Лингвострановедческие материалы по устным темам английского языка

ГБОУ СПО «Светлоградский педагогический колледж»

Лингвострановедческие материалы

по устным темам английского языка

(учебно-методическая разработка для студентов)

Светлоград, 2013

Предлагаемые лингвострановедческие материалы на английском языке по устным темам предназначены для самостоятельной работы студентов 1 курса педагогического колледжа

Составитель: Зорина Е.А., преподаватель иностранного языка, кандидат педагогических наук

ГБОУ СПО «Светлоградский

педагогический

колледж», 2013 г.

THE FAMILY IN CONTEMPORARY BRITISH SOCIETY

The family in contemporary British society is a much weaker and looser unit than it was say a century or even 50 years ago. The present British government under Margaret Thatcher considers it important for society that the family unit be strengthened and many would agree with this. How this is to be achieved however none really knows.

The nucleus of a British family, parents and children, is still fairly strong but the extended family, cousins, aunts, uncles, and to a lesser extent grandparents, tends to be very fractured. This is because various members of the family move to other towns or even emigrate and people lose touch with each other. The end result of this is less support offered to members of a family who are old or ill or in financial difficulties. This means that the state often has to step in and help. The support thus come not from relatives but from society as a whole. However in the immediate family the support system for sons, daughters & parents ill or in trouble is still fairly strong. But even this is often complicated when parents divorce and remarry.

The general development in the last 50-100 years has in short been a fracturing of the solid family unit into a looser and wider spread network of often rather complicated family relationships.

BIOGRAPHY \ STRICTURE OF THE FAMILY.

Some people become interested in the history of their family. Unfortunately these are a minority in Britain. If you want to discover more about your family history or construct a family tree, you can go to Somerset House, where all the records of births, marriages, deaths and the results of censuses are kept. In this way you can discover who your ancestors were and where they lived, what they did for a living and who they married.

It is possible to go back quite a long way into the past and trace the family right down to the present.

The role of women in the family and in society has been gradually changing since the Suffragettes won their battle for the female vote early in this century. There is still today a very strong women's movement in Britain, as there is all over Western Europe and in the USA, working to improve the position of women in society and their opportunities within it. A lot of progress has been made. Women tend to start families later, more women have careers, most women work and there are more facilities to help working mothers. But there is still long way to go. It is relatively easy to set up kindergartens and crèches, baby-sitting circles and mother’s helps, it is more difficult to change the fundamental attitudes of woman and man which lie behind sexual discrimination and are the reason why, for generations women have lived as second class citizens, and continue to do so all over the world. As a result, despite significant progress over the last few decades, in most British families the tradition division of labour persists and the myth of "women’s work" continues. So work­ing women come home from a full day's work at the office, factory or shop and cook the dinner, wash up, clean the house, wash clothes and put children to bed, while their husbands go out to the pub to drink with their mates, read the paper or watch television. In a more advanced household the husband might "help" his wife about the house but the concept of sharing the work equally is only accepted by a very small minority.

So the women's movement still has a lot to do to change the attitudes not only of men but of women, who do not yet realize that in these day of advanced technology and working wives they have choice, luxury denied them for so many generations.

UPBRINGING.

The job of bringing up children traditionally resides with the family. Obviously education plays its part. Teachers do have some influence as do child's peers at school. But the major influence remains the home. Children are brought up to be independent. Indeed most children leave home at the age of 18, if not before. Most British parents try to bring up their children to think and to make decisions for themselves. This is also the emphasis in the British education system.

Grandparents sometimes help to look after small children but this is a great deal less common than it is in Russia. The bulk of responsibility lies with the parents.

The family tree of Lara Clark.

George Fanshawe – M – Mary Jones

Mark – M – Lilly Arkwright

Giles – M – Tilly Smith Tamara

Charles – M – Susan Toocan Diane – M – Carl Gonzalez

Anthony Cassandra Miles Mercedes – M – John Clark

Lulu Marks – M – Timothy Diane

Lara Sharon Christopher

CHOSING A JOB OR PROFESSION.

At the age of 16 compulsory education comes to an end and each pupil has to decide what she or he wants to do next, whether to continue in education or find a job. This is an important decision and for this reason, in every school in Britain there is a careers’ advisory service. Each pupil has the opportunity of an interview with a qualified careers-officer who gives advice not only on choosing a career, but also on where to look for jobs, how to fill in application forms and write a C.V., how to present yourself at interview, and other useful practical advice. In the careers' office there is also a large quantity of printed material, leaflets and booklets on various professions and training courses, prospectuses for universities and colleges and so on. If a pupil decides to continue her or his education these services remain available and in colleges and universities are even more extensive. Schools, colleges and universities are also often visited by members of various professions or representatives of firms who give talks about various jobs and career opportunities and recruit new staff from students just finishing their education. If anyone slips through this network of careers' advice - for none of the interviews, talks etc are compulsory - there is a careers' advice service in most towns and in every town there is a job centre where qualified staff are employed specifically for the purpose of helping people to find work.

MODERN HOUSES.

Most people In Britain do not live in flats. Most people live in houses. A typical house has 2, 3, or 4 bedrooms and a bathroom upstairs. Downstairs there is usually a kitchen, a dining-room and a living-room. A lot of people live in housing estates. These are areas of houses usually all built in the same style, with areas of grass for children to play. Each house has a small garden with a fence or a hedge around it. Most of the houses are semidetached. That means that two houses are built in one and share one wall. In towns many people live in terraces where a whole row of houses are built together, sharing the edge walls with their neighbours. There are also detached houses. These stand on their own in a garden and are generally more expensive to buy. There are of course some people who live in flats. In London and other big cities most people live in flats. These are usually in large houses which have been divided into flats. In London they are very expensive, in smaller towns they are cheaper. Some also live in mobile homes or caravans. There are special sites for such caravans and usually each caravan has a garden. These caravans are actually quite roomy inside and can be very comfortable. And finally there are council houses. These are houses or flats owned by the state and controlled by the local council. People who are unable to buy or rent accommodation on the private market and have nowhere to live are housed by council and pay a nominal rent. Such council properties are becoming less however because the present government has a policy of selling them off to the tenants at low prices.

NB: When a person buys a house or flat he or she does not buy it outright but pays so much and takes out a mortgage (a special loan from a Building Society or Bank) for the rest. An estate agent, a solicitor and a surveyor help people to buy houses. The estate agent finds the property and negotiates the price, the solicitor sees to the legal side of things and the surveyor looks over the structure of the building to make sure it is sound, that there is no damp, no cracks, no holes in the roof etc.

CLOTHES.

Clothes in Britain do not differ very greatly from clothes here.

Young people wear jeans or trousers, tee-shirts, sweat shirts, jerseys, trainers. More girls wear trousers than do here and British youth, especially students, are notoriously scruffy. Actually jeans are in fact less popular now than they have been in the past and many prefer trousers of a different material. Trousers with bright coloured patterns on them are very popular.

People going to work in office, shops etc wear suits and ties or skirts and blouses or dresses. They are generally smartly dressed. You buy clothes in Britain in departmental stores or boutiques. There are a lot of different chains of clothes shops or boutiques in Britain. They have various different names, for example, Ms. Selfridges, Dorothy Perkins, Top Shop, Chelsey Girl, Snob Shop etc.

WHERE STUDENTS LIVE.

Practically all students live away from home. During the first year most live in Halls of Residence (students' hostels). Some stay in hall for all their 3 or 4 years but the majority in most universities move into rented accommodation for at least one year. The halls are not bad as a rule. In the first year you may have to share a room, but in general most people have a room to themselves. The longer you've been there the more choice you get of which room. Some halls are self catering and have a kitchen on each floor, corridor or "flat". In others food is provided and included in year bill. The food is usually quite good though I found there was too much of it. There are cleaners who come in to clean the rooms and empty the bins, and sheets are laundered by the hall.

There is usually a laundry where there are automatic washing machines and driers. These work on a slot machine basis. I think a load of washing now costs about 40 or 50 p and the drier something like 30 p but I may be out of date.

Each hall has a warden and a small administrative staff, but in the main the hall is run by the students themselves. A Committee is elected, with a chairman or president by the students. This committee runs the common room, bar or other facilities and acts as a representative body in dealing with the warden. The centre of the social life of a hall of residence is the bar. Most halls have discos every now and then but the big social events are hall formals. These are formal dinner parties followed by a disco and general gaiety. The students dress up in their best clothes for these occasions. In Oxford and Cambridge they have May Balls which are a bigger version of the same thing, except they happen In summer and usually outside in the college grounds. A May Ball can cost up to £50 or £60 but the average formal only cost £ 10 - £15 or less. Again I may be out of date with these figures.

The other hall events are sports matches. Each hall has a football team, a rugby team, a cricket team, a volleyball team, a net-ball team etc. There are interhall matches and competitions. In some halls these are more important than in others.

A great many students prefer to live at least part of their time in rented accommodation. This can either be lodgings, which means living in someone else's home more or less as a paying guest and which is fairly rare, or more commonly, in a shared house. These houses are privately owned and rented out either room by room or as a whole to a group of students. There are usually 4-5 students to one house. Each student has a room of his or her own and shares the kitchen and the bathroom with the others. Often there is also a shared living-room. Students' houses, as they are called, are notoriously scruffy places, known for threadbare old furniture, strained carpets, clashing colours and patterns on walls and floors, cigarette burns in the sofa, empty beer cans, and dirty kitchen floors. I lived in one with large damp stains on the walls, nice droppings in the kitchen, a rotten wall in the bathroom and long tracks across the hall carpet. However the state of the house very much depends on the students who live there and not all students like to live in pigsties, contrary to popular belief. Most students' houses are in fact fairly comfortable. Often a household will pool together to rent a TV, a video machine, a telephone. They put up posters and buy plants.

We had a cat in one of our houses. In fact the main reason why people so often prefer living in students' houses to being catered for and cleaned for in hall is because of this freedom. There are no rules in a students' house except the ones you make yourself and there is comparative privacy. It also usually works out cheaper.

STUDENT’S CAFETERIAS.

These are often called refectories. They are self service cafes where you take a tray, collect your food, and pay at the till. A similar system in fact to cafeteria here. The food is generally not bad. They serve hot and cold snacks, proper meals, cakes, buns, chocolates, sandwiches (which you can have toasted), coffee, tea, hot chocolate and cold soft drinks. The prices tend to be quite a bit lower than in ordinary cafes. Apart from the refectories there are also tea or coffee bars in most faculty buildings and in the union. These sell tea, coffee, biscuits, chocolate, toasted sandwiches, filled rolls, cakes etc. And there are of course bars where one can also buy food, hot dogs (a sausage in a roll), pies, chips, toasted sandwiches, salads etc. These are perhaps the most popular at lunch time.

For the staff there are special tea or coffee bars and a restaurant or cafeteria.

A STUDENTS' DAY.

Students in Britain have classes or lectures between Monday and Friday, though not necessarily every day. Glasses can begin at 9 o'clock but a 9 o'clock lecture is popular neither with staff nor students so they try to avoid it. Each department makes their own time table in consultation with others if a lecture hall is necessary. Classes are either seminars, lecturer tutorials or language classes. A seminar is usually a small group of 6-10 students one or two of whom give the seminar. That means they prepare a paper on the subject under study and talk about it to the others in the group. There follows a discussion. The lecturer is there to correct mistakes, add things the student may have forgotten and to keep the discussion going.

A tutorial is usually a discussion of a piece of work between a lecturer and a student. The student hands a piece of work in, the lecturer corrects it then hands it back in a tutorial when mistakes or ideas may be discussed.

Lectures or classes, usually begin on the hour and lasts 50 minutes. Sometimes you can have two or even 3 hours together. In this case you get a ten minute break at the end of each hour. This is comparatively rare.

Students do not talk about having the 1st or 2nd hour but of having a 9 o'clock or a 12 o'clock. It is unusual to have more than 2 or 3 lectures in a day and some days as I've said you might have none at all. Lunch break is from 1 to 2 but this more concerns the staff than the students as there are often long gaps between lectures anyway. This free time is either spent in the library studying or in the tea or coffee bars, refectories, or other bars in the Union and elsewhere around campus. Students sit about and chat, read the papers, do some reading or other work or play some of the games that are to be found in the Students' Union building: table football, darts, electronic and computerized games etc.

Most lectures are over by 3 or 4 in the after­noon. At this time students either go to the library to work or go home to tea. Some may be involved in training sessions or matches in the evenings. A lot of students spend the early evening working. Then most students go out to the pub. There are social events of course like discos or pop concerts. Clubs organize meetings, films, plays, discussion evening etc. In fact most evenings you can find something to do although. The pubs remain the favourite students haunt.

Most students go to bed late and get up late. In fact students in Great Britain are notorious for a rather sloppy life style. However having said that I think that the vast majority of students do work quite hard at their studies and the failure rate in British universities is very low.

(note: - British students talk about doing some work or working not doing homework)

(NB - teachers are called lecturers or professors or members of staff at university)

TO GET INTO UNIVERSITY.

To get into university you need 'A' levels. These are examinations taken in 3 or occasionally 4 different subjects in the 6th or final year of school, i.e. age 17/18. The 6th year at school is in fact two years, 1st year or lower 6th and 2nd year or upper 6th. In the first term of upper 6th pupils doing 'A' levels are given large forms to fill in from UCCA (Universities' Central Council on Admissions). On this you write all your personal details and list 5 choices of University and the courses you wish to apply for. Your personal tutor at school or college writes a reference and your teachers predict your grades for 'A' level.

Then UCCA make copies of the completed form and send it to the universities of your choice. They reply direct to you, either accepting or rejecting your application or calling you for an interview. Often you get what is called a conditional offer. This means they stipulate what grades you need in your 'A' levels to get in, for example, a B and two Cs. ('A' levels are marked A,B,C,D,E, Fail). If they call you for an interview this usually means they are deciding between similar applicants which to accept. Each university can only take a certain number of students per year. However some universities ask all applicants to interview as a matter of course, including Oxford and Cambridge.

If you fail to get in to any of the 5 universities you put down on your form you can apply through clearing. This is a system whereby every university which still has places left tells UCCA what courses are still available and UCCA matches students looking for places with places available. For polytechnics there is a similar centralised system for application.

NAMES GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE AT UNIVERSITY.

Fresher or 1-st year :

2nd year : Undergraduate

3rd year (finalist) : doing a 1st degree

4th year (finalist) :

Graduand - between final results and graduation

Graduate - After graduating (BSc, BA honours)

Post graduate (student) - i.e. doing an MA, MSc, PhD, etc.)

MA/MSc - Master of Arts / Sciences

PhD - Doctor of Philosophy

Lecturer

Professor - a head of department

Doctor - lecturer with a PhD

STUDENT LIFE AT UNIVERSITY.

Student life in the U.K. is not entirely the game as student life here in Russia, though there are of course many similarities.

The major difference is in the number of hours a student spends in the classroom or lecture hall. In the U.K. an arts student spends anything from 8 to 20 hours a week in formal lessons, lectures, seminars or tutorials. A science student may spend more time in organized study because of long sessions in the laboratory, but on the whole the number of hours a student is actually taught is a lot less than it is in Russia.

The reason for this difference is a difference in teaching methods and emphasis in higher education here and in the U.K. In Britain what a student is taught in the classroom or lecture hall is supposed to be an introduction to a topic of study, a basis on which to build his or her knowledge and understanding of the subject. The bulk of the work the student does alone, in the library or at home. He or she is given reading lists and guide lines of course but much more emphasis is put on research and finding things out for oneself, deciding for oneself whose version of history, whose interpretation of literature etc one wants to believe.

Most of the work is in the form of essays, the titles of which are questions or statements that need to be discussed. A student has to set out a reasoned argument backed up by knowledge and facts. This is how most arts subjects are taught. With a language a large part of the course is taken up with literature and history to give a background knowledge of the culture in question and this is taught in the same way.

The end result of all this is that students in the U.K. have a great deal more free time, or rather time for individual study. This had to be explained before a description of student life could be properly understood.

(NB all that I unite about student life is taken from my own experience at Reading University and therefore may not be universal fact.)

LIBRARY.

Every university has its own library. This is usually a vast building full of corridors and halls and crisscrossed with bookshelves and tables at which students work. There is usually a catalogue system where each book is written down on a little card and catalogued in little drawers (in alphabetical order) according to author or subject matter. However, these days in many university libraries they have Fiche machines. The information is all to be found on small squares of transparent plastic which inserted into a machine are magnified and a light is shone through them enabling a student to read the catalogue and find the book he or she needs. There are libraries who stamp the books before you can take them away.

Actually most university libraries are now computerized and each student has a computerized strip on his / her card and each book has the same. This makes the whole process of getting books out and returning them much quicker as all the librarian has to do is to run a pencil like instrument over the strips and the numbers of book and borrower are entered into the computer. At the entrance to the library there is usually a number of staff who checks books and begs, although it is forbidden to take bags into most libraries.

EXAMS.

The examination system varies from university to university and from subject to subject.

Sometimes a student sits part ones in the first year, part twos in the second and finals in the final year. The marks for all these exams go forwards the student's final mark. For some subjects there are 2nd year exams which count as part of the final mark. But for many subjects there is just one set of exams at the end of the student’s final year. These are called finals.

Examinations at university are generally written. For most subjects a student sits 9 or 10, 3 hour papers. Many of these consist of 4 essays chosen from a lay list of questions. The questions are often in the form of a statement or question which the student is expected to discuss in his or her essay, backing up the argument of course with facts. For languages there are also language papers, an essay paper, translation, prose, précis, and of course an oral examination.

The latter generally lasts 15 or 20 minutes. The student prepares a topic of his or her own choice and talks about it, answers questions on it and then there follows a general chat, all of course in the language studied. For many subjects one of the final papers is a dissertation. This is a long piece of work of anything between 5 and 10 thousand words long, usually on a subject of the student's choice, provided it is relevant to his or her course. For language students this work often has to be written in the language studied. I, for example, wrote a 5000 word dissertation on the Orthodox Church in Russia.

The papers are marked by the various members of staff who teach the subjects being tested. They are then checked by the others in the department and there is a consultation as to what the overall mark should be. They are then checked again by an

external examiner whose job is to ensure that there is no unfairness and that the level in all universities is standard.

For some subjects there is also what is called a viva, or oral examination, during which the examiners can ask you anything at all about your subject. They also use viva voices to decide on borderline students, i.e. students who are on the borderline between two grades. The grades are then printed up on large sheets and put up on a notice board. This is usually a week or so after your last exam. A student then becomes a graduand until the graduation ceremony. This is usually on the first Saturday after the end of term. The students hire special black gowns, hats called mortar boards (a cap with a stiff square top and a tassel), and hoods which hang down your back. Parents come to watch their sons and daughters walk up to receive their scrolls of paper. In fact the whole thing takes a few minutes only but it can be quite fun as it is the last time that particular year will ever be together again.

There are so many students that it goes on all day. There are official photographers there to take pictures of proud graduates with their degrees. There is usually a buffet lunch and wine and everyone in good mood at the end of the year.

(The marks are 1^st (class), upper second or 2:1, lower second or 2:2, third, pass or fail)

THE STUDENTS' UNION.

The Students' Union is a national body which has a political role as representative of British students. However, this role is not its main purpose. The Students' Union is mainly there to organize the social events, clubs, sports etc. of a university or college and to run the building also known as the Students' Union - or simply the Union. The Students' Union has a committee in each university and a president. These are elected by the students of that university. Those who are elected take a sabbatical, which means they have a year out of their study to work full times as union staff. There are officers responsible for student welfare, clubs, the distribution of funds, sports facilities, social events, political events etc. The Union building houses are not only the union offices but also cafes, bars, refectories, snack-bars, halls for concerts, gymnasiums, squash courts and other sports facilities, rooms that can be used for club meetings, banks, shops, the travel centre and various other things. The shops are usually a stationary and a general grocers. The travel centre is especially for students and gives advice as to the cheapest way to travel within the UK and abroad, as well as actually selling tickets and arranging travel.

There are a lot of events organized at the Union. Some are regular weekly events, for example at Reading there was always jazz in the main bar on Monday night and a disco on a Friday. Then there are events that happen at odd times throughout the year, pop concerts, special discos on Christmas or on Valentine's Day, etc. One of the major events is Rag Week. This happens once a year in spring and lasts for a week. During this week the university has to try to collect as much money for charity as possible. They print a magazine called a Rag Mag which is full of jokes and cartoons and is sold for about 30 or 40 pence, which goes to charity. There is a parade when all the students dress up, the clubs or halls give floats (lorries) which are then decorated and they drive through the town collecting money. There is also a beer race. This is a very strange spectacle. The students get into teams of 4. They usually dress up in silly clothes. One of them runs ahead with the glasses while the other have to do the course as a 3 legged race (i.e. tied to each other by their ankles). The course is around of local pubs and hall bars. At each pub or bar the students have to drink one pint of beer (or 1/2 a pint for girls). Then run on to the next one. To enter costs $5 or more per team and all this money goes to charity. The winning team is the team who gets round the course quickest and they generally win a barrel of beer. Most people do not take the race seriously however and the day is usually good fun. Apart from these there are discos and fancy dress parties and also groups of students do odd stunts, some going off to different towns to do so, collecting money all the time. By stunts I mean they dress up in silly clothes and do silly things to attract peoples' attention and encourage them to make donations. Rag Week is quite an old tradition and all universities have one. A fair amount of money is usually collected for charity this way.

(note on shops - There is also usually a university book shop but this is normally run as a branch of a local book shop in the town and is as such a private business. The book shop orders books for the students and keeps in stock set books and text books necessary for all various different courses.)

CLUBS

In every university there is a wide range of clubs, covering everything from stamp collecting to running, from parachuting to drama, from choirs to sailing, political clubs, women's groups, foreign students' clubs, the Christian Union, canoeing, diving, rugby, cricket, tiddlywinks... in fact just about everything you can think of. Every subject has a club too, so there's a German club, a Maths club, a Physics club, a Russian club.

At the beginning of every year there is a week called Freshers' Week. This is an introductory week for the freshers or first years. One of the main events of Freshers' Week is Freshers' Fair, when all the clubs set up a small table in the big hall in the Union and try to get the new students to join their club. This is fairly important as the more members a club has the more money it receives from the Union club fund. Most clubs have a membership fee. In my days it was 50 p a year. Then each club receives extra funding from the union.

Also clubs can put film shows to make more money. They hire a film and charge people £ 1 or so (much cheaper than the cinema which costs £2.50 - £3) to see it. With a good film you can make quite a good profit. This money then funds the club's activities, some of which are social and some whatever activity the club was formed to do. Each club elects a committee to organize things. If you want to start a new club all you have to do is to find enough members. I am not sure what minimum is. It doesn't matter what the club is for though the union has some rules, largely regarding membership, which must be open to all and not discriminate on grounds of sex or race.

So as a student there are a great many activities to occupy your, free time and opportunities to do things which are usually far more expensive, for example, sports like parachuting, diving, sailing, hand gliding, climbing etc. per which you need special training and equipment. The clubs for each subject are generally social clubs organizing departmental parties etc though they do also organize concerts, put on plays, invite guest speakers, hold debates etc.

WHAT YOU NEED TO BE A TEACHER IN THE U.K.

There are two ways of training to be a teacher. You can either do a Bed. (Bachelor of Education) which is a 4 year degree course in teaching, or you can do an ordinary degree in a subject of your choice, lasting for 3 or 4 years and then do a P.G.C.E. (Post Graduate Certificate of Education) which takes one year and qualifies you to teach either in primary or secondary education depending on your specialization. You must then do a probationary year working as a teacher in a school before you are fully qualified.

Education - Historical Importance of Education  
Education is a vital concern throughout Britain because a highly developed nation depends upon educated professionals and a skilled workforce. The literacy rate in Britain is one of the highest in the world at over 99 percent.

Britain’s first education act, in 1870, was inspired by the pioneering example of mass compulsory education in Germany and provided for state-financed primary education. Another major education act, passed in 1902, established local education authorities (LEAs) that were responsible for providing schools and education in their areas. The act also authorized LEAs to use public funds for church-affiliated schools. This policy was severely criticized by people whose children attended state schools because their taxes were used to support church schools. The 1902 act also established scholarships for secondary education. An education act passed in 1944 and administered by the newly created Ministry of Education established free and compulsory secondary education up to age 15; this was increased to age 16 in 1973. An education reform act in 1988 allowed individual schools to control their own affairs and budgets, free from LEAs, and to receive grants directly from the government. It also established a controversial national curriculum, which was simplified in 1994 after complaints about its complexity. Legislation pertaining to education is laden with controversies because of education’s importance in Britain.

Contrasts with American Education  

Compared to the United States, fewer people go on to higher education in Britain, and there is more emphasis on segregating pupils at the lower levels on the basis of ability. Most British schools are funded by the central government, with local governments providing supplemental funding. England and Wales have a national curriculum of core courses for students 5 to 16 years old, and schools are inspected by the Office for Standards in Education. National tests at the ages of 7, 11, and 14 assess students’ progress. Schools must provide religious education and daily collective worship for all pupils, although parents can withdraw their children from these. Full-time school begins at age 5 in Great Britain and at age 4 in Northern Ireland. In addition, about half of 3- and 4-year-olds are enrolled in specialized nursery schools or in nursery classes at primary schools.

In Britain, the term form is used to designate grade; old boys and old girls refer to people who have graduated from a school. Private schools or independent schools are called public schools, a term that means just the opposite in the United States. What are called public schools in the United States are called state schools in Britain. When a person is sent down from school, it means he or she has been thrown out. Grammar schools are university preparatory schools, most of which have been replaced by comprehensive schools catering to students of all academic abilities. Secondary modern schools provide vocational education rather preparation for university entrance.

Types of Schools in Britain

The most famous schools in Britain are private boarding schools, such as Eton College, Harrow School, Rugby School, and Winchester School. These famous private schools, founded during the Middle Ages, are theoretically open to the public, but in reality are attended by those who can afford the fees. Many of Britain’s leaders have attended these private schools, which cater to the wealthy and influential but also offer some scholarships to gifted poorer children. Local authorities and the central authority also provide assistance to some families who are unable to pay the fees. Only a small percentage of the population can attend these ancient and highly prestigious schools. A variety of other schools are also private, including kindergartens, day schools, and newer boarding schools. Private schools that take pupils from the age of 7 to the age of 11, 12, or 13 are called preparatory schools. Private schools that take older pupils from the age of 11, 12, or 13 to 18 or 19 are often referred to as public schools. Only 7 percent of British students attend private school.

In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, the education systems are similar. The majority of the student’s attend schools wholly or partly supported with public funds. These include state schools owned and funded by LEAs; voluntary schools established and funded mostly by religious denominations; self-governing or grant-maintained (GM) schools that receive funds directly from the government rather than local authorities; and specialist schools that are connected to a private backer. Most pupils attend LEA schools. About 15 percent of secondary schools are GM schools.

In Scotland, educational authorities are largely independent of those in the rest of the United Kingdom, although reforms, such as raising the age at which students may leave school, are similar. Nearly all Scottish schools are comprehensive, meaning they serve students of all abilities, and school boards involve parents and professionals. Recent reforms introduced local management of schools and allow state schools to become self-governing if voters approve the change in an election. The school then receives funds directly from the central government instead of from the local authority.

In 1997 Scotland elected to form its own legislature, separate from the Parliament in London. As a result, education in Scotland may change significantly due to Scotland’s 1999 parliamentary elections. Through its parliament, Scotland can address its own educational issues and create its own educational authorities. These authorities have the responsibilities once handled by the secretary of state for Scotland and other non-Scottish educational organizations. Wales also elected its own governing body, the Welsh Assembly, with the power to make similar decisions regarding the Welsh education system.

In Northern Ireland the schools are segregated by religious affiliation. Local education authorities provide for schools, but nearly all secondary students in Northern Ireland attend voluntary schools—church schools maintained by either the Catholic or the Protestant church. In an attempt to break down religious segregation and provide integrated education, the state established a number of integrated schools; about 2 percent of the school population attends these schools.

Education Beyond Age 16  

At the age of 16, prior to leaving school, students are tested in various subjects to earn a General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). If they wish to go on to higher education at a university, they take Advanced Level examinations, commonly known as “A” Levels. Scotland has comparable qualifications. About a third of British students leave school as soon as possible after turning 16, usually taking lower-level jobs in the workforce. Those who stay in school past the age of 16 may pursue either further education or higher education. Further education is largely vocational, as is adult education. About 3.5 million people were enrolled in further education programs in 1995. Students may also stay in school until age 18 to prepare for higher education.

The percentage of young people entering universities in Britain is far lower than in the United States, where more than half attend. In Britain the proportion has risen from one in six in 1989 to almost one in three in 1996. In 1995 there were 1.7 million students enrolled in higher education.

Britain has more than 90 universities. British universities can be divided into several categories. The foremost universities are the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge, both founded in the Middle Ages. The term Oxbridge is used to refer to both schools as a single entity, much as Americans would use the term Ivy League in reference to the group of prestigious East Coast universities. Scotland has equivalent ancient institutions at Edinburgh, Glasgow, and St. Andrews. Another type of university is the so-called redbrick variety—old and solid schools built in the 19th century when bricks were the standard building material. The large number of ultramodern universities that sprouted up in the last half of the 20th century are often called cement block and plate-glass universities. London has its own great schools, the enormous University of London and its world-famous college, the London School of Economics.

Students interested in advanced education can also attend polytechnics, which are schools dedicated to the sciences and applied technology. An education act in 1992 changed the status of these colleges to universities. Higher education can also be obtained through the Open University, founded in 1969, which offers extension courses taught through correspondence, television and radio programs, and videocassettes. It also sponsors local study centers and residential summer schools. The purpose of the Open University is to reach people who may not ordinarily be qualified for university study.

Social, Cultural and Sporting Life

Each school or sixth-form college has its School or College Council. It helps to plan the policy for the whole school. It organizes the social and cultural life at the school.

School Councils in many schools and colleges are chaired by a student and have a majority of student members. They run discos and parties, stage drama productions and deco­rate the student common room. Music-making is part of school life. Some students help in local hospitals, homes for the handicapped and elderly people.

The Boys' Brigade The Boy Scouts The Girl Guides

There are many clubs and societies. Very popular, espe­cially with senior pupils, is a school debating society.

Most clubs me­et regularly: daily, weekly or monthly, at lunch time or after school. Extra-curricular activities include various out­ings, visits to places of interest and dances. School choirs and orchestras give regular concerts. Sports are very popular too: running, jogging, swimming, self-defence, football, soccer, badminton, aerobics, rugby, etc.

There are many national voluntary youth organizations in Britain. You have probably read about the Scout and Girl Guides Associations. There are some clubs run by the churches. The three pre-service organizations (the Sea Cadet Corps, Army Cadet Force and Air Training Corps) are not very large. Their activities are related to the work of the armed forces.

But the largest youth organizations, as you probably know, are the associations of the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides. There are about 1,300,000 boys and girls in them. The movement of Boy Scouts was founded by General Baden-Powell in 1908 and began to spring up in almost every town and village of the British Isles. Its aim is to help a Scout (a boy from 8 to 18) to develop into a good man and a useful citizen. He must be able to handle sails, to use a compass, to lay and light a fire out of doors, he must know first aid and develop his interest in music, literature, drama, arts and films. A Scout is a friend to animals, he is 'clean in thought, word and deed'. He must obey the Scout Law.

The Girl Guides Association was founded by Lord Baden-Powell in 1910.- It is divided into three sections: Brownies (from 7,5 to 11), Guides (age 11—16) and Rangers (age 16—21). The programme of training is planned to develop intelligence and practical skills including cookery, needle­work and childcare. The training and the Law are much the same as those of the Scouts. Like a Scout a Girl Guide must be a friend to animals. She must be 'pure in thought, word and deed'. She must be loyal to God and the Queen.

There are several youth organizations associated with po­litical parties. The Youth Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (YCND) unites thousands of young people of Great Britain. It cooperates with the National Union of Students and many other youth organizations. It organizes mass rallies and meet­ings, demonstrations, marches of protest, festivals.

23