2. Formulate the central problem of the text. By what arguments does the au­thor support It? Do you agree with them?

3. Debate the major points of the text either in pairs or in teams. Use the arguments and counter-arguments below.

For

1. A happy childhood is a myth.

2. Children have no right to opinions of their own; adults choose their clothes, books, even friends.

3. The children are manipulated by the grown-ups so as not to interfere with them.

The difference between manhood and childhood is the differ­ence between independence and subjection.

4. The years of school are hard: homework to prepare every day, examinations to take, lack of understanding on the part of the teachers.

5. The grown-ups are tyrants: the everlasting "don't-do-that's" and "do-as-I-tell-you's" are hard to bear.

6. Children are vulnerable; they suffer from the ignorance of the world around them, from unreasonable fears, nightmares faced alone.

8.'Adolescence is the most painful time: lack of self-confidence; over-consciousness of one's appearance; shyness and diffidence.

9. Adolescence is the time of intense, sometimes violent feelings which may lead to unpredictable actions.

10. An adolescent may feel himself alone in what seems to him a hostile adult world.

Against

1. Childhood means complete freedom from care, responsibility, social and economic pressures. Isn't it happiness? By comparison, adults are anxiety-ridden, tired, worried.

2. Adults have to choose everything for their children who don't know anything about the surrounding world and so cannot choose for themselves. Of course, a grown-up woman knows more about good taste in clothes than her adolescent daughter and can advise her better than her teenage friends. As to choosing friends, it is the parents' duty to protect their children from bad influence.

3. Children should be manipulated so as not to interfere with the elders who have lives of their own to live.

4. Children cannot be "independent": first, they are dependent on their parents for food, clothes, place to live in, education, entertain­ments. Second, they are spiritually dependent on their parents be­ cause their own spiritual values are yet unformed.

5. Going to school every day and doing homework may be heavy tasks for a child. But is there nothing to say for the sheer joy of ac­quiring knowledge? Are there no good, understanding teachers whom one remembers all through one's life?

6. As to "tyrants", what about children who harass their bewil­dered parents with constant demands for expensive clothes, motorcycles, luxury holidays, etc., without stirring a finger to earn at least part of the money for all these things?

7. Childhood is the incomparable joy of discovering the world for the first time. All things around are full of colour and life which we nostalgically miss in our adult life.

8. Adolescence is the spring of adult life, of the first awakening of "grown-up" feelings, romantic dreams, hopes and plans for the future. No matter how painful the process of growing up may be, the young are secretly sure that something wonderful is in store for them.

9. Adolescents have moments of intense happiness never recap­tured in adult life.

10. Friendships formed in adolescence sometimes, last through all life. It's people with whom you made friends when very young who understand you best.

IV. Arrange discussions and round-table talks on the following.

1. The generation gap: myth or reality?

2. The teacher's choice: permissiveness or authority?

3. Is it really so hard to be young?

4. The problems of the young: low incomes, housing problems, lack of entertainments, etc.

5. Juvenile delinquency. Who is to blame: family? school? street? social conditions?

6. The terrible maladies of the young: early alcoholism, drug-tak­ing, sexual promiscuity. What's to be done?

WEEKS 13-14. Topic: Insight into profession. The teaching of meaning

Grammar: The usage of articles.

Практических занятий – 6час., СРОП- 6час., СРО- 6час.

Education

I. Read the text

Education at a university level must necessarily provide the student with a body of positive knowledge which equips him for his career in later life. But it also has another and more notable attribute. It develops in the student an attitude of mind which regards the critical assessment of facts and values as more important than dogmas and which holds that a grasp of underlying principles is more valuable than the accumulation or information or acquisition of skills and techniques. A university expects that at the end of their courses its students will not merely be able to comprehend the extent and significance of that is already known within their own field, but will be receptive to what is new, eager to explore it, show the ability to cope with it and above all – be able to work confidently on their own. By entering a university a student has undertaken to accept a rigorous intellectual discipline and to be more than a passive receptacle for information, much of which in many subjects may be out of date within many years. To the limit of his capacity he is trained to collect evidence for himself and form a balanced judgment about it and he fortifies his ability to think for himself. This is what good teaching achieves in a university

(by Mountford J. British Universities in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education).

Ex. 1. What is your opinion? Do you agree or disagree with the author? Share your opinion with your groupmates.

Ex. 2. Discuss why we have schools. What is the aim of schools? What sort

of knowledge should it give? Should it qualify for job or should it educate and instil the right moral and social values? Are there any spheres school should not interfere with and leave them to parents or someone else?

Ex. 3. Make a list of arguments for and against marks in elementary schools. Discuss in the group which of them are the most important.

Read the text about British System of Education

Education in Britain and Wales –arguments about the Purpose of Education and the “Philosophy” of Recent Changes

There is a feeling that schools are not succeeding – that standards are too low, that schools are not preparing young people with the skills, knowledge and personal qualities which are necessary for the world of work, and that schools have failed to instil the right social values. These are the criticisms and therefore there have been changes to meet these criticisms.

However, the criticisms take different forms. First, there are those who believe that standards have fallen, especially in the areas of literacy and numeracy – and, indeed, unfavourable comparisons are made with other countries as a result of international surveys. For example, Third International Mathematics and Science Survey (TIMSS) placed England and Wales very low in mathematical achievements at 13 – although very high in science. Therefore, these critics emphasize “back to basics” and the need for more traditional teaching methods.

Second, there are those who argue for a rather traditional curriculum which is divided into “subjects” and which calls upon those cultural standards which previous generations have known – the study of literary classics (e.g. Shakespeare, Keats, Wordsworth) rather than of contemporary books, a more British version of history rather than popular multi-cultural history, classical music rather than popular music, and so on. Since there are many children who would not be interested in or capable of learning within these subjects, there is a tendency for such advocates of traditional standards to support an early selection of children into “the minority” who are capable of being so educated, separated off from “the majority” who are thought to benefit more from a more technical or practical education.

Third, there are those who question deeply the idea of a curriculum based on these traditional subjects. Many employers, for instance, think that such a curriculum by itself ill-serves the country economically. The curriculum ought to be more relevant to the world of work, providing those skills, such as computer, numeracy and literacy skills, personal qualities (such as co-operation and enterprise) and knowledge (such as economic awareness) which make people more employable.

A very important speech which expressed those concerns and which is seen as a watershed in government policy was that of Prime Minister Callaghan at Ruskin College, Oxford, in 1976. “Preparing future generations for life” was the theme and he pointed to the need for greater relevance in education on four fronts:

- the acquisition by school leavers of basic skills which they lacked but which industry needed;

- the development of more positive attitudes to industry and to the economic needs of society;

- greater technological know-how so that they might live effectively in a technological society;

- the development of personal qualities for coping with an unpredictable future.

The recent changes are increasingly redescribed in managerial and business terms, as the educational system is managed as part of the drive to be more economically competitive.

However, one must be aware of the doubts and dismay of many in this “philosophy”. First, there is little consideration of the aims of education – the values which make the relationship between teacher and learner an educational encounter, not one of “delivering a service”. Second, the new language of “education” is drawn from an entirely different activity, that of business and management. The language of control, delivery, inputs and outputs, performance indicators and audits, defining products, testing against product specification, etc. is not obviously appropriate to the development of thinking, enquiring, imagination, creativity, and so on. Third, the key role of the teacher is made peripheral to the overall design; the teacher becomes a “technician” of someone else’s curriculum. (by Richard Pring)

Ex. 1. Answer the following questions:

1. What is the author’s point of view about the British system of education? Do you agree or disagree with him?

2. What is critisized in the British system of education?

3. What does “back to basics” principle mean?

4. Should education be orientated to “the minority” or “the majority”?

5. Should school curriculum be more relevant to the labour market?

6. In what fronts is it necessary to prepare future generations for life? Do you agree with the author?

7. How could the “philosophy” of recent changes in the system of education be described? What terms are mostly used in it?

8. Is such an approach good for the system of education? Try to find advantages and disadvantages of it.

9. What does the author mean by disadvantages of the new “philosophy” in educational system?

Ex. 2. Compare the situation with education in Britain with that one in Kazakhstan.

Ex. 3. Do you agree or disagree? Compare your answer with answers of your groupmates and explain your point of view.

Agree Disagree

All people need good theoretical background in our days

Basic education should be free and compulsory

Children have to start school earlier, for example at the age of five

Talented pupils need special education which could develop them further

Religious education should be introduced in schools

Different types of pupils (including physical and mental handicapped children) should go to the same school

Good education provided for all could reduce social and class contrast

It is good that boys and girls go to the same class

Read the text Schools and the Curriculum

Schools and the Curriculum

Compulsory schooling begins at the age of five. There is a comparatively small provision of pre-5 nursery education, although the Labour government has made increased nursery provision a priority.

Generally speaking the transfer from primary to secondary school takes place at the age of 11, and compulsory schooling ends at the age of 16, when the students take their General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE).

There are, however, different patterns even within this phase of education.

First, there are parts of the country which retain selection at the age of 11, after which a minority go to the more prestigious grammar schools and the majority go to secondary modern schools. The majority of secondary students, however, go to non-selective comprehensive schools. Second, some parts of the country have middle schools from 8 to 12 or from 9 to 13.

At the age of 16, there is diversity of provision. Many schools have what used to be called sixth forms; some do not and the students transfer to other schools or go to colleges of further education. In addition there is the very influential private or independent sector.

Throughout the system, except in the case of the independent schools, there is a National Curriculum and National Assessment at the ages of 7, 11, and 14. At 16 there are the public examinations, the GCSE, and, at 18, the “A” or Advanced Level examinations.

This public system of education might be illustrated as follows.

18 school 6th colleges of further work

17 forms education training schemes

16 end of compulsory schooling

15

………………………………………………………………

14 assessment key stage 3

13

12

11 Secondary

Middle Schools

assesment key stage 2

10

9

8

7 Primary

………………………………………………………………

Assesment key stage 1

6

5

beginning of compulsory schooling

4 Nursery

3

Note: The secondary phase includes comprehensive schools to which the majority go, but also some grammar and secondary modern schools. Furthermore, within that phase, some schools are maintained by LEAs, others have 'opted out' and become Grant Maintained Schools, funded directly by government.

The school curriculum up to the age of 16 is generally thought of as an aggregate of subjects, j^inforced by the National Curriculum which covers English, mathematics, the sciences, history, geography, a foreign language (at the secondary phase), art, music, technology and physical education. (Religious education, though not part of the National Curriculum, has been a legal requirement since the 1944 Education Act although parents have the right to withdraw their children from religious education lessons.) There is an increasing emphasis upon literacy and numeracy in the early years in response to criticism of low standards, but the requirements of the National Curriculum have encroached upon the more childcentred approach that often used to be associated with the early years of education.

The maintenance of such a curriculum has been a major function of the examination system at 16, which was originally designed as a preparation for the post-16 courses leading to 'A' Level. 'A' Level is taken in single subjects, usually not more than three - arveryspecialised post-16 education compared with that of most countries. These three separate subjects, studied in depth, in turn constituted a preparation for the single or double subject honours degrees at university. In this way the shape of the curriculum for the majority has been determined by the needs of the academic minority aspiring to a university place. Alongside 'A' Levels, there have been, more recently, 'AS' (Advanced Supplementary) Level examinations.

These are worth half an 'A' Level and they enable very bright students to broaden their educational experience with a 'contrasting' subject (for example, the science specialist might study a foreign language). Occasionally a student might select a wider range of subjects, each representing half the equivalent 'A' Level course.

The present 'A' and 'AS' Level system, however, is thought to be in need of reform. First, it limits choice of subjects at 16 and 17 years, a time when a more general education should be encouraged. Second, approximately 30% of students either drop out or fail – a massive failure rate amongst a group of young people from the top 30% of academic achievement who find that after two years they have no qualification. Third, the concentration on academic success thus conceived has little room for the vocationally relevant skills and personal qualities stressed by those employers who are critics of the education system. Fourth, there are over 600 'A' Level syllabuses from eight independent examination boards often with overlapping titles and content, making comparability of standards between Boards difficult. Therefore, there is a lot of pressure for reform of the 'A' Level system.

Ex. 1. Please say whether the statement is true or false without consulting the text and then check yourself.

1. Compulsory schooling starts at the age of six.

2. Compulsory schooling ends at the age of 16, when the students take their General Certificate of Secondary Education.

3. There are parts of the country which retain selection at the age of

11, after which a majority go to the more prestigious grammar schools and minority go to secondary schools.

4. There is very authoritative private or independent sector.

5. There is a declining tendency upon literacy and numeracy in response to criticism of high standards.

6. The maintenance of such a curriculum has been a major purpose of the examination system at sixteen.

7. “A” Level is taken in single subjects, usually not more than three.

8. There is no need for reforms in “A” and “AS” Level system.

9. The “A” and “AS” Level system gives wide choice of subjects at 16 and 17 years, when a more general education is required.

Ex. 2. Fill in the table