After-Reading Activities

3. Say whether the statements (1-13) are true or false:

1. The British Government’s education reforms aim to provide good education for every child of any ability or aptitude.

2. The stages in educational system in Great Britain are primary, secondary, further and higher education.

3. The years of compulsory schooling in Great Britain are from 5 to 18.

4. All English schools can decide for themselves what subjects to teach .

5. According to the source of financing all British schools are divided into maintained, voluntary and independent schools.

6. Voluntary schools are free of charge schools where religion is legally binding.

7. The term “independent school” is referred to English public schools such as pre-preparatory and preparatory schools.

8. Primary education in Britain can be obtained either at infant and junior schools or at first schools.

9. The 11+ exams which are taken after primary school at the age of 10 aim at testing pupils’ knowledge of Maths, native language and cleverness.

10. Comprehensive schools are divided into two types – secondary modern schools and technical schools.

11. Grammar schools are highly selective choosing the richest kids.

12. To take GCE “A” level examinations one shouldn’t necessarily stay two more years at school after taking his/her GCSE there.

13. Streaming is a division of pupils in the class according to their skills.

4. Do the matching work. Match A and B:

A B

1. voluntary school a. (BrE) a private school for children aged between 13 and 18, whose parents pay for their education, the children often live at the school while they are studying; (AE) a free local school, controlled and paid for by the government

2. grammar school b. a school in Britain for children aged 7 to 11

3. mixed school c. a private school in Britain for children between the ages of 5 and 8

4. public school d. a school in Britain which, though not established by the local education authority, is funded mainly or entirely by it, and which typically encourages particular religious beliefs

5. infant school e. a private school in Britain for children between the ages of 8 and 13

6. junior school f. a co-educational school

7. preparatory g. (BrE) a state-maintained secondary school providing an

school education with an academic bias for children who are selected by the eleven-plus examination, teachers’ reports, or other means; (AE) elementary school

8. pre-preparatory h. a school for children aged between four and eight in

school Britain

5. Answer the questions to Text B.

1. Is Great Britain concerned about its education? Motivate your answer.

2. There are three stages in British state educational system, aren’t there?

3. What types of schools depending on the source of funding can be distinguished in Britain?

4. What are the main functions of the LEAs?

5. British compulsory education begins at five, doesn’t it? When does it finish?

6. What do you know about the selective procedure at the age of 11? How does it influence the child’s future?

7. How did the introduction of the national curriculum change the school running in Great Britain?

8. What is streaming? Is it practiced in all British schools?

9. When do British schoolchildren take GCSE? What is GCE “A”? Why do schoolchildren have to take it?

10. What do you know about private schools in Great Britain? Explain why despite high quality education only 7% of pupils attend them.

11. What features of British secondary education would you like to introduce into Ukrainian educational system? Why?

6. Comment on the underlined quotations in the text.

7. Study the Topical Vocabulary on schooling in Great Britain and complete the sentences given below using the phrases from the box.