British schools today

Today British education is aimed to realize the potential of all for the good of individuals and society as a whole. The general policy of education through the UK is much the same with some national variations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. All schools of GB are known as state schools meaning state supported and Independent Schools – are paid (платные), ranged from Public Schools to Private Experimental Schools.

Schools supported by the state from public fund are of three kinds:

1. Country Schools – largest group and maintained by leaders whole out public funds. They ere Primary (начальные) (or Infant (для несовершенно летних) and Junior) Comprehensive (общеобразовательные), some Grammar (средняя) and Secondary Modern Schools (средние современные школы).

2. Voluntary Schools which are financed by voluntary body, mostly they are Church of England and Roman Catholic Schools.

3. Direct-Grants Schools (школы прямого субсидирования) – they are completely independent of leaders, receiving grants from Department of Education. There are mainly Grammar Schools which receive the grant for taking pupils form the state system (from a quarter to half pupils) and the rest are paid pupils. But in 1976 such schools were abolished.

Full-time education is compulsory for 10 years between 5-16 ages. LEAs finance most schools and further education at the local level. They employ teachers and allocate (распределяют) budget to schools including books, teacher’s salary and cleaning. Schools can apply for grants maintain states and receive founder (???) from the central government becoming direct Grammar Schools.

Every school have a govern body responsible for the school’s main policy. It includes teachers, parents, members appointed in LEAs.

The British schools syllabus (программа) is divided into: arts and humanities and science which determed the division (разделение) of the Secondary School pupils into studying groups.

A science pupil will study chemistry, physics, mathematics, economy, technical drawing, biology, geography and art pupil will do English, literature, history, forelanguages, music, art, drama, besides these subjects they must do some general education subjects like physical training, home economics for girls and technical subject for boys, informational technology (IT), religion education and general science.

Most pupils wear uniform which differ from school to school. The colors are blue, grey, black and maroon (бордовый).

Each school has its system of reward medals and prides for the best pupils.

Schools have 3 terms a year. Each with a short midterm break for 1 weak. The announce as half term and long holidays at Christmas, Easter and summer.

All schools assess (оценивают) children’s progress by their own tests at the age of 7, 11, 14 and 17 year old – take the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) (экзамен для получения аттестата об общем среднем образовании). At 16 they can leave school or continue education.

The system of marking may be out of 10 in grads A,B,C,D and in percent – the highest 10%, the lowest 0%, 15% or high – the pass.

To stay in full-time education some attend co-called 6-form in secondary or in college which require the two more years of study after GCSE and which prepare them for taken A-level examination.

Compulsory education in GB begins at the age 5 but in some areas there are Nursery Schools (детский сад) for children under 5. Some children between 2 and 5 receive education in nursery classes or in infant classes in Primary Schools.

Nursery Schools are stuff with teachers and students in training. There are all kinds of toys to keep the children busy from 9 a.m. till 4 o’clock afternoon while parents at work.

Most children start school at the age 5 in a Primary School – it divided into Infants and Juniors. At Infant Schools reading, writing and math are taught. There is three Rs are taught for about 20 min a day during the first year. Gradually increased to about 2 hours in their last year. There is usually no written timetable. Much time is spent drawing, reading or singing. At the age 7 children go on from Infant School to a Junior School. There the children have set periods of the subjects (reading, math, composition) and they are called “11+” subjects – history, geography, nature study, music, swimming, physical training. Pupils are streamed according to their ability to learn into A, B, C, D streams. The list of gifted are in the D stream (слабые ученики). Towards the end of the 4^th year the pupils wrote “11+” examination. About requests of people to Secondary Modern Schools which prepared pupils for manual skilled or clerical (духовное) employment.

The remaining quarter went to Grammar Schools to which are expected to go to the university: this system gives the chance of a better education to a very small number of children.

The abolish of selection at “11+” examination brings to life Comprehensive Schools (общеобразовательные школы) where pupils of all abilities can get secondary education (среднее образование). Now in secondary education the Comprehensive Schools are dominated among all types of schools.

In secondary education 90% of state financed Secondary Schools are of this type. Most other children get secondary education in Grammar Schools, Secondary Modern Schools. Those who can pay go to Public Schools (частные школы).

Comprehensive Schools were introduced in 1965, they are non-selective schools which provide a wide range of secondary education for all the children in districts. They are the most important types of Secondary Schools because they are attended by 84% of Secondary School pupils.

Grammar Schools mainly provide and exam academic course from 11 to 18. It’s the main root to the universities.

Secondary Modern Schools give a general education with a practical bias (уклоном). They taught handy craft (домоводство), domestic science and other practical activities.

Secondary Technical Schools are a small group less than 2% of a general education related to industry and agriculture. These schools are not popular; they provide teaching to the age of 18.

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