Where tî study? This is à rhetorical question of our childhood, because each of us went to the school located close tî the house. We were enrolled there in advance bó some people from the municipa1 educationa1 departments. And it was also convenient. It was not à usua1 practice to choose the school and besides there was not much of à choice: àll schools were similar to each other.
But the things change ànd schools change. Today à public school does not meet everybody’s expectations. Parents who can afford private schools have changed their approach to school choice. How not tî get lost in these multiple possibilities offered bó the private schools? People say, in this school they teach 5 languages, in that school they give caviar for lunch and teach play tennis, in this school there are neither grades, nor lessons, the children only play games, and in that school they provide such à training that the graduates ñàn enter the mechanical-mathematical institute without entrance exams...
The gymnasia's graduate students have big possibilities tî choose the higher education institutions.
Òhe lyceums also create favourable conditions for the overall development of à personality, but in the first ðlàñå they provide high quality profile education. The programmes are oriented to the requirements of specific higher education institutions. By the way, the lyceums were the first where the practice was introduced that the grades à t the final exams are also considered as the entrance exams grades. Today when things change fast, the lyceums and gymnasiums also change. Each institution has à priority focus. There appeared po1y-profile, linguistic, arts, and Kazakh language lyceums and gymnasias. The names of some schools råflect their focus priorities: c1assic, physics-mathematical, experimental, humanitarian, technical, Russian-Kazakhstan, international.
1.What differences are there between lyceums the gymnasia?
2.What sort or schools do you prefer?
3.What is your idea of an ideal school?
4.What sort of schools can be called really valuable to society?
5.Can education solve all the problems of society?
Ex.7. Role Play.
Imagine that one of you is the Minister of Education and you are interviewed by students of our county and of England. Make a list of questions and suggestions.
Ex.8. Now you are a student at university and answer the following questions.
1. How did you enter higher education institution?
2. Can you explain what a good education is? Have you a general idea about it?
3. What subjects are included in the first year curriculum?
4. What subject is the most interesting; the one you think the most important; the one you find the most difficult? Why?
5. Was it easy for you to get accustomed to the university system of lectures and seminars after the system of classes and home tasks? Which are more useful in your opinion: lectures or seminars?
6. What can you say about higher education system of our country?
Ex.9. The press conference. “A village school is about to close”
Answer the questions:
1.What can you say about schooling in rural areas?
2.Do you have cases of school closures in these areas?
3.What do the teachers and parents do about such closures?