EDUCATION IN GREAT BRITAIN

The system of education in Great Britain is determined by the National Education Acts. Schools in England are supported from public funds. There are several basic features of public education in Britain. Firstly, there are wide variations between one part of the country and another. 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. Another important feature of schoolchildren. The English school syllabus is divided into Arts and Sciences, which determines the division of the secondary school pupils into study groups. The National Education Act of 1944 provided three stages of education. Compulsory schooling in England and Wales lasts 11 years, from the age of 5 to 16. 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 educational universities. British university courses are rather short, generally lasting for 3 years. The cost of education depends on the college and specialty which one chooses.

In some areas of England there are nursery schools for children under 5 years of age. Some children between 2 and 5 receive education in nursery classes or in infant classes in primary schools. Most children start school at 5 in a primary school.

A primary school may be divided into two parts – infants and juniors. At 7 children go on from the infant schools to the junior schools. They study reading, composition, history, geography, Nature Study, Art and Music, Physical Education, Swimming are also on the timetable. The pupils are streamed according to their abilities to learn into A, B, C and streams.

After the age of 11, most children go to comprehensive school of which the majority are for both – boys and girls. About 90% of all state – financed secondary schools are of this type. Most other children receive secondary education in grammar and secondary modern schools. At 18 most public school – leavers gain entry to universities.

The academic year in Britain’s Universities, Polytechnics, Colleges of Education is divided into three terms, which usually run from the beginning of October to the middle of December, from the middle of January to the end of March, and from the middle of April to the end of June or the beginning of July.

There are 46 universities in Britain. English universities greatly differ from each other. They differ in date of foundation, size, history, tradition, general organization, methods of instruction, way of student life. After three years of study, a university graduate will leave with the Degree of Bachelor of Arts, Science, Engineering, Medicine, etc. Later he may continue to take the Master’s Degree and then the Doctor’s Degree. Research is an important feature of university work.

EDUCATION IN THE USA

Americans place a high value on education. Universal access to quality education has been one of the nation's historic goals. America's first college, Harvard was founded in 1636. In 1865 education was becoming available to all. The peculiar fea­ture of American education is the absence of national adminis­tration. Each of the 50 states controls and directs its own schools. There is no national school curriculum in the United States either. But certain common features exist. Pre­school education is part of the elementary schools. Elementary and secondary schools consist of twelve years of classes which meet for about ten months a year, five days a week and five hours a day. Almost every elementary school curriculum includes English, mathematics, science, social studies, music, art and physical education. Many schools include classes teaching basic computer skills.

The U.S. education has three stages and different levels.

Pre-schooling (at the age of 3 – 5 years): a nursery school and a kindergarten.

School education (at the age of 6 – 18; 12 grades or school years): an elementary

school, a high school (junior, senior levels); a high school diploma or a certificate of education.

Higher Education (at the age of 18); institutions of higher learning:

After graduating from secondary schools a growing number of Americans go on to higher education. American institutions of higher education include: technical training schools, community colleges (three years of study); colleges offering four-year bachelor degree programmes; and universities which contain one or more col­leges and graduate schools Offering master's or doctoral degree programmes. The factors determining an institution's prestige are the quality of the teaching faculty; quality of research facili­ties; the number and competence of applicants for admission.

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Вариант 1

1. Составьте вопросы (общий, специальный, разделительный) к предложениям.

1) Some modern technologies, such as the nuclear power production and space travel depend heavily on science.

2) Scientists develop theories that help them order and unify the facts.