BRITISH STUDIES

continued from No. 19, 20/2005

Дополнительные задания к книге “Britain in Brief” В.В. Ощепковой и И.И. Шустиловой

EDUCATION

Text 1. Schooling

Free or Fee-Paying? • Class-divided and Selective • General Education Subjects • Options • The Main Stages

Great Britain does not have a written constitution, so there are no constitutional provisions for education. The system of education is determined by the National Education Acts.

Schools in England are supported from public funds paid to the local education authorities. These local education authorities are responsible for organizing the schools in their areas.

Let’s outline the basic features of public education in Britain. Firstly, there are wide variations between one part of the country and another. For most educational purposes England and Wales are treated as one unit, though the system in Wales is a little different from that of England. Scotland and Northern Ireland have their own education systems.

Secondly, education in Britain mirrors the country’s social system: it is class-divided and selective. The first division is between those who pay and those who do not pay. The majority of schools in Britain are supported by public funds and the education provided is free. They are maintained schools, but there are also a considerable number of public schools. Parents have to pay fees to send their children to these schools. The fees are high. As a matter of fact, only very rich families can send their children to public schools. In some parts of Britian they still keep the old system of grammar schools, which are selective. But most secondary schools in Britain which are called “comprehensive schools” are not selective – you don’t have to pass an exam to go there.

Another important feature of schooling in Britain is the variety of opportunities offered to schoolchildren. The English school syllabus is divided into Arts (or Humanities) and Sciences, which determine the division of the secondary school pupils into study groups: a Science pupil will study Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics (Maths), Economics, Technical Drawing, Biology and Geography; while an Art pupil will do English Language and Literature, History, Foreign Languages, Music, Art and Drama.

Besides these subjects all students must do some general education subjects like Physical Education (PE), Home Economics for girls, and Technical subjects for boys and General Science. Computers play an important part in education today. The system of options exists in all kinds of secondary schools.

The National Education Act of 1944 provided three stages of education: primary, secondary and further education. Compulsory schooling in England and Wales lasts 11 years, from the age of 5 to 16.

The National Curriculum which was introduced in 1988 sets out in detail the subjects that children should study and the levels of achievement they should reach by the ages of 7, 11, 14, and 16, when they are tested. Until that year headmasters and headmistresses of schools were given a great deal of freedom in deciding what subjects and how to teach in their schools so that there is really no central control at all over individual schools. The National Curriculum does not apply in Scotland, where each school decides what subjects it will teach.

After the age of 16 a growing number of school students are staying on at school, some until 18 or 19, the age of entry into higher education in universities, Polytechnics or colleges. Schools in Britain provide career guidance. A specially trained person called careers advisor, or careers officer helps school students to decide what job they want to do and how they can achieve it.

British university courses are rather short, generally lasting for 3 years. The cost of education depends on the college or university which one chooses.

EDUCATION IN BRITAIN

References

National Education Acts государственные акты об образовании

local education authorities местные органы народного образования (отвечают за деятельность школ и колледжей на определенной территории и выплачивают заработную плату учителям этих учебных заведений)

maintained school субсидируемые школы (находятся полностью в ведении местных органов народного образования)

public schools паблик скулз (высокопривилегированные частные школы, платные, закрытые, чаще школы-интернаты)

drama драматизация, уроки по основам драматического мастерства

system of options система выбора предметов для изучения (ученики с помощью консультанта выбирают предметы в зависимости от склонностей и планов на будущее)

The National Education Act of 1944 Акт 1944 года об образовании (определил структуру системы народного образования в Англии)

further education дальнейшее, послешкольное образование (дневное или вечернее; иногда с освобождением от работы; не включает обучение в университете. Как правило, рассчитано на подготовку к практической работе)

headmasters and headmistresses директора и директрисы (школ)

polytechnics политехнический институт (многопрофильное высшее учебное заведение; готовит специалистов по техническим, гуманитарным и др. наукам)

careers guidance профессиональная ориентация; тж. careers advice

core subjects English, Math, Science

foundation subjects Technology, Music, Arts, Geography, History

Text 2. Рге-primary and Primary Education

Nurseries • Primary School • Streaming • The Eleven Pius Examination – No More of it?

In some areas of England there are nursery schools for children under 5 years of age. Some children between two and five receive education in nursery classes or in primary schools. Many children attend informal pre-school play-groups organized by parents in private homes. Nursery schools are staffed with teachers and students in training. There are all kinds of toys to keep the children busy from 9 o’clock in the morning till 4 o’clock in the afternoon – while their parents are at work. Here the babies play, lunch and sleep. They can run about and play in safety with someone keeping an eye on them.

For day nurseries which remain open all year round the parents pay according to their income. The local education authority’s nurseries are free. But only about three children in 100 can go to them: there aren’t enough places and the waiting lists are rather long.

Most children start school at age 5 in a primary school. A primary school may be divided into two parts – infants and juniors. At infants school reading, writing and arithmetic are taught in 20 minute lessons a day during the first year. This gradually increasing to about 2 hours in their last year. There is usually no written timetable. Much time is spent in modelling from clay or drawing, reading or singing.

By the time children are ready for junior school they will be able to read and write, do simple addition and subtraction of numbers.

At age 7 children go on from the infants school to the junior school. This marks the transition from play to ‘real work’. The children have set periods of arithmetic, reading and composition which are all Eleven Plus subjects. History, Geography, Nature Study, Art and Music, Physical Education, Swimming are also on the timetable.

Pupils are streamed, according to their ability to learn, into А, В, С and D streams. The least gifted are in the D stream. Formerly towards the end of their fourth year the pupils wrote their Eleven Plus Examination. The hated 11+ examination was a selective procedure on which not only the pupils’ future schooling but their future careers depended. The abolition of selection at Eleven Plus Examination brought to life comprehensive schools where pupils can get secondary education.

References

Primary School общая начальная школа (для детей от 5 до 11 лет в Англии и от 5 до 12 лет в Шотландии; государственная; включает первую ступень младшей и начальную школу)

Eleven Plus Examination – отборочные экзамены в 11 с половиной лет (включают интеллектуальные тесты на проверку умственных способностей учащегося, его сообразительности, знания английского языка и арифметики; по результатам экзаменов определяют, в каком типе школы учащемуся продолжить образование: в классической, технической или средней современной школе; в большинстве школ эти экзамены были отменены с введением единой средней школы)

nursery schools дошкольное учреждение; старшая группа детского сада

local education authority’s nursery дошкольное учреждение, находящееся в ведении местных органов образования

infants классы первой ступени начальной школы (от 5 до 7 лет)

junior school начальная школа (для детей от 7 до 11 лет; государственная; существует самостоятельно или в составе общей начальной школы)

set periods фиксированные в расписании уроки

to stream распределять по потокам (в зависимости от результатов интеллектуальных тестов: streaming – распределение по “потокам”; сравните: grouping – распределение по профилям, уровням, setting – распределение по группам для изучения предметов на разных уровнях и в зависимости от успехов)

comprehensive school единая средняя школа (соединяющая три типа школ: классическую, среднюю современную и техническую)

Read the statements below and mark each of them as “true” or “false”.

• The majority of schools in Britain are free so that parents don’t have to pay to send their children to these schools. _______

• Comprehensive schools are not selective: you do not have to pass an exam to go to a comprehensive school. _______

• Public schools are supported from public funds. _______

• Now the government has more control over what happens in schools. _______

• Compulsory schooling in England and Wales lasts from the age of 5 to 14. _______

• After the age of 16 a growing number of school students leave school. _______

Read the definitions below and fill in the blank with one of the following words.

a) primary school
b) public school
c) secondary school
d) Polytechnic
e) comprehensive school
f) university

1. This is an institution of higher education which specializes in preparing students for particular jobs in science, industry, etc. ________________

2. This is a school which is not supported by government money and where parents have to pay for their children’s education. ________________

3. This is the school a child attends from the age of 5 to the age of 11. ________________

4. This is a school which is run by the government and where education is free. It is the most common type of state secondary school where pupils of all abilities and backgrounds are taught together. ________________

5. This is an institution where students study for degrees. Academic research is done there, too. _____________

6. This is the school a child attends after the age of 11 and until he or she is 16 or 18. ________________

A. Read the phrases below and translate them into Russian.

the majority of schools; a board of governors; a considerable number of public schools; in some parts of Britain; three stages of education; the levels of achievement; an important feature of schooling; a great deal of freedom; after the age of 16; a growing number of students; the age of entry into higher education; the cost of education

B. Fill in the blanks using the prepositions below.

of, between, by, of, on, of, from, for, over, of, to, until, of, of, of

1. In Scotland and Ireland schools are still managed ______ local authorities.

2. A board ______ governors consists ______ parents and members ______ the public.

3. Firstly, there are wide variations ______ one part ______ the country and another.

4. The system in Wales is a little different ______ that of Scotland.

5. Another important feature ______ schooling in Britain is the variety of opportunities offered ______ schoolchildren.

6. There was really no central control ______ individual schools.

7. ______ 1988 headmasters and headmistresses of schools were given a great deal ______ freedom in deciding what subjects to teach.

8. British university courses are rather short, generally lasting ______ three years.

9. The cost ______ education depends ______ the college or university which one chooses.

A. Answer the following questions:

1. What kinds of schools or pre-school groups do some children go to before they start schooling?

2. When do children in Britain officially start school?

3. Do all the parts of the United Kingdom have the same education system?

4. At what age do children go to a primary school?

5. When do they begin their secondary education?

6. What is the main difference between state and public schools?

7. Are comprehensive schools selective? Do children have to take exams to get accepted?

8. How long does compulsory schooling last?

9. What core and foundation subjects do children study?

10. School students write assessment tests at the ages of 7, 11 and 14, don’t they?

11. At what age do students take exams?

12. What examination did children use to take at the age of 11?

B. Role Play

Imagine that you are having a talk with a girl living in London. Her name is Jane and she is 17. Ask her about the schools she went to, about what she is doing now and about her plans for the future. Roleplay this talk out with your partner in the form of a dialogue.

By Viktoria Oschepkova, Irina Shustilova

to be continued