Education in Great Britain
1. Historical Background Discussion
Develop discussion based on the following topic “Diversity and quality in Britain’s higher education”.
Education! What does it mean? Education consists of knowledge and skills obtained through studying. It is the most important, necessary and useful thing in our life. Knowledge is power. A good education provides a good job in the future. Education is something that affects all the people at various points of their lives. It is also one of the major areas of government expenditure. Education is an investment for the country’s future wealth and well-being.
The basic features of the British educational system are: 1) full-time education is compulsory (5-16 years); 2) the academic year begins at the end of summer; 3) compulsory education is free of charge, private education is fee-paying. There are 3 recognized stages: the first stage is primary education (5-11 years); the second stage is secondary education (12-16; 12-18); the third (tertiary) stage is further education at University or college.
Higher education in England has several branches: colleges of education prepare students to be teachers; polytechnics usually prepare students for some kind of carrier, and universities. Higher education is selective, it depends on how well a student does in GCE, “A “level (the General Certificate of Education, “advanced” level) taken at about 18.
Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest universities in England. The University of Oxford is a collection of colleges. Some of these colleges were founded hundreds of years ago. “The university” is an administrative center which arranges lectures for all the students of the colleges, holds examinations and gives degrees. The tutorial system is one of the ways in which Oxford and Cambridge differ from all other English universities. Every student has a tutor who plans his work and acts as a parent to the student away from home.
Besides having the tutor there is the Dean, who is in charge of the inside discipline. Discipline out of college is the responsibility of proctors and assistants called “Bulldogs” (policemen).
In Britain all stages of education are open to foreigners. “The best in the world” is attached to British education and the Government tries to support this reputation. For foreigners there are preparatory colleges. The British education is the most expensive in Europe and the third in the world after Japan and New Zealand.
The British government attached little importance to education until the end of the 19th century when Britain was leading in the world in industry and commerce. The country needed literate citizens. Of course, schools and other educational institutions existed in Britain long before the government began to take an interest in education. The church was the main source of education in the early centuries. The church needed literate priests and deacons; education was a condition of employment.
The Renaissance and the Reformation saw the foundation of many new schools, some of them royal, like Henry VI’s Eton; others were grammar schools. By the middle of the 19th century it was necessary to create an education system.