Билет 9

The House of Commons is the only chamber in the British Parliament which is elected at General Elections. British subjects and citizens can vote provided they are 18 and over, resident in the UK, registered in the annual register of electors and not subject to any disqualifications. The UK is divided into 659 electoral districts, called constituencies of approximately equal population and each const, elects the member of the HC. No person can be elected except under the name of the party, and there is little chance except as the candidate backed by either the Labor or the Conservative party. In every constituency each of the 2 parties has a local organization, which chooses the candidate, and then helps him to conduct his local campaign, in a British election the candidate who wins the most votes in elected, even if he doesn't get as many as the combined votes of the other candidates. The winner takes it all. This is known as notorious majority electoral system that is often criticized for being unfair to smaller parties that have very little chance to send their candidate to the Commons. It is often argued that the British system of elections is so unfair that it ought to be changed, by the introduction of a form of proportional representation. It aims to give each party a proportion of seats in Parliament corresponding to the proportion of votes it receives at the election. As soon as the results of a general elections are known, it is clear which party will form the government. The leader of the majority party becomes Prime Minister and the new House of Commons meets. The chief officer of the HC is the Speaker. He is elected by the House at the beginning of each parliament. His chief function is to preside over the House in the debate. The Speaker must not belong to any party. G Brown

Билет 10

The educational system of GB has developed for over a 100 years. 3 partners are responsible for the education service: central government- the Department of Education & Science(DES)(assisted by Her Majesty's inspectorate), local education authorities(LEAs)provision day-to-day running of the schools and colleges in their areas, the recruitment and payment of the teachers, the head(a Chief Education Officer) and schools themselves. The legal basis for this partnership is supplied by the 1944 Education Act. Compulsory education in GB begins at the age of 5, and the minimum school leaving age is 16. Education is provided both in publicly maintained(state) schools(no tuition fees are payable)-'public sector', & in private independent schools-'private sector (have to pay)- Education within the state school system comprises either 2 stages - primary & secondary, or 3 stage-first schools, middle spools, upper schools. Nursery education- in nursery schools or in nursery classes attached to primary schoolchildren 3-5, some sort of play, activity, as Car as possible of an educational kind). Primary school (5-11) Middle school(8-14) is a sort of a compromise between primary c secondary education. The Upper School keeps middle school leavers until the age of 18. This 3-stage system is becoming more & more popular.

Secondary education is compulsory up to the age of 16,6 pupils may stay here until they are 10. S. schools are much larger than primary & most children go to comprehensive schools (11-18)- admit children of all abilities in a given area &provide a wide range of different courses.

3types:

1)11-18.

2)middle School leavers 12,13,14 -18,

3)the age group 11-16. In some areas children moving from Primary to Secondary education are still selected for certain types of school according to their current level of academic attainment. These are:

Grammar schools provide a manly academic education for 11-18 age group preparing for higher education.

Technical schools- a manly academic education for 11-18 age group, place emphasis on technical subjects.

Secondary modern schools offer a more general education with a practical bias up to the minimum school-leaving age of 16(cannot enter the university but start work).

There are special school adapted for the physically £ mentally handicapped children(5-16). These schools & their classes are more generously staffed £ provide different forms of treatment. They can be both state or private. Though limited in number, the largest & most important of the independent schools are the public schools(12-13) on the basis of the strict selection. They are fee-charging & very expensive, their standards for entries are very high, & more concerned with examinations & universities. The pupils are the children of the rich parents. The principal examinations taken by secondary school pupils at the age of 16 are those leading to the General Certificate of Secondary Education. The chief examinations are leading to the General.Certificate of Education Advanced level.

Admission to universities is by examination or interviews. Applications are sent to the Universities & Colleges Admission Services - you can list up to 5 universities or Colleges.