Part II Opinions on education Active vocabulary

education n. освіта college of ~ учбовий заклад, що готує вчителів; twelve-year compulsory ~ дванадцятирічна обов’язкова освіта; higher ~ вища освіта; Polytechnic політехнічна вища освіта (школа) school n. 1) школа; 2) навчання; comprehensive ~ загальнодоступна школа; grammar ~ середня граматична школа; independent or private~ приватна середня школа; modern ~ сучасна неповна середня школа; nursery ~ дитячі ясла (дитяча школа); primary ~ початкова школа; public ~ закритий приватний середній навчальний заклад (у Великій Британії); безплатна середня школа (у США); secondary ~ середня школа; technical ~ середня технічна школа; university n. університет

 Reading

Read and discuss the following text.

“Then one day they opened a Catholic chapel,

which was quickly followed by a pub, a block of

shops and eventually a school. The school went

up last because there was no profit in it.”

Dominic Behan

The system in britain

At the age of five

all children have to begin full-time education. They go to PRIMARY SCHOOL where they learn to read, write and do arithmetic (the three “Rs” — reading, writing, and ‘rithmetic!), and many other things as well.

At the age of eleven

all children go to SECONDARY SCHOOL. There are four types of secondary school

Public school (a private school where parents pay).

Grammar school.

Secondary modern school.

Comprehensive school (gradually replacing 2 and 3).

Here many children will try to pass some exams — they usually take them in the 5th form, when they’re 15 or 16. There are two kinds of exam:

1. General Certificate of Education, Ordinary Level (G.C.E. “0” level). 2.Certificate of Secondary Education (C.S.E.), which is easier than G.C.E. With the help of their teachers, pupils choose the kind of exam they’ll take, and the number of subjects (Maths, French, Biology, etc.). The most ambitious pupils may take 9 or 10 “0” levels.

All children have to stay at school until they’re 16.

At the age of sixteen (or later) many people who have left school decide to study for more exams; or they may wish to learn a trade, like typing, building or hairdressing. They go to a COLLEGE OF FURTHER EDUCATION, either as full-time or part-time students. Many adults study here as well.

Some pupils decide to stay at school and study for more exams. They go into the Sixth Form - the senior part of the secondary school. After two years they take G.C.E. Advanced Level (“A” level). They usually take “A” level in 2 or 3 subjects (Physics, Chemistry and Maths; or French, English and German, etc.). All pupils now leave school, and many go out to find a job.

At the age of eighteen

others decide to go into HIGHER EDUCATION. If they’ve got the necessary qualifications (for example, 3 “A” levels), there are several choices:

UNIVERSITY or POLYTECHNIC. Here, for three or four years, they study an academic subject (Natural Science, French, Maths, etc.) or a technical subject (Engineering, Law, Computer science, etc.). If they’re successful, they get a degree and are called “graduates”.

COLLEGE OF EDUCATION. Here students are trained to become teachers.

ART SCHOOL, DRAMA SCHOOL, MEDICAL SCHOOL, etc. Here students study to become artists, designers, actors, doctors, etc.

After these studies most students try to find a job.

A few stay and work for a post-graduate degree (a doctorate, for example).

The Open University.

At any age after eighteen, and even without qualifications, people in Britain can study for a degree with the new OPEN UNIVERSITY. They work at home and are helped by postal courses, and radio and television programmes. The principle is important — higher education should be available to everyone.

The State offers free education to everyone at primary and secondary levels (although parents can pay to send their children to a public school, of course). The money is provided by the Local Authorities: the county (Lancashire, Sussex, etc.) or the city (London, Manchester, etc.) Pupils who go into higher education (university, for example) can get a grant from the Government. This depends on their parents’ income. The grant helps to pay for their teaching, their food and lodging, and their books.