SECTION I

Education Unit 1. Learning for Life Key Vocabulary List

school, nursery school, infant school, primary school, secondary school, high school, modern comprehensive school, grammar school

private school, fee-paying school, independent school, public school, state school, boarding school

college, university, educational institution, self-governing institution

Department for Education and Skills, the Department of Education and Science

LEA = Local Education Authority

Provincial (or Civic) Universities

Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.)

Master of Arts (M.A.), Master of Science (M.Sc.)

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

degree (associate, bachelor's, master's, doctorate), to award degree

curriculum (pl. -a) / The National Curriculum

continuing education, compulsory education, voluntary education

leisure learning programs

distance learning, home schooling, co-education

assessment and evaluation tools

to enrol, enrolment in (pre-school) programs

grade n (Am) / form n (Br)

state regulations, district regulations

to drop out v, dropout rate

edutainment

graduate, undergraduate, postgraduate

to teach students one-to-one, to teach students in small groups

to catch up on work

mark (Br) / grade (Am)

bursary, bursary system, to provide bursaries for able students

to skip lessons / to play truant from school

optional subject (electives), compulsory subject

major (1. a student's main subject at college or university 2. someone who is studying a particular subject as their main subject: a political science major)

tutorial, tuition / supervision

freshman, sophomore, junior, senior

grant / scholarship / bursary

liberal arts

practical bias, technical bias, vocational subjects, subsidized courses

lecturer, tutor, associate professor, professor

principal / headmaster

sandwich course, degree course, correspondence course/ distance learning course

academic year, term, semester

self-study

Exams and qualifications

SATs / Standard Assessment Tests (SATS) (a test in a particular subject given to children in schools in the UK)

GCSE = General Certificate of Secondary Education. The exams taken by most fifteen- to sixteen-year-olds in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Marks are given for each subject separately. The syllabuses and methods of examination of the various examining boards differ. However, there is a uniform system of marks, all being graded from A to G. Grades A, B and C are regarded as “good” grades.

SCE = Scottish Certificate of Education. The Scottish equivalent of GCSE. These exams are set by the Scottish Examinations Board. Grades are awarded in numbers

(1 = the best)

A Levels = Advanced Levels. Higher-level academic exams set by the same examining boards that set GCSE exams. They are taken mostly by people around the age of eighteen who wish to go on to higher education.

SCE “Highers” = The Scottish equivalent of A-levels.

GNVQ = General National Vocational Qualification. Courses and exams in job-related subjects. They are divided into five levels, the lowest level being equivalent to GSCEs/SCEs and the third level to A-levels/“Highers”. Most commonly, GNVQ courses are studied at Colleges of Further Education, but more and more schools are also offering them.

High School Diploma / GED (General Educational Development) Certificate

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