Education System of education
The general policy of education, which is now being implemented throughout the UK, is much the same, though there are some national variations in Scotland, Wales & Northern Ireland.
All British schools can be divided into 2 categories according to the way they are financed:
state schools (state-supported, - independent schools -
state-maintained) – fee-paying schools,
supported from public funds run by private organizations.
See the table in the brochure (preschool education)
School education is divided into 3 stages:
primary
secondary &
further education
In England & Wales primary school lasts from 5 to 11 years of age.
Children of 5 enter infant schools; move on to junior schools at the age of 8 then on to secondary school.
Transition from primary to secondary school is made at the age of 11.
Primary independent schools are called preparatory schools (“preps”) – 5 %.
Secondary school covers the ages from 11 to 16.
Most secondary schools in the UK (ab. 90%) are comprehensive schools.
They are state schools, which take children of all abilities (84 %).
About 3 % of children go to grammar schools (классическая школа), state schools that only take students who pass 11+ examination.
About 5 % of children attend secondary modern schools.
Only 1 % of school children attend technical schools.
Public schools and further on – See the table in the brochure.
Full time education is compulsory for 12 years for all children between the ages of 5 &16.
The body responsible for education in the country is the Department for Education & Skills.
Besides there are Local Education Authorities (LEAs), which finance most schools & further education institutions at the local level.
They employ teachers & allocate budgets to schools.
School budgets include teachers’ salaries, books & cleaning.
Every state school has a governing body which is responsible for the school’s main polices. A governing body includes teachers, parents & members appointed by LEAs.
All schools including independent ones are subject to official inspection.
The National Curriculum is the curriculum (programme of study) which is meant to be followed by all state schools in England & Wales.
The government tells schools what subjects must be studied and what standards should be achieved by the pupils.
All pupils have examinations in these subjects at the ages of 7, 11, 14 & 16 .
Schools must teach the National Curriculum, but may teach additional subjects if they wish & if they can afford it.
The contents of the National Curriculum have caused some disagreement between teachers & the government.
The National Curriculum consists of :
core subjects, which are compulsory for 5- to 16-year-olds; &
foundation subjects, which must be studied to the age of 14 at least.
In England the core subjects are: - English
- mathematics &
- science
and foundation subjects are: - technology (design & technology & information technology)
- history
- geography
- music
- art
- physical education
- a modern foreign language (for secondary school pupils)
This is also the case in Wales but, in addition, Welsh is a core subject in Welsh-speaking schools.
Nearly all primary schools in Wales teach Welsh as a 1st or 2nd language & about a quarter use Welsh as the sole or main language of instruction. In secondary schools, Welsh is compulsory for almost all pupils aged 11 to 16.
There is more choice in the curriculum for pupils aged 14 to 16.
In England & Wales state schools must provide religious education (RE), and schoolchildren take part in daily payers.
In England & Wales all state secondary schools are required to provide sex education (SE).
Sex education must encourage young people to have regard to moral considerations & the value of family life.
Parents have a right to withdraw their children from sex education & religious education classes.
The British school syllabus is divided into:
- Arts (Humanities) & Sciences
- English Language & Literature - Chemistry
- History - Physics
- Foreign languages - Mathematics
- Music - Economics
- Art - Technology
- Drama - Biology - Geography.
The division on Arts & sciences determines the system of options, which exists in all kinds of secondary schools.
According to the system a pupil may choose either Arts or Sciences for studying.
Besides all the pupils must do some general education subjects:
Physical Education (PE)
Home Economics (домоводство) for girls
Technical subjects for boys
General science
Information Technology (IT)
Sex Education (SE) – половое воспитание
Religious Education (RE)
Most of primary & secondary schools are co-educational, mixed schools, where boys & girls are taught together.
But the majority of independent (private) schools are either for boys or for girls, they are separate or single-sex schools.
Most pupils in British schools wear school uniform, which differs from school to school.
Corporal punishment has only recently been banned in state schools.
But in most public schools it is still allowed.
Caning is a usual punishment for serious misbehavior in class, damage & vandalism.
Many teachers complain that standards of discipline have fallen since corporal punishment was banned.
Schools in the UK have 3 terms a year, each with a short midterm break for a week (known as “half-terms”).
There are also longer holidays at Christmas, Easter & in the summer.
School terms extend:
from September to December (autumn term or Christmas term),
January to March (winter term or Easter term), &
April to July (summer term).
College (university) terms are shorter & often have religious names:
Michaelmas [‘m`klm2s] - (осенний триместр; Михайлов день – 29 сент.)
Hilary (зимний триместр - от рождества до пасхи, триместр Св. Иллариона) - at Oxford & some others;
Lent (весенний триместр; Lent – великий пост; уст.-весна)-2nd
Trinity (летний триместр) – the summer term at some schools & universities.
[at Oxbridge the year is divided into three terms of only 8 weeks each: Michaelmas, Hilary & Trinity ]
All schools assess children’s progress through tests at the ages of 7,11 & 14.
At 16 students take the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE).
After that they may leave school or continue their education.
The system of marking differs from school to school:
it may be out of 10 (ten-point scale with halves);
in grades (5-point scale): ABCDE, - where A is the highest;
in percent – 100 % is the highest, the pass is 50% or higher.
About 67 % of pupils continue studying after the age of 16.
Some attend so called “sixth form” of a secondary school or a sixth form college & study for 2 more years after receiving the GCSE in order to prepare for taking “A”-level examinations (advanced level).
The proportion of young people entering universities & colleges recently has considerably risen.
Other school-leavers & also adults of all ages can attend different courses, both academic & vocational.
Universities, polytechnics & colleges provide a vast net of these courses.
Continuing education for adults is provided by a variety of colleges & institutions, which have seen a 140 % increase in older students since 1979.
Expenditure on education in the UK was ₤ 31, 5 billion in 1992-93.
Pre-School Education
Compulsory education in the UK begins at the age of 5, but an increasing number of children under 5 receive pre-school education.
Some children between 2 & 5 attend nursery schools or go to the nursery department or kindergarten of a school.
Some go to playgroups several times a week & take part in structured play (= play with some educational purpose).
Informal pre-school playgroups are often organized by parents.
Nursery schools are staffed with teachers & students in training.
Children stay there from 9 a.m. till 4 p.m., they play, lunch & sleep.
Nursery schools remain open all year round. Parents pay for them according to their income.
State-supported nurseries, provided by LEAs, are free.
But the availability of pre-school education varies from area to area, & parents often have to pay for it.