Education System in Great Britain, the USA and Russia.

If all good people were clever and all clever people were good, the world would be nicer than ever.

I think that education is a key to a good future. And schools are the first step on the education-way. Schools help young people to choose their career, to prepare for their future life, they make pupils clever and well-educated. They give pupils the opportunity to fulfill their talent.

Education in Britain developed by steps. The first step was the introducing of two kinds of school: grammar schools and secondary modern schools. Grammar schools offered a predominantly academic education and in secondary modern schools education was more practical. The second step was the introducing of a new type of school, the comprehensive, a combination of grammar and secondary modern, so that all children could be continually assessed and given appropriate teaching. These schools were co-educational and offered both academic and practical subjects. However, they lost the excellence of the old grammar schools. Then after 1979 were introduced the greatest reforms in schooling. They included the introduction of a National Curriculum making certain subjects, most notably science and one modern language, compulsory up to the age of 16. The National Curriculum aims to ensure that all children study essential subjects and have a better all-round education. Pupils' progress in subjects in National Curriculum is measured by written and practical tests. More ambitious pupils continue with very specialized studies in the sixth form. They remain at school for two years more. Pupils sit for exams leaving secondary school and sixth form. They sit for the General Certificate Secondary Education at the end of the 5th-years' course. A-level or AS-levels are taken after two years of study in the sixth form. They are the main standard for entrance to university or other higher education. Some parents prefer to pay for their children to be educated at independent schools. This private sector includes the so-called public schools, some of whose names are known all over the world, for example Eton. It provides exceptionally fine teaching facilities, for example in science, languages, computing and design. Its students are largely from aristocratic and upper-class families. The Government's vision for the education system of the 21st century is that it will neither be divisive nor based on some lowest denominator. Diversity, choice and excellence will be its hallmarks in this century.

The public educational system in Russia includes pre-schools, general schools, specialized secondary and higher education. So-called pre-schools are kindergartens in fact. Children there learn reading, writing and maths. But pre-school education isn't compulsory - children can get it at home. Compulsory education is for children from 6(7) to 17 years of age. The main branch in the system of education is the general schools which prepare the younger generation for life and work. There are various types of schools: general secondary schools, schools specializing in a certain subject, high schools, and gymnasiums and so on. The term of study in a general secondary school is 11 years and consists of primary, middle and upper stages. At the middle stage of secondary school children learn the basic laws of nature and society at the lessons of history, algebra, literature, physics and many others. After 9th form pupils have to sit for examinations. Also they have a choice between entering the 10th grade of a general secondary school or going to professional school. Pupils who finish the general secondary school, receive a secondary education certificate, giving them the right to enter any higher educational establishment. One has to study in the institute for 5 years. Higher educational institutions train students in one or several specializations.

The American system of education differs from the systems of other countries. There are free public schools which the majority of American children attend. There are also a number or private schools where a fee is charged. Education is compulsory for every child from the age of 6 up to the age of 16 except in some states, where children must go to school until the age of 17 or 18. Elementary or primary and secondary or high schools are organized on one of two bases: 8 years of primary school and 4 years, or 6 years of primary, 3 years of junior high school and 3 years of senior high school. The junior high school is a sort of halfway between primary school and high school. The high school prepares young people either to work immediately after graduation or for more advanced study in a college or university. An important part of high school life is extra-curricular activities; they include band or school orchestra, sports and other social activities. There is no national system of higher education in the United States. Instead, there are separate institutions ranging from colleges to universities. They may be small or large, private or public, highly selective or open to all.

The problems of Higher education in Russia, the USA and UK

THE USA

The American system of education is well-known all over the world and is appreciated for high quality and big opportunities which open before students after graduating. 70% of the most influential and profitable posts in the government, in noncommercial organizations and in private enterprises worldwide are occupied with the graduates of the American universities, who have degree of the Master. 98% of graduates with degree of the Bachelor get job within 6 months after graduating. To get a degree of the Bachelor one needs as a rule 4 years , and to get a degree

of the Master 2 years more . Americans attach much importance to higher education. They consider higher education necessary to become an informed voter of the country. Many Americans have also another views - they consider , if you get higher education you have more opportunities to gain higher income.

Problem !1 financing

All educational institutions can be either state , or private , it depends on the funding source . Both private and the state educational institutions have three sources of the income: tuition fees from students , donations (payments which are done by rich philanthropists) and state financing . In the most prestigious colleges and universities such funds reach very large sizes : e.g. . in such universities as Harvard , Yale and Princeton funds are more than billion dollars . The major part of tax money accrues to the state educational institutions rather than to private ones.

Education which always has been one of the most essential family expenses in America becomes more and more expensive. This autumn average cost of a four - year educational course at the most inexpensive state universities has grown to 6,4 percent. And in private universities cost has grown on the average to 5 , 9 percent . Rise in the cost of education , at simultaneous depletion of state treasury and reduction of financing represents considerable threat for the future of country since good education becomes less affordable . Probably, it is necessary to study and apply experience of other countries which, having passed to the subsidized forms of higher education , show remarkable economic upturn . Rather convincing example - Ireland where education is free from kindergarten and up to doctor's degree.

Problem !2 - Liberal Arts the best choice

At university faculties there are several types of courses:

Courses that are obligatory for each student (for example, general history , mathematics, literature, research technique ) .

Basic courses that students can choose for themselves ( in area in which they wish to receive the diploma )

And a number of "open classrooms"- courses, (which they don’t have to study, but may) .

And in such situations students often face a problem of choosing the future specialization. So, at universities appeared the programme Liberal Arts which helps to solve this problem easily . For the first 2 years students study variety of subjects not only humanitarian but also natural sciences . Multi-faceted education helps to define interests and academic abilities of the students before focusing them on a separate field of knowledge. As soon as the choice is done, students deepen into their subjects , carry out their own independent researches, and obtain experience . Such excellent preparation opens wide professional horizons before students.

According to statistics American schoolboys and students in general dislike the exact sciences , first of all mathematics . In amount of high-qualified engineers USA give way to China and India, and American economy lacks people with the higher technical education .

From here follows a third problem.

Problem !3 Claims of Americans to system

Many Americans are not satisfied with the current state of higher education in the country . Following moments come under criticism:           " every eighth gifted student after leaving public/high school does not continue studying at college.           " Only half of students which enter college achieve the object/aim/goal. The most part of discontent refers to academic programme of colleges and universities and , in particular, to big variety of subjects for choice. So there are such situations when some students receive the diploma, not having heard a course of history of the Western civilization for example not to mention/let alone the cultures of other  parts of the world. Others graduate without studying natural or political sciences. Many colleges already try to correct the situation. Such problems show that the higher education in America continues to change as it has been changing throughout all its history.

Russia

The higher education in Russia throughout the last 10 - 12 years has been constantly reforming.

The main problem of the Russian higher education is lack of financing. Russian universities are mostly paid by the state. Their system is centralized and therefore is under tight control. Our educational system is now considered to be in the final state of degradation, but due to the future innovations it is to become better. There are some new trends in higher education in Russia. The first is looking for the new sources of funding, for example, funding by companies, which will later employ the graduate . An other trend is the creation of new research universities.

A great problem in our educational system nowadays is the Unifies State Examination. The introduction of the USE was offered by the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation with the purpose of combination of final exams of 11 classes of school and entrance examinations in the high schools. Proponents of the USE believe that it will help to fight corruption at entrance examinations, and also will promote more adequate and fair system of the pupils knowledge estimation. Opponents of the USE recognize the necessity of the educational reform, but consider, that it is impossible to combine final and entrance examinations because of different requirements to knowledge at schools and high schools. Besides it is impossible to estimate abilities of the pupil adequately through testing.

The Great Britain

Universities in the United Kingdom are mostly sponsored by the government. English universities experience nowadays a serious shortage in financing. They cannot afford to hire qualified teachers. Salaries of professors are not high; they are not motivated to work well. Universities also lack equipment, necessary for educational process. The standards of British education can fall, if British universities will continue to accept mediocre students in order to solve the problem of financing. In its turn it may lead to the demotion of British universities in the world rate.

According to analysts, deficiency of financing of the British universities is about 99,95 billion pounds (16 billion dollars) a year . To make it good high schools tried to charge additional payments from the students . But students in their turn organized mass manifestations of protest , asserting that availability of education should depend on mental abilities of students not on financial possibilities of their parents .

Books and readers. Rate of reading. The most important types of reading.

Reading is the most important way of getting information. About 90 per cent of private study time goes for reading. In this presentation I’m going to dwell on the rate of reading, different types of reading and my attitude to books.

Rate of reading depends not only on the peculiarities of an individual’s comprehension, but also on such factors as clarity of presentation, difficulty of the material and the type of reading.

We can distinguish several types of reading, that is types for different purposes of reading.

The first one is reading to master information, to learn something. It is usually very careful, slow and repeated. When studying something we usually mark the book or use stickers in order to write some useful information or your thoughts out.

The second type is skimming through a book in order to get a general view of it. We use such very quick reading when we choose a book in a library or in a book store.

The third type is revision reading, that is reading very rapidly a book or a part of it, with which you are familiar, in order to confirm your knowledge.

The fourth type of reading is reading in order to search for specific information of to answer a specific question. We usually do it at classes or when we prepare for an exam.

Another type is critical reading, which means reading a book for review. This is one of the most interesting and fruitful types of reading. This reading is rather slow and the reader pays attention not only to the plot, but also to the stylistic peculiarities of the book and tries to read between the lines.

Reading for pleasure can be both slow or very fast. Everything depends on your preferences. Whether you prefer just to know the plot or you want to enjoy the peculiarities of the author’s manner.

As for proof-reading, which is rather slow and attentive, it is often used by editors and teachers. Its aim is to check spelling, punctuation and sentence structure.

Now I’m going to say some words about the types of readers. We can distinguish the main 3 types of readers.

People belonging to the first type have large libraries, they like to collect books and often buy modern fashionable books. But they don’t read them as their libraries just serve as a decoration.

People belonging to the 2d type also have large libraries, but they don’t read all books, just some of them. They pay much attention to the book’s jacket and the physical appearance of their books.

The third type of readers can be characterized as passionate one. Such people have many or few books, but they read them from cover to cover, they analyze them, turn corners, put stickers into the books, where they write some citations or their thoughts.

Talking about reading I can’t help mentioning e-books. They are becoming more and more popular in our digital world. In the future we can have just one little device for e-books reading with us, but there will be about 5000 different books we like. But of course, computers are not the reason to forget books!