EDUCATION IN BRITAIN

 

Education is compulsory from the age of five to sixteen. Most children attend state schools, which are free. Much of the responsibility for education is taken by local governments rather than by the national government, so each area usually differs slightly from the general pattern. The state system is divided into three levels: primary schools for children from 5 to 11; secondary schools for children from 11 to 16; and further or higher education for those who have left school.

Primary schools have changed greatly in recent years under the influence of new theories about child development and new ideas about what they should learn. A typical classroom no longer has rows of desks facing the teacher; instead the room is divided into “areas” for particular activities, where the children can work alone or in groups under the guidance of the teacher.

State secondary schools fall into three main types: secondary modern, grammar and comprehensive. Until the 1960s most children took an examination at the end of primary school (the Eleven Plus): those who passed, went to grammar schools intended for the more academic children, while those who did not, went to modern schools intended for the practical children. A few areas still select at the age of eleven, but about 90 per cent of secondary schools in Britain are now comprehensive. Children go to the school whose “catchment area” they live in. Such schools take children of all abilities from this area.

At 16 pupils take a national exam called “GCSE” (General Certificate of Secondary Education) and then they can leave school if they wish. Some 16-year-olds continue their studies in the sixth form at school or at a sixth form college. The sixth form prepares pupils for a national exam called “A” Level (Advanced Level) at 18. You need “A” levels to enter a university. Other 16-year-olds choose to go to a college of further education to study for more practical (vocational) diplomas relating to the world of work.

Only 7% of British school children go to private schools called independent schools. Parents pay for these schools, and fees vary from about ₤250 a term for a private nursery to ₤3000 a term or more for a secondary boarding school. The most

famous schools are called “public schools” and they have a long history and tradition. It is often necessary to put your child’s name on a waiting list at birth to get a place.

There are 47 universities in Britain and 30 polytechnics, plus 350 colleges and institutes of higher education. Undergraduate courses normally take 3 years of full-time study, although a number of subjects take longer, including medicine, architecture and foreign languages (where courses include a year abroad). They lead in most cases to a Bachelor’s degree in Arts and Science. There are various postgraduate degrees, including Master or Doctor of Philosophy. At present students who have been accepted by universities or other institutions of higher education receive a grant from their local authority, which covers the cost of the course, and may cover living expenses, books and travel, although parents with higher incomes are expected to make a contribution. Until 1990 the grant did not have to be paid back, but now a system of loans has been introduced. Universities accept students mainly on the basis of their “A” level results, although they may interview them as well.