Historical background

Education

EDUCATION IN BRITAIN

QUESTIONS

1 What is the structure of the British economy? What is the share of privatized industries and private enterprise versus public industries and enterprise?

2 What are the most important industrial developments in the past 30 years?

3 List the major manufacturing industries and describe their development.

4 The financial sector: Why is the City so important?

5 Can Britain be described as the world^,s major trading nation?

6 Name the main types of farming. Describe their role and territorial specialization.

7 Explain the importance of fishing for Britain.

6.1 School history and The present school system

6.2 The National Curriculum

6.3 Public Examinations

6.4 Higher and further education

The basic features of the British educational system are the same as they are anywhere else in Europe: full-time education is compulsory up to the middle teenage years; the academic year begins at the end of summer; compulsory education is free of charge, but parents may spend money on educating their children privately if they want to. There are three recognized stages, with children moving from the first stage (primary) to the second stage (secondary) at around the age of eleven or twelve. The third (tertiary) stage is 'further' education at university or college. However, there is quite a lot which distinguishes education in Britain from the way it works in other countries.

The British government attached little importance to education until the end of the nineteenth century. It was one of the last governments in Europe to organize education for everybody. Britain was leading the world in industry and commerce, so, it was felt, education must somehow be taking care of itself. Today, however, education is one of the most frequent subjects for public debate in the country. To understand the background to this debate, a little history is needed.

Schools and other educational institutions (such as universities) existed in Britain long before the government began to take an interest in education. When it finally did, it did not sweep these institutions away, nor did it always take them over. In typically British fashion, it sometimes incorporated them into the system and sometimes left them outside it. Most importantly, the government left alone the small group of schools which had been used in the nineteenth century (and in some cases before then) to educate the sons of the upper and upper-middle classes. At these 'public' schools, the emphasis was on 'character-building' and the development of 'team spirit' rather than on academic achievement.

Дата добавления: 2013-12-13