Sports and Games

Many kinds of sport originated in England.

Association football, or soccer is one of the most popular games in the British Isles played from late August until the beginning of May. In summer the English national sport is cricket. When the English say “that’s not cricket” it means “that’s not fair”. Golf is Scotland’s chief contribution to British sport. Other popular kinds of sports are tennis, boxing, wrestling, snooker (billiards), darts, walking, swimming, aerobics, yoga and cycling. There are several places in Britain associated with a particular kind of sport. One of them is Wimbledon - a suburb to the south of London where

the All-England Lawn Tennis Championships are held in July. The other one is Wembley - a stadium in north London where international football matches have taken place since 1923. The third one is Derby, the most famous flat race in the English racing calendar.

Holidays

Official holidays are called “Bank Holidays” because they are the days the banks are closed for business. These holidays are:

• New Year’s Day (January 1^st );

• Good Friday;

• Easter Monday;

• May Day (first Monday in May);

• Spring Bank Holiday (last Monday in May);

• Summer Bank Holiday (last Monday in August);

• Christmas Day (December 25^th);

• Boxing Day (December 26^th).

Scotland and Northern Ireland have several additional festivals of their own. The patron saints days are not celebrated with a holiday. They are:

• St.David’s Day (March 1^st), in Wales;

• St.George’s Day (April 23^rd), in England;

• St.Andrew’s Day (November 30^th), in Scotland.

Only Ireland has a holiday on St.Patrick’s Day (March 17^th). The important festivals are Hallowe’en (October 31^st), Guy Fawkes’ Night (November 5^th), Pancake Day (February), and Remembrance Day (Poppy Day).

Higher Education in Great Britain

Nowadays higher education in Great Britain is provided by universities, colleges of education, colleges of arts and colleges of further education.

There are 97 universities in Britain, including the Open University. The oldest and best-known universities are located in Oxford, Cambridge, London, Leeds, Manchester, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Bristol, and Birmingham. Students are carefully selected. The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCEA) and good A-level results in at least two subjects are necessary to get a place at a university. However, good certificate and exam scores are not enough. Universities choose their students after interviews.

English universities greatly differ from each other. They differ in date of foundation, size, history, tradition, general organization, methods of instruction, and way of student life.

The universities can be roughly divided into three groups:

• the oldest universities (Oxford and Cambridge);

• the redbrick universities (founded between 1850 and 1930, including London University);

• the new universities (founded after World War II).

Oxford (12^th century) and Cambridge (13^th century) are the oldest and most prestigious Universities in Great Britain. They are often called collectively Oxbridge. Both universities are independent. The basis of teaching there is by weekly tutorials. Each student has a tutor who controls and guides his training. Normally a student writes an essay which his tutor criticizes both in writing and in person with the student. Oxford and Cambridge cling to their traditions such as the use of Latin at degree ceremonies. Full academic dress is worn at examinations.

Many great men studied at Cambridge, among them Desiderius Erasmus, the great Dutch scholar, Roger Bacon, the philosopher, Milton, the poet, Oliver Cromwell, the soldier, Newton, the scientist, and Kapitza, the famous Russian physicist.

The general pattern of teaching at other universities remains a mixture of lectures, seminars and tutorials. Each university and department has its own method of assessment, but, in general, progress is measured through a combination of coursework, dissertation and finals (end-of-course examinations).

Other colleges for further education include polytechnics (all have the status of universities), colleges of education, specialist colleges (Agricultural colleges, colleges of Art and Music, etc.), further education colleges.

There is an interesting form of studies which is called the Open University. It is intended for people who study in their own free time and who “attend” lectures by watching television (the BBC) and listening to the radio. They keep in touch by phone and letter with their tutors and attend summer schools. More than 6,000 students, of all ages, get degrees this way every year.

Degree titles vary according to the practice of each university; the most common titles for a first degree are Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BS). Usually they are awarded after four years of study. The second degree titles are Master of Arts (MA) and Master of Science (MS), the highest degree in most fields is the Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

For all Degrees, Higher National Diploma and Higher National Certificate courses as well as for some Postgraduate Diplomas, student allowances are available from Local Educational Authorities in England and Wales and from the Scottish Office Education Department. The grant can be topped up by a loan from the Student Loan Company.

Tuition fees are high. Especially for overseas students, and they are increased each year in line with inflation.

University life is considered “an experience”; the exams are competitive but the social life and living away from home are also important.