Module 3. School education in britain, the united states and ukraine types of schools

1. Look at the pictures below. In pairs discuss the following questions.

1) How old are the people in the photos?

2) Which photo shows: pre-school education (3-4 years old), primary education (5- 11 years old), secondary education (12 – 16/18 years old), higher education (18+)?

	2. a) Listen to the speaker talking about the system of British education and tick the words in the box he mentions. Compare your answers with your partner.
primary school comprehensive school independent school middle school upper school first school infant school junior school boarding school secondary school playgroup nursery reception high school

b) Listen again and fill in the table below using the necessary word from the box.

Age	Year	Type of school
4
5
6	Year 1
7	Year 2
8	Year 3
9	Year 4
10	Year 5
11	Year 6
12	Year 7
13	Year 8
14	Year 9
15	Year 10
16 17 18	Year 11

c) What differences between British and American educational systems does the speaker mention? Complete the sentences below.

1) The first class in British primary school which is called reception is an equivalent to American _____.

2) Secondary school in Britain is an equivalent to American _____.

d) Read the text below. Fill in the table for Ukraine. Compare your answers with your partner.

School education in Ukraine

The secondary school education is compulsory in Ukraine. The 6-year-olds are admitted to public schools to study for either 9 or 12 years, depending on the intended after-school educational level. Within the structure and the content of general secondary education the “Law on General Secondary Education” adopted in 1999 stipulates transition for the recognized European and world standards. The school education is divided into three levels. The three level structure takes into account the three successive stages of the development of a child personality.

The first stage – the elementary school – includes 4 years of studying. Elementary school education in Ukraine forms the foundation of a child’s schooling career and is aimed at developing children’s personalities, talents, formation of morals. It enables to relieve students and give teachers the opportunity to achieve success in improving basic knowledge and skills in mathematics, language, valeology and environmental subject.

The second stage of the compulsory secondary education comprises 5 years basic school, where students get knowledge and skills in science and humanitarian subjects, mother tongue and foreign languages. This level of education provides the link to continuous education systems and it eases to make choice for each individual for further education. The first and the second stages form the formal basic education for all students with 9 years of duration. Formal basic education is completed at the age of 15 years. On completion of basic school students receive a certificate about basic general secondary education. Such certificates give them the right to continue education in comprehensive schools of the III level; to continue education and to receive some profession in the basic vocational institutions or to enter the educational institutions of the I-st and 2-nd accreditation levels.

The third stage lasts three years (up to the age of 18 years) in institutions of general education or in the system of professional training. At this stage thorough study of the limited group of subjects, which are chosen by students for their further studying (in universities, institutes and academies), is envisaged.

The “Law on General Secondary Education” introduces not only the European standard of duration of studying (12 years) but also the appropriate standards of school years duration (190 working days), intensity of weekly education, current and final examination of students progress and a lot of other forms of experience of the European and American democratic countries.