Text 1 Primary and secondary education

Schooling is compulsory for twelve years, for all children aged five to sixteen. There is usually a move from primary to secondary school at about the age of 11, but schools are organized in a number of different ways. There are two voluntary years of schooling thereafter. Children may attend either state-funded or fee-paying independent schools. In state funded or maintained schools no fees are charged to parents and books and equipment are free. Schools supported from public funds are of two main kinds in England and Wales: county schools and voluntary schools. County schools are provided and maintained by local education authorities wholly out of public funds. Voluntary schools, mostly established by religious denominations, are also wholly maintained from public funds but the governors of some types of voluntary schools contribute to capital costs. Nearly a third of primary and secondary maintained schools in England and Wales are voluntary schools, most of them Anglican or Roman Catholic. All children in the county or voluntary schools receive religious education unless their parents choose otherwise.

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the primary cycle lasts from 5 to 11. Generally speaking, children enter infant school, moving on to junior school (often in the same building) at the age of 11. Roughly 90 per cent of children receive their secondary education at ‘comprehensive’ schools. These schools take pupils without reference to ability or aptitude and provide a wide range of secondary education for all or most children from their local area. For those who wish to stay on, secondary school can include the two final years of secondary education. In many parts of the country these two years are spent at a tertiary or sixth-form college (a historical name), which provides academic and vocational courses.

The content of the curriculum is the responsibility of local education authorities and of the schools’ governors. Secondary pupils up to the age of 16 follow a broad curriculum including English, Mathematics and Science, some study of the humanities including History, Religion and Physical education, and opportunities for both practical and aesthetic activities. Most pupils should also study a foreign language. A programme of development projects has been introduced to provide a more effective education with a practical slant for lower-attaining pupils who do not benefit fully from existing courses.

Schools in Britain have 3 terms a year each with a short half-term break in the middle, and longer holidays at Christmas and Easter and in the summer.

The academic year begins in late summer, usually in September, and is divided into three terms, with holidays for Christmas, Easter and for the month of August, although the exact dates vary slightly from area to area. In addition in each term there is normally a mid-term one week holiday, known as a ‘half-term’.

Начальное и среднее образование

Обучение является обязательным в течение двенадцати лет, для всех детей в возрасте от пяти до шестнадцати лет. Существует правило, переход от начальной к средней школе около 11 лет, но школы организованы в ряде различных способов. Есть два добровольного лет обучения в дальнейшем. Дети могут посещать как финансируемые государством или платных частных школах. В финансируемых государством школах или поддерживаются не взимается плата с родителей и книг и оборудования являются бесплатными. Школы поддерживается за счет государственных средств делятся на два основных вида в Англии и Уэльсе: уездных училищ и добровольные школы. County школ предоставляется и поддерживается местными органами образования полностью из государственных средств. Добровольное школ, в основном, установленных религиозных конфессий, также полностью поддерживается за счет государственных средств, но губернаторы некоторых видов добровольного школ вклад в капитальные затраты. Почти треть первичных и вторичных поддерживается школ в Англии и Уэльсе являются добровольные школы, большинство из них англиканской или римско-католической. Все дети в округе или добровольной школы получают религиозное образование, если их родители выбирают иначе.

 В Англии, Уэльсе и Северной Ирландии первичный цикл длится от 5 до 11. Вообще говоря, дети поступают в детский сад, перейти к начальной школе (часто в том же здании) в возрасте 11 лет. Примерно 90 процентов детей получают среднее образование в «всеобъемлющий» школ. Эти школы принимают учеников без ссылки на способность или способность и предоставляют широкий спектр среднее образование для всех или большинства детей из их района. Для тех, кто желает остаться, средней школе может включать в себя две последние годы среднее образование. Во многих частях страны эти два года, которые провел в высшее или шестого класса колледжа (историческое название), которая обеспечивает академических и профессиональных курсов.

Содержание учебной программы является обязанностью местных органов образования и губернаторов школ. Вторичный учащихся до 16 лет следуют широкие учебные программы, включая английский, математика и наука, некоторые изучения гуманитарных том числе истории, религии и физического воспитания, а также возможности для практической и эстетической деятельности. Большинство учащихся следует также изучить иностранный язык. Программа развития проектов была введена, чтобы обеспечить более эффективное образование с практическим наклоном для нижнего достижения учеников, которые не в полной мере воспользоваться существующими курсами.

Школы в Великобритании есть 3 условия каждого года с коротким периодом термин перерыв в середине, и дольше отпуск на Рождество и на Пасху и в летнее время.

Учебный год начинается в конце лета, обычно в сентябре, и делится на три триместра, с праздниками на Рождество, Пасху и в течение месяца августа, хотя точные даты незначительно отличаться от региона к региону. Кроме того, в каждом члене там, как правило, среднесрочный одна неделя отпуска, известный как "половину срока.

(adapted from http://rudocs.exdat.com/docs/index-148646.html?page=32 and Аракин В.Д. Практический курс английского языка 3 курс, стр. 92)

b) Study the table on p. 6

Task 3. Work in pairs or mini-groups, use the information from the text to answer the following questions:

1. How many years are compulsory for schooling in Great Britain?

2. What do voluntary years mean?

3. Do all primary and secondary schools belong to the state system?

4. What is the difference between county and voluntary schools?

5. How long does the primary cycle generally last?

6. How is the school which covers the primary cycle called?

7. What is an approximate number of children who receive their secondary education in comprehensive schools?

8. How are the two final years of secondary education called?

9. Who plans the curriculum?

10. What subjects are included into the curriculum?

11. What are the subdivisions of an academic year in Great Britain?

The school system in England and Wales

(taken from Paul Harvey and Rhodri Jones Britain Explored, p. 63)

Task 4. Give a definition for each of the following terms and notions, use the dictionaries if necessary to help you.

compulsory –

voluntary –

comprehensive –

State-funded, or maintained, school –

County school –

Aptitude –

Curriculum –

Religious denomination –

Practical slant –

Term –

Task 5. Use the text to fill in the correct preposition. Make your own examples with the phrases.

To be charged _______

To contribute _______

To move on _______ school

Reference ________

Wide range ______

To benefit __________

Task 6. The words below are the names of places one can find in a school. Complete the sentences by choosing the appropriate word.

gym canteen lab art room

classroom staff room playing field playground cloakroom library

1. Today in the __________they had my favorite meal: steak and kidney pie with chips.

2. When it rains, we have our P.E. lessons inside in the ______________.

3. John nearly blew up the science ___________last week when he mixed the wrong chemicals together.

4. The walls of the __________ are covered in pictures which have been painted by the pupils.

5. It's always quiet in the ___________and there are lots of interesting books there.

6. We have lots of fun in the ____________playing games or relaxing between lessons.

7. There are thirty desks and chairs and a big blackboard in our ________

8. You should put your hats, scarves and coats in the ______________.

9. The __________ is for teachers only – pupils are not allowed to go in there. 10. We watched our college team playing rugby on the __________yesterday.

(taken from Virginia Evans and Jenny Dooley Enterprise 4 Intermediate Coursebook, p. 124)

Task 7. Match the idioms with their definitions. Make your own situations to illustrate the meaning.

Idioms	Definitions
learn by heart learn one's lesson	there's always sth you haven't experienced before
learn the hard way you are never too old to learn	learn sth after making a mistakeу memorise sth
read sb like a book have one's nose in a book	learn sth (unpleasant) by experiencing it read with great con­centration
	understand sb's thoughts, ideas clearly

(based on Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 8th edition © Oxford University Press, 2010)

Task 8. a) Finish the following sentences using facts you know about British education

School System

There are … distinct levels of education in …

In …, children start school at the age of …

In …, compulsory schooling begins at the age of …

Children usually start school when they are … years old.

Children in … starts school at the age of …

School is compulsory for everybody between … and … years of age.

When children in … start school, they are usually … years old.

When the students leave school, they are usually … years old.

Schooling is compulsory until the age of …

Students are required to attend school until the age of …

Between the ages of … and …, one attends … school.

The first school that children in … attend is … school.

After … school they go to … school.

Students attend … school for … years.

Students remain at … school for … years.

After … school, students attend … school.

Then they start … school.

Aged …, they start … school.

Students in … have about … lessons per day / week. study approximately … subjects. have lessons from … to …

The following subjects / courses are …

Education at a … school …

Education at … schools … is free of charge. is not free of charge.

The school year is divided into … terms.

The school year begins in … and finishes in …

b) Use the facts from Task 8 a) and a scheme on p.61 to talk about the system of primary and secondary education in the UK.

Stop and check: Teacher’s book Task 1.

Task 9. Read the following text about the description of private schools in the UK.