8.Education. (1 variant)

If all good people were clever and all clever people were good, the world would be nicer than ever. It is known that education helps to form the personality. That's why in all countries the system of education is a very important part of national politics. I consider that education is a key to a good future. Schools help us to choose our career, to prepare for the future life, they make us well-educated. However, every country' has its own, unique system of education.

Education in Britain is compulsory and free for all children between the ages of 5-16. Children in Britain do not have to go to school until they are five. Very few of them go to nursery schools before that. Primary education takes place in infant and junior schools. Secondary schools are usually much larger and take pupils from, age of 11/12 up to 18. Compulsory secondary education lasts five years. Traditionally secondary schools are divided into five years called fomas. In the fifth form at the age of 16 pupils may either leave school and go to a Further Education College with practical courses or continue their education in the sixth form. At the end of the fifth form pupils take their first public exam for the General Certificate of Secondary Education. Those who continue studying in the sixth form prepare for A Level Exam. Good passing this exam is necessary' to get a place at a university. The system of higher education in Britain includes universities, colleges of education and advanced courses at various colleges. There are more than 44 universities in Britain. But not all universities are equal. They differ from one another in history' and tradition. The oldest and world-known universities are Oxford and Cambridge. Nowadays most children go to a comprehensive school. "Comprehensive" means.all-inclusive. They admit pupils of all abilities without exams. Comprehensive schools offer a wide choice of subjects. Pupils are often put in sets according to their abilities in each subject. Before comprehensive schools were introduced in 1965 all children took an exam "eleven-plus". According to the results they went to "grammar schools" or secondary modem schools, but the latest were more practical. Since 1944 free secondary education has been available to all children in Britain. Nevertheless some children go to private schools which can be preparatory and public schools: These Schools are expensive:but they are known for their high academic standards and are considered prestigious. Public schools in which pupils live as well as study are called boarding schools. The school year is divided into three terms with the intervals between them during Christmas and Easter holidays lasting about two weeks each and summer holiday which is usually six weeks long.

The American system of school education differs from the systems in other countries. There are state public schools, private elementary schools and private secondary schools.

Public schools are free and private schools are fee-paying. Each state has its own system of public schools. Preschool education is part of the elementary school. Elementary and secondary schools consist of 12 years of classes, which meet for about ten month a year, five days a week and five hours a day. Elementary education begins at the age of six or seven, when a child goes to the first grade. At the age of 14 starts high school and finishes at 17. After graduating from secondary schools a growing number of Americans go on to higher education. The National Government gives no direct financial aid to the institutions of higher education. Students must pay a tuition fee. This creates a financial hardship for some people. Many of the students have to work to pay their expenses.

The public educational system in Russia incorporates pre-school, general school, specialized secondary and higher education. Pre-school is optional. Compulsory education is for children from 6(7) to 17 years of age. The main link in the system of education is the general school. There are various types of schools: general secondary schools, schools specializing in a certain subject, high schools, lyceums and so on. Tuition in most of them is free of charge, but some new types of schools are fee-paying. The tenn of study in a general secondary school is 11 years and consists of primary, middle and upper stages. After 9th form pupils have to sit for examinations. Also . students are given the choice of continuing to attend the same school or to enrol at a specialized secondary or vocational school. Having finished a secondary or a vocational, or a technical school, young people can start working, or they may enter an institute or a university. At the end of the 11"' form every pupil must take the Slate Exam.. According to the results of it a person can go to the university or institute and even can study free of charge. . As for nigh schools, there are a lot of them in our country.