10. Complete the following sentences with the necessary word from the box.

maintain attend a lack of attendance levy charges set forward progress free of charge charge provide offer

1) Repetition of the year may be due to ______, for example from a long illness, and especially in years requiring standard tests. A child significantly more advanced than their classmates may be ______ one or more years.

2) Pupils ______ from primary to secondary school at 11.

3) State-run schools admit pupils _____ between the ages of 5 and 18 irrespective of their academic achievement or aptitude.

4) The schools may _____ for activities such as swimming, theatre visits etc. provided the charges are voluntary, thus ensuring that those who cannot afford to pay are allowed to participate in such events.

5) State boarding schools usually _____ for board but not tuition.

6) About 7% of British schoolchildren _____ independent schools.

7) Independent schools can ____ their own curricula.

8) Eton and Harrow public schools have long _____ a distinguished reputation.

9) Public schools _____ exceptionally fine teaching facilities.

10) Some independent schools _____ scholarships for those with particular skills or aptitudes, or bursaries to allow students from less financially well-off families to attend.

11. Work in pairs to discuss the variety of schools in Great Britain. Use the Essential Strategy Language.

12. a) Listen to the news report about private and public high schools in the USA. Complete the gaps using no more than three words.

Note the difference in terms. In American educational system the term public stands for state schools.

In the United States, the issue of (1) _______is what differentiates public and private schools. While the public schools are paid by (2) _____, private schools are paid by (3) ______ not associated with the government. Private schools also charge students (4) _____, which is a fee that helps pay for the costs of instruction. The fact that private schools charge tuition is one reason why many children go to public schools. Since private schools are not paid for by the government, they do not have to follow (5) _____.

Additionally, in public schools the government decides (6) ______, while at private schools (7) ______ can be established. The majority of private schools research the needs of their students before deciding (8) ______ school policies.

b) Read the sentences below. Choose three sentences which might be true about British system of education. Compare your answers with your partner.

1) State and independent schools differ in terms of funding and administration.

2) State and independent schools are different in size and student population.

3) What makes state and independent schools different is academic curricula.

4) Students get admission in a different way.

5) State and independent schools differ in academic performance.

6) State and independent schools are different in educational problems.

c) Match each difference 1-6 with its argument a-f.

a) Since state school education is free, the academic curricula and programs may not be as refined as those of independent schools. Usually, they offer the same programs and standardized tests for all the students. In short, what the students learn in state schools is decided by the state. However, independent schools offer alternative curricula and have their own assessment system.

b) Educational problems in state schools include higher rate of violence and student dropout. It is due to the fact that these schools accept all students, irrespective of their behaviour and talent. Whereas in independent schools, they select students on the basis of their assessment, thus resulting in a safer environment.

c) State schools receive most of their funds from the state or federal government while independent schools rely on such private sources as donations and organizations for their funding. Since most state schools are administered by local governments, the overall funding is contributed by the local, state, and federal governments. Independent schools are under the control of a private body or a charitable trust.

d) Since state schools take students irrespective of their academic achievement and aptitude, they have lower standards than independent schools where performance is many times better in standardized achievement tests.

e) In state schools all the students get admission, irrespective of the student’s talent. They cannot deny any student who has applied for admission. On the other hand, independent schools have full authority to reject a student who is not up to the mark.

f) On an average, most state schools are twice the size of independent schools. According to a survey, they have an average of 10-12 students per teacher, whereas state schools have an average of 23 students per teacher.

d) Work in pairs to discuss differences between private and state schools in Britain. Use the Essential Strategy Language.

13. a) Read the article about the competition between state and public schools in Great Britain. Choose the most suitable heading from the list (A-M) to each part (0-11) of the article. There is one extra heading which you do not need to use. There is an example at the beginning.

The competition between state and public schools

A	The official stand
B	The prospects for the future
С	The advantage of selectivity
D	The disadvantage of selective state schools
E	The school-of-the-year is not the only one
F	A new face on the top	0
G	The things parents look for
H	The money-free image of selective state schools
I	The school-of-the-year’s impressive progress
J	The new generation chooses the best
K	Independent schools aren’t so black as they are painted
L	Free education for all
M	Parents and children look for the quality

0. This weekend’s Sunday Times guide to the best state schools shows that Henrietta Harnett, a selective girls’ school in Hampstead, came fourth with 94.1% of its A-level results at grades A or B. It was ahead of many famous schools and was beaten only by three private London rivals. The guide shows 10 state schools passed the 80 % mark for A and B grades, compared with just two last year.

1. Educationalists believe that selective state schools enjoy the benefits of picking pupils only on the basis of academic ability. At some of the best of these schools, about 10 children compete for each place, compared with five per place at the top private schools. Some parents are rejecting private schools, which can cost more than £19,500 a year, in favour of the state ones, where they believe children can get an equally good education for free.

2. Jacqualyn Pain, head teacher at Henrietta Barnett, said: "Independent schools have to look ahead. In future parents may prefer to save up for a university education rather than spend the money on school fees."

3. Henrietta Barnett, which is the Sunday Times state school of the year, has more than 10 applications for every place. Applicants sit for verbal and non-verbal reasoning tests at the first stage of admissions, followed by English and math tests if they make it onto a shortlist. The school’s performance at A-level jumped by almost 20 % this year and 50% of its GCSEs were at A and B grade.

4. The second-highest state school was Queen Elizabeth’s school in Barnet, where 89% resulted in A or B grades. That compares with 73.4% last year. Last year about 100 of its 180 new pupils picked it after turning down places or scholarships at independent schools.

5. John Marincowitz, its head teacher, said some parents used the independent sector as insurance in case they failed to secure a place at Queen Elizabeth’s. "Parents aren’t looking at the old school tie," he said. "They are looking for people with a broad education in a normal environment."

6. Tom Bealby, 17, was offered places at two leading independent schools but chose Queen Elizabeth’s. His mother said: “The issue of fees was brought up, but really we made the decision because there was a feeling of real academic excellence, a fantastic mix rather than an environment of privileged children.”

7. Pauline Cox, headmistress of Tiffin Girls’ school in Kingston, the third-highest state school in this year’s Sunday Times guide, said that the gap between state and independent schools was narrowing because of the “sparkiness” of the selective schools. “In independent schools, parents expect to buy success, which can lead to tension, while money can’t buy a place in our schools,” she said.

8. Ruth Rettie has two daughters at Tiffin. The girls were offered scholarships to independent schools but turned them down. “One reason for our decision was that private schools see parents as the customer - but Tiffin sees the girls as their clients and that is who they focus on,” Rettie said.

9. Officials representing the independent sector deny that they are threatened by the growing popularity and improving performance of state selective schools. This year the number of pupils at accredited independent schools went over 500,000, an increase of 1.7 % on the previous year. Dick Davison, a spokesman for the Independent Schools Information Service, said: “In large parts of the country there aren’t selective schools, but in any case, parents are looking at more than examination results. They are also looking for smaller class sizes, more individual attention, discipline and extracurricular activities.”

10. Head of Westminster School, where fees are £12,000 (day pupils) and £18,000 (boarders), said: “The state selective schools have a fantastically bright intake but there are only a few of them around and parents are fortunate if they live near one of them.”

11. Charles Clarke, the education secretary, welcomed the improvement of state schools. “Pupils from all backgrounds deserve the right to excellence in education - and it is good to see state schools competing with the top independent schools. But we must do more. Our goal is to raise standards in every state school," he said.