Education after school

Ex.1 Read the proper names:

Bachelor of science (BSc)

Bachelor of Arts (BA)

Master of Science (MSe)

Master of Arts (MA)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Oxford

Cambridge

Durham

the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA)

the Education Reform Act

Universities’ Central Council for Admissions

The Open University

Milton Keynes

University of the Third Age

The University of Wales Scotland,

the Workers’ Educational Association

Ex.2 Read the following words:

colleges, at least, authorities, Certificate, Courses, Suitable qualifications, skills, career dissertation, essay, degree, honours, examination, minority, contribution, professional, beginning, grant, diplomas.

Ex.3 Read and translate the text:

Education after school

1. Colleges

Most formal education after school is done in the various technical and other colleges. There is at least one college in every town. They are specialized or more general, mostly maintained by their local education authorities. Some of their students do full-time courses, but many have jobs and attend classes in the evenings, or on one or two days a week. They prepare themselves for diplomas or certificates of proficiency in the innumerable skills which a modern society needs. The variety of colleges and courses is so great that it is impossible to make general statement about them. The students are of all ages, including older people developing new skills. In general the bigger the college the greater the range of its courses attempts are made within each local area to provide courses suitable for most of the people who want to obtain qualifications for their careers.

II. Higher-level studies

For higher-level studies the main qualification is the “first” degree of Bachelor (of Arts science, etc) which can be attained by students who pass their university examinations or in some cases other examinations of equivalent level. This normally involves at least three years of full-time study after passing the advanced level certificate of education at the age of about eighteen. So most people who become BA, BSc, etc. do so at the age of at least twenty-one “Bachelors’ degrees are usually awarded on the basis of answers to several three-hour examinations together with practical work or long essays or dissertations written in conjunction with class work. Degrees are classified. About a tenth (or less) of candidates win first-class honours degrees, three-quarters second-class, the rest-third-class or pass without honours, or fail. Some students continue to study for degrees of Master (of Arts, Science, etc) which often need two further years of study, with examination papers and substantial dissertations. A minority go on further, preparing theses which must make original contributions to knowledge, for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Higher-degree study is more common among students of natural or applied sciences or the social sciences such as economics, sociology, political science or law. But many people who gain first degrees in their subjects often go on to more practical training courses which lead to various kinds of professional qualifications.