faculty is the dean, and his deputies are usually known as sub-deans. The board of the faculty is responsible for faculty matters and is presided over be the dean.

A university degree course usually extends over three or four years, but in medicine, dentistry and veterinary science five or six years are required. The degree of Bachelor is awarded on the completion of such a course. Students who are studying for a degree are called undergraduates. Those who have passed their examinations and have been awarded a degree are graduates.

The first postgraduate degree is a Master’s degree. It is conferred for a thesis based on, at least, one year’s full-time work, but the time actually taken is usually more than one year. The following postgraduate degree is that of Doctor of Philosophy. It takes two or three years. It is given for a thesis which is an original contribution to knowledge. Actual degrees vary according to the practice of each university, but most universities differentiate between arts and science and award degrees of Bachelor of Arts (B. A.), Bachelor of Science (B. Sc.), Master of Arts (M. A.), Master of Science (M. Sc.) and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph. D) which has no special reference to philosophy and the same for all faculties.

Professional qualifications in Britain are generally prescribed and enforced by bodies formed by members of the professionals. For most careers further study in one form or another is required of the graduate before he or she can qualify in his or her profession.

Vocabulary

a) particular, thesis, actually, contribution, (sub)dean, reference, completion, competitive, honorary, ceremonial, appointment, totally, virtually, accommodation, residence, expenses, admission, (under)graduate, postgraduate, degree, Bachelor, Master, pure/ applied (science), double period, average, satisfactory, grade, grant,

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PART 2. Higher Education

loan, tuition (fee), reader, session(als), entry, the board, veterinary, Easter, employer, choir deputy;

b) to aim (at), to enforce, to prescribe, to require, to qualify, to correspond (to), to release, to admit, to confer, to date (from), to vary, to run (a university), to be encouraged, to exceed, to serve (the needs), to cover (tuition fees), to share, to enjoy (freedom), to rent, to obtain, to differentiate, to award, to preside (over).

Notes on the text

1.Provintial universities — университеты местного значения;

2.politechnics — технические высшие учебные заведения;

3.to enjoy freedom — пользоваться свободой;

4.to live in lodgings — снимать комнату, ‘digs’ — разг. : жилье, нора, берлога;

5.Chancellor — почетный ректор университета (в Великобритании);

6.to have nothing to do (with) — не иметь никакого отношения (к).

Exercises

1. Practice the pronunciation of the following words.

Oxford [`Oksfqd], Cambridge [`keImbrIG], Oxbridge

[`OksbrIG], Durham [`dArqm], Aberdeen [xbq`dJn], St. Andrew’s [snt`xndruz], Leeds [lJdz], Anglia [`xNglIq], Essex [`esIks], Sussex [`sAsIks], Lancaster [`lxNkqstq], Warwick [`wOrIk], Colerain [`kqulrqn], Chancellor [`CRnselq], provincial [prq`vInSql], specific [spq`sIfIk],structure[`strAkCq], polytechnic[pOlI`tFknIk],institution [InstI`tjHSqn], totally [`tqutqlI], competitive [kqm`pFtItIv], tuition [tjH`ISqn], double [dAbl], period [`pIqrIqd], choir [`kwaIq], honorary [`OnqrqrI], ceremony [`sFrImqnI], veterinary [`vFtrInqrI], career [kq`rIq], qualify [`kwOlIfaI].

2. Find the equivalents to the following word combinations.

Заканчивать школу; давать образование; самый знаменитый; университеты местного значения; профессионально ориентированное образование; вечернее обучение; дневное обу-

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UNIT 4. EDUCATION

чение; получать стипендию; получать ссуду; компенсировать плату за обучение; проживание в общежитии; повседневные расходы; принимать в вуз; финансироваться государством; результаты экзаменов повышенного уровня сложности; степень бакалавра; степень магистра; аспирантура; почетная должность; преподавательский состав; присудить степень; диплом, письменная научная работа; общественный деятель; учебный год; Совет факультета.

3. Match the following expressions.

4. Fill in the gaps with the words from the text.

1)Politechnics and some colleges provide more ____________

education than universities.

2)The oldest British universities are ______________ .

3)Almost all British universities are financed by __________ .

4)Candidates to a university a accepted on the basis of ________

________ .

5)Students doing a university course for a first degree are called

_____________ .

6)The course for the Bachelor lasts _____________ .

7)Almost all full-time students receive ____________ from the government.

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