Part V Education

1. Before you start.

   1. Answer the following questions.

1. What do you know about the system of education in Britain?

2. Do you want to study in the UK? Why?

3. What are the main differences between Russian and British schools?

2. Vocabulary list.

   1. Read and learn the following words and word combinations.

1. attainment – достижение, квалификация

2. primary education –начальное образование

3. elementary education– начальное образование

4. secondary education –среднее образование

5. infant school – первая ступень начальной школы (для детей 5 – 7 лет)

6. junior school – вторая ступень начальной школы (для детей 7 – 11 лет)

7. to embrace – включать, охватывать, содержать

8. grammar school – средняя школа с гуманитарным уклоном

9. technical school – средняя общеобразовательная школа с профессиональным уклоном

   modern school – средняя современная школа(с практической направленностью)

10. comprehensive school – общеобразовательная средняя школа широкого профиля,единая средняя школа

11. inclination – склонность, предрасположенность к чему-либо

3. Reading.

   1. Read and translate the text to learn more about the system of education in the UK.

Schooling in Great Britain

In most schools boys and girls learn together. In the first stage, which is called primary education, all children are educated according to the same programme. As they grow older, differences in ability and attainment become very marked, so it is considered necessary to offer different programmes.

There are three stages of education: primary or elementary education, secondary education and higher education.

Primary education is given to children between 5 and 11 years of age. A primary school is subdivided into an infant school for children aged 5 to 7 and a junior school for children aged 7 to 11. In small country places both infant department and junior department may be combined under the roof of one school.

Secondary education embraces children from 11 years of age to 16 years of age. Until recently there were three main types of secondary schools: grammar schools, technical schools and modern schools. Children were sent to one of these three types of schools according to their abilities. These three types of schools still exist but their number is decreasing. They are being replaced by so-called comprehensive schools.

Comprehensive schools are the most modern development in secondary education. The main advantages of comprehensive schools are that these schools are open to children of all types of abilities from the age of 11. These are large schools which give a much wider range of subjects than smaller schools, so that teenagers can choose a course of studies according to their individual inclinations and abilities.

2. What new facts about British schools have you learned? How does the system of education in Great Britain differs from that one in Russia?

4. Comprehension check.

   1. Answer the following questions.

1. What types of schools can be found in the UK?

2. Are all children educated according to the same programme or different programmes? Why?

3. What is the first stage of education?

4. At what age children begin their education?

5. What is the second stage of education?

6. How long does the secondary education last?

7. Which were three main types of secondary education until recently? Do these three types of schools still exist?

8. What is a comprehensive school?

1. Are these statements true or false?

1. There are three stages of education: primary or elementary education, secondary education and higher education.

2. In most British schools boys and girls study separately.

3. Elementary education embraces children from 11 to 16 years of age.

4. Infant schools and junior schools are intended for children aged 5 to 11.

5. The most modern development in secondary education is a so-called modern school.

6. In a comprehensive school children can chose a course of study according to their abilities.

7. The number of comprehensive schools is constantly decreasing.

5. Vocabulary exercises.

   1. Give English equivalents of the following words and word combinations.

Образование, способности, предлагать разные программы, обучать, начальное образование, среднее образование, высшее образование, необходимый, уменьшаться, в соответствии с их способностями, выбирать, учиться вместе, подростки, широкое разнообразие предметов, недавно.

6. Supplementary reading.

   1. Read the texts below to get more interesting information about universities in Great Britain.