Education Systems in Great Britain and the usa

Education in Britain suggests the following types of schools: grammar schools offering academic education and secondary modern schools where education is more practical. There are also comprehensive schools, a combination of grammar and secondary modern ones which offer both academic and practical subjects. After the introduction of a National Curriculum which aims to ensure that all children study essential subjects and have a better all-round education. Pupils' progress in subjects in National Curriculum is measured by tests. More ambitious pupils continue with very specialized studies in the sixth form. They remain at school for two years more. Pupils sit for exams leaving secondary school and the sixth form. They sit for the General Certificate of Secondary Education at the end of the 5th-years' course. A-level or AS-levels are taken after two years of studying in the sixth form. They are the main standard for entrance to university or other higher education.

Some parents prefer to pay for their children to be educated at independent schools. This private sector includes the so-called public schools, some of whose names are known all over the world, for example Eton. It provides exceptionally fine teaching facilities, for example in science, languages, computing and design. Its students are largely from aristocratic and upper-class families.

The American system of education differs from the systems of other countries. Education in the United States is mainly provided by the public sector, with control and funding coming from three levels: federal, state, and local. Child education is compulsory. Public education is universal at the primary and secondary levels (known inside the United States as the elementary and high school levels). At these levels, school curricula, funding, teaching, and other policies are set through locally elected school boards with jurisdiction over school districts. The ages for compulsory education vary by state, beginning at ages five to eight and ending at the ages of fourteen to eighteen. A growing number of states are now requiring compulsory education until the age of 18.

Compulsory education requirements can generally be satisfied by educating children in public schools, state-certified private schools, an approved home school program or in an orphanage. In most public and private schools, education is divided into three levels: elementary school, middle school (sometimes called junior high school), and high school (sometimes referred to as secondary education). The high school prepares young people either to work immediately after graduation or for more advanced study in a college or university. An important part of high school life is extra-curricular activities, they include band or school orchestra, sports and other social activities. There is no national system of higher education in the United States. Instead, there are separate institutions ranging from colleges to universities. They may be small or large, private or public, highly selective or open to all.

Ex. 6. Say what British, Russian and American education systems have in common and what features make them different from one another.

Ex. 7. Read the text and make up subtitles for each passage.

MSTU

MSTU is one of the oldest higher education establishments on the Kola Peninsula. The history of the University begins in 1950. The first name of it is the High Marine School (HMS). Then it was made Russian State Academy of Fishing Fleet and since 1996 it has become Murmansk State Technical University, the biggest and the most prestigious educational center in the far north of Russia and undoubtedly one of the biggest and famous universities in the whole north-west of the country.

MSTU is a collective member of the Russian Transport Academy, a member of Engineering Education Association of Russia and Association of Technical Universities. The University and the Kola Science Centre of the Russian Academy of Sciences (KSC RAS) created Apatity Branch of MSTU on the base of Geological Institute of the KSC RAS, Mining Institute of the KSC RAS, Institute on Industrial Ecology of the North of the KSC RAS, Marine Biological Institute of the KAS RAS, Institute of Chemistry and Technology of rare metals and minerals of the KSC RAS.

At present MSTU is a leader in the educational market of Murmansk Region. There are 9 faculties and more than 30 departments that train specialists in 28 fields and, what is more important, their number is constantly increasing. The main purpose of the University is providing all the branches of industry with well-qualified specialists.

MSTU carries out not only enormous teaching activities, but also very intensive research work in various fields and scientific directions by the cooperative strengths of its students, teachers, scientists and post-graduates. There are about 6000 students and post-graduates at the University. A half of them is trained on the programmes of the socio-economic subjects, including international and European programmes. Annually MSTU offers new training courses in order to correspond to developing market economy, carrying out close cooperation with Kola Science Centre, connected to the leading economic interests of the region.

Мurmansk State Technical University is a well situated and equipped educational institution. The university's campus is situated in the center of Murmansk and consists of the main training-laboratory buildings, 8 subsidiary buildings, a pilot-experimental base, 4 hostels, a canteen, a cultural-sport complex and various logistic premises. Besides, the University has a plot of land in a picturesque recreation zone on the bank of the Tuloma river, and also a training boat base with a plot of a coastal line, which is 1515 meters long, in the mouth of the Kola Gulf (the Tuva-bay).

The development of international cooperation is carried out through the creation of international training and exchange programmes on the basis of MSTU and partner educational establishments. This activity is aimed at the development of market economy of the north-west region of Russia. Nowadays the Internationalization has become one of the main aspects of education all over the world; consequently, it is impossible to underestimate the role of MSTU being the potential partner for the international cooperation in the sphere of Higher Education.