Glossary

aptitude	inherent ability
blanket (adj)	applying to all areas or situations
coeducational	attended by members of both sexes
cohort	group people having approximately the same age
comprehensive	including all or everything
compulsory	required by law or an authority
facilitator	someone who makes progress easier
maintained-maintained school	school in the UK that receives its money directly from the government
mandatory	required by rule
statutory	prescribed or authorized by a statute
vocational	of or relation to a vocation or occupation

Comprehension

Exercise 1. Look at the diagram of the UK school system and answer the questions about the levels of school education:

1. What is the age of compulsory education in the UK?

2. What kind of educational establishments is available for children below the compulsory age of schooling?

3. What are the four key stages of school education in the UK?

4. What is the age of primary education in Britain?

5. What are the two systems of primary schools?

6. What is the compulsory age of secondary education?

7. What can a person do after the age of compulsory education?

Exercise 2. Read the text and fit the sentences below into their correct places in it. There is one extra sentence you will not need.

Generally, all publicly-funded primary schools must provide the National Curriculum to their students. National Curriculum core subjects for primary schools are: English, mathematics and science. [1] Foundation subjects are design and technology; information and communication technology; history; geography; modern foreign languages; music; art and design; physical education; religious education; and citizenship. Although learning a modern foreign language in England does not become compulsory until the beginning of key stage 3 (students aged 11+), the Government encourages the optional learning of a foreign language prior to this stage.

All maintained schools in England are required to provide religious education and a daily act of collective worship. [2]

The school year consists of 380 (half-day) sessions. The actual dates of terms and holidays are determined annually by the local education authority (LEA). In general, the school year runs from about the first week of September to the third week of July. [3] The school week normally runs from Monday to Friday. The school day is divided into two sessions, one in the morning (usually between 9am and 12 noon) and one in the afternoon (usually between around 1 pm and 3.30pm).

In general, all children in their final year of key stage 2 (normally in Year 6 and aged 11 by the end of the school year) are assessed by teacher assessment in all compulsory National Curriculum subjects and by national tests in English, mathematics and science. [4] All students continue to secondary education, regardless of the outcome of the end of key stage 2 assessment.

A Unlike the key stage 1 tests, the National Curriculum key stage 2 tests are externally marked.

B At the request of a parent, any child in a publicly-funded primary school in England may, however, be excused from these activities.

C Welsh is a core subject in Welsh-speaking schools.

D Many of these are boarding schools, where children live and sleep during the term.

E It is divided into three terms, with a long summer break of about six weeks in July and August, shorter breaks of two to three weeks at Christmas and Easter, and one week in the middle of each term.

Exercise 3. Match the kinds of secondary school that exist in Britain with their descriptions:

1. comprehensive schools 2. grammar schools 3. secondary modern schools 4. technical schools 5. public schools 6. sixth form colleges

a. Some of the more traditional independent (privately run) schools in England and Wales. Many of these are boarding schools, where children live and sleep during the term. Eton and Harrow are the most famous schools of this kind. b. Schools that admit children of all abilities and provide a wide range of secondary education for all or most of the children in a district. They are usually mixed. c. Schools that provide mainly academic course for selected pupils from the age of 11 to 18, usually leading to a university. d. These schools were formed to provide non-academic education up to the minimum school-leaving age for students of lesser attainment. The curriculum includes such practical subjects as cooking, gardening, typing, shorthand, woodwork, metalwork. e. These schools provide a general academic education, but place particular emphasis on technical subjects. They admit children with lower marks than grammar schools. There are very few schools of this type in England and Wales. f. Offer opportunity for specialised study (the curriculum is narrowed to about 5 subjects) after the compulsory schooling age, often aimed at university entry.

Exercise 4. Fill in the missing information in the table:

Certificate	Country	Age	Number of subjects	notes
GCSE ('O' level)		15-16	6-7
SCE	Scotland
'A' level
SCE 'Highers'

Exercise 5. Read the text and match the bodies responsible for school education with their functions:

• The Department of Education and Science

• Local education authorities

• Boards of governors

Three partners are responsible for the education service: central government – the Department of Education and Science (DES), local education authorities (LEAs), and schools themselves. Every state school has its own governing body (a board of governors), consisting of teachers, parents, local politicians, businessmen and members of the local community. ____________________ is concerned with the formation of national policies for education. It is responsible for the maintenance of minimum national standard of education.

_____________________ are charged with the provision and day-to-day running of the schools and colleges in their areas and the recruitment and payment of the teachers who work in them. They are responsible for the provision of buildings, materials and equipment. However, the choice of textbooks and timetable are usually left to the headmaster. The content and methods of teaching are decided by the individual teacher.

____________________ are responsible for their school’s main policies, including the recruitment of the staff. A great role is played by the Parent Teacher Association (PTA). Practically all parents are automatically members of the PTA and are invited to take part in its many activities.

Ex. 6 Describe the peculiarities of the following types of universities and colleges in the UK:

• The two old English universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

• London Universities

• The “civic” universities.

• The new universities.

• The Red Brick Universities.

• The Open University

• The privately financed University of Buckingham

Exercise 7. For the following statements indicate one or several names or types of universities and colleges:

1. The first university to admit women was___________________________________________.

2. The universities that appeared in the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth are called ___________________________________________________________.

3. Universities famous for their personal tuition system are______________________________.

4. The colleges which have the closest links with business and industry are _________________.

5. The Colleges of Advanced Technology which became universities after 1963 are now called ___________________________________________________________________________.

6. The most famous institution of distance learning in Great Britain is _____________________.

7. The term “red-brick” is used to refer to these two types of universities: ____________________.

8. Teaching qualifications are most commonly provided by this type of colleges ______________.

9. Glasgow University belongs to __________________________________________________.

10. The most famous privately financed university is ____________________________________.

Exercise 8. Answer the following questions about the admission procedure used in Britain:

1. Where should school leavers in Britain apply to if they want to go to university?

2. What does a candidate write on the UCAS form?

3. What papers are sent to the UCAS along with the completed UCAS form?

4. What does the UCAS do with the applicant’s papers?

5. What university groups consider the applications for admission?

6. What decision may be sent to the applicant?

1. When is a definite offer sent to the applicant?

Exercise 9. Fill in the missing information in the table about types of degrees awarded by British Universities.

Type of degree				Number of years
	PhD
	MA,MSc	research
First degrees BA, BSc	honours		First class
	ordinary

Exercise 10. Read the text and fit the sentences below into their proper places

DISTANCE LEARNING

The defining feature of distance learning is that you do not need to attend the awarding university/institution in person. This allows you to study from home with course materials provided by the institution. (1) Institutions provide special systems of support to help you through the course.

This style of study is not new. The University of London established its External Programme in 1858 to make the degree accessible to students who, for one reason or another, could not come to London to study, and it now offers a range of undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications, to almost 24,500 students in over 157 countries around the world. Many professional bodies were also aware of the conflict that people face between the need to work full time and the need to acquire and keep up to date a professional qualification. (2)

Provision for students unable to attend university increased in 1969 when the Open University was established. (3) It offers its 150.000 students the opportunity of studying for undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications or a range of professional diplomas. Now a growing number of other UK institutions are developing distance learning programmes to offer students the chance of studying without leaving home.

The academic support given to a distance learning student varies from programme to programme and from institution to institution. (4) In its simplest form, students may receive basic academic guidance through specially written study guides and past examination papers and reports. However, many programmes provide an extensive range of materials including videos, computer disks, audio tapes and annotated texts. Some institutions have introduced programmes of study which can be delivered to a student’s home by Internet. Direct tutor support may not always be available, but, if it is, it may be given through seminars given by visiting academics and email/fax responses to assignments returned to the home institution, residential summer schools and/or revision weekends. (5)

The choice of qualifications available to students is wide, from ‘A’ levels to undergraduate diploma and degrees, master’s programmes and PhD by research.

A Since the turn of the century, such bodies have offered their members the opportunity to gain qualifications through correspondence courses.

B However, the focus is on self-study.

C These can be paper-based, on CD-Rom or provided through the Internet.

D Some universities and colleges have local partners who provide on the spot advice and support.

E The OU differs from most other British universities in that it is open to any adult living in the UK/EU irrespective of previous educational qualifications.

Exercise 11. Answer the following questions about students' finance in Britain:

1. What are the main costs for university students in Britain?

2. What governmental support can a student receive towards his/ her tuition fees? What does it depend on?

3. In what form is the help towards living expenses provided by the government? On what conditions?

4. What are the two main types of scholarships?

Exercise 12. Explain how the following is connected with the system of teacher training in the UK:

• Teacher Training Association (TTA)

• College of Education

• initial teacher training

• in-service training

• Postgraduate certificate of Education

• Open University

• Bachelor of Education

• teaching practice

*The name derives from the student age group: 11-12 years.

*The types of secondary schools described above within the selective and non-selective system are government-maintained schools where instruction is provided free of charge. Besides these government-maintained schools (or state schools) there are privately run schools in the UK called public schools or independent schools.

A public school, in common English and Welsh usage, is a (usually) prestigious school, for children usually between the ages of 11 or 13 and 18, which charges fees and is not financed by the state.

It is traditionally a single-sex boarding school (which provides accommodation), although many now accept day pupils and are coeducational. Public schools are free to select their pupils, subject only to the general legislation against discrimination. The principal forms of selection are financial and academic, although credit may be given for musical, sporting or other promise. The majority date back to the 18^th or 19^th centuries, and several are over 400 years old.

The English usage of the term “public school” is in direct opposition to what any foreign English speaker would expect. In countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, the United States and Canada, a “public school” is the equivalent of an English “state school”, while an independent, fee-charging school is called a “private school”. This is also the generic name for all fee-paying schools for children in England and Wales, although rarely used for those which categorise themselves as public schools. Preparatory schools (historically also known as “private schools”, as they were usually privately owned by the headmaster) take children from the age of eight (or younger) and prepare them for their entrance exams to public schools.

The term “public” (first adopted by Eton College) refers to the fact that the school is open to the paying public, as opposed to a religious school, which was open only to members of a certain church. It also distinguished it from a private education at home (usually only practical for the very wealthy who could afford tutors).

*^*Many non-advanced courses are provided in further education colleges for people aged over 16.

*The system described is the educational system of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Scottish educational system is different:

In Scotland, pupils between the ages of 5 and 16 years receive full-time education. After 7 years of primary education pupils are transferred to secondary education, usually around the age of 12 years. There are no entry restrictions to secondary education in Scotland. Further education in Scotland is available through Higher and Advanced Higher education courses.

There is no statutory curriculum in Scotland, thus local authorities and headteachers have responsibility for the delivery and management of the curriculum, however guidelines are provided.

Scotland also has a separate exam system. After seven years of primary education and four years of compulsory secondary education, students aged 15 to 16 take the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE) which appears in two levels: SCE (“O” level) or simply a Standard Grade (taken by pupils aged 14-16 over their 3^rd and 4^th years of secondary schooling); SCE “Highers” or simply “Highers” (one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications usually taken in the 5^th Year of secondary school at the age 15 or 16).

* In this case we refer to “college” as a part of the organizational structure of a university. The term “college” may also refer to an institution of higher learning that offers undergraduate programs, usually of a four-year duration, that lead to the bachelor’s degree in the arts or sciences (B.A. or B.S.), or in a general sense - to any postsecondary institution.

*^*The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge are usually called Oxbridge.

*

*The Englishcivicuniversity movement developed out of various 19^thcentury privateresearchandeducationinstitutes inindustrialcities.

*^*The report recommended immediate expansion of universities, and that all Colleges of Advanced Technology should be given the status of universities. Consequently, the number of full-time university students was to rise from 197 000 in the1967-68academic yearto 217 000 in the academic year of1973-74with“further big expansion”thereafter.

*

*= humanitarian subjects

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