THE BRITISH EDUCATION SYSTEM. STATE EDUCATION IN BRITAIN (1)

All state schools in Britain are free, and schools provide their pupils with books and equipment for their studies.

Nine million children attend 35.000 schools in Britain. Education is compulsory from 5 till 16 years. Parents can choose to send their children to a nursery school or a pre-school playgroup to prepare them for the start of compulsory educa­tion. Children start primary school at 5 and continue until they are 11. Most children are taught together, boys and girls in the same class. At 11 most pupils go to secondary schools called comprehensives which accept a wide range of children from all backgrounds and religious and ethnic groups. Ninety per cent of secondary schools in England, Scotland and Wales are co-educational.

At 16 pupils take a national exam called «G.C.S.E.» (Gen­eral Certificate of Secondary Education) and then they can leave school if they wish. This is the end of compulsory educa­tion.

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» level 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, such as hairdressing, typing or mechanics.

Universities and colleges of higher education accept stu­dents with «A» levels from 18. Students study for a degree which takes on average three years of full-time study. Most students graduate at 21 or 22 and are given their degree at a special graduation ceremony.

QUESTIONS:

What do state schools in Britain provide their pupils with?What can parents choose?When do children start primary school?When do pupils take a national exam called GCSE?What prepares pupils for a national exam called «A» level?How long do students study for a degree?Whom do universities and colleges of higher education accept?

VOCABULARY:

compulsory — обов'язковий                                   primary — початковий

comprehensive — загальноосвітній

co-educational schools — школи спільного вчення хлопчиків і дівчаток

to graduate — закінчувати                                    to accept — приймати

THE BRITISH EDUCATION SYSTEM. PRIVATE EDUCATION (2)

Seven per cent of British schoolchildren go to private schools called independent schools. There are 2.400 independent schools and they have been growing in number and popu­larity since the mid-1980's.

Parents pay for these schools, and fees vary from about 250 pounds a term for a private nursery to 3.000 pounds a term or more for a secondary boarding school. Most independent schools are called prep (preparatory) schools because they pre­pare the children for the Common Entrance Exam which they take at the age of 11. This exam is for entry into the best schools.

The most famous schools are called «public schools» and they have a long history and traditions. It is often necessary to put your child's name on a waiting list at birth to be sure he or she gets a place. Children of wealthy or aristocratic fami­lies often go to the same public school as their parents and their . grandparents.- Eton is the best known of these schools.

The majority of independent secondary schools, including public schools, are single-sex, although in recent years girls have been allowed to join the sixth forms of boys' schools. In­dependent schools also include religious schools (Jewish, Catholic, Muslim etc.) and schools for ethnic minorities.

QUESTIONS:

How many independent schools are there in Britain?Why are most independent schools called preparatory schools?What school is the best known public school?

VOCABULARY:

fee — плата                                        to prepare — готувати              pound — фунт (стерлінгів) 

boarding school — школа-інтернат