The school system in great britain – Система школьного образования в Великобритании.

If all good people were clever and all clever people were good, the world would be nicer than ever.

I think that education is a key to a good future. And schools are the first step on the education-root. Schools give basic education, help young people to choose their career, to prepare for their future life. They give pupils the opportunity to develop their talents.

Education in different countries is organized differently. Education in Britain is compulsory and free for all children between the ages of 5-16. About 93 percent of all children are educated in state schools and the rest attend private schools.

Earlier education in Britain was divided into several stages. The first stage was the introduction of two kinds of school: grammar schools and secondary modern schools. Grammar schools offered a predominantly academic education and in secondary modern schools education was more practical. The second stage was the introduction of a new type of school called comprehensive, a combination of grammar and secondary modern school, so that all children could be gradually assessed and given appropriate teaching. These schools were co-educational and offered both academic and practical subjects. However, they lost the excellence of the old grammar schools. Then after 1979 school education was very much reformed. They included the introduction of a National Curriculum  at schools providing for certain subjects, most notably science and one modern language, to be compulsory up to the age of 16. The National Curriculum goal was to ensure that all children would study essential subjects and have a better all-round education. Pupils' progress in the subjects of National Curriculum is identified by written and practical tests.

Primary school. Schoolchildren attend a primary school for 6 years (5 to 11 years). When students transfer to Secondary School at the age of 11, they do not take any examination, but their reports are sent on from the Primary School.

Secondary School. Most children – over 80 percent – go to a comprehensive school. They admit pupils of all abilities. Pupils in all state schools in England and Wales study 10 main subjects, among them: English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Art, Music, Physical Education, Information Technology. Religion is also taught at school. Attainment tests are given at the ages of 7, 11 and 14.

At the age of 16 students sit the exams in as many subjects as possible. Weak students may only sit for three or four subjects. Better students take ten subjects. At the age of 16 about two thirds of these pupils leave school and get jobs. About one-third stay on at school until the age of 18, preparing themselves for higher education.

The 6th Form. More ambitious pupils continue to study in the 6th form. They stay on at school for one or two years to prepare themselves for university. They sit for the General Certificate Secondary Education at the end of the 5th-years' course. A-level or AS-levels are taken after two years of study in the sixth form. They represent the main standard necessary to enter the university or another higher education college. They have only three or four main subjects, which are necessary to pass the advanced level exams at the age of 18. The school year is divided into three terms with the vocations between them during Christmas and Easter holidays lasting about two weeks each and summer holiday which is usually six weeks long. All kinds of out-of-class activities are part of school life in Britain. Most schools have very good libraries which students use for reference work.

Pupils have exams leaving secondary school and the sixth form. Some parents prefer to pay for their children to be educated in private schools. This private sector includes so-called public schools, some of the names are known all over the world, for example Eton. It provides for exceptionally fine teaching facilities, for example in science, languages, computing and design. Its students are mainly from noble and upper-class families.

The Government's vision of the education system of the 21st century is that it will neither be divertive nor based on some lowest denominator. Diversity, choice and excellence will be its hallmarks in this century.

Words and expressions