Education in Great Britain

      You may want to know whether there are any rewards and prizes for  the

best pupils. Of course, there are. Each school has its  system  of  rewards:

medals and prizes. 
 
 

                    8.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.

      There are many clubs and  societies.  Very  popular,  especially  with

senior pupils, is а school debating society.

      Most clubs meet regularly: daily, weekly or monthly, at lunch time  or

after school. Extracurricular 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. There 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 I а Scout (а  boy  from

8 to 18) to develop into а good man and а useful citizen. He  must  be  able

to handle sails, to use а compass, to lay and light а fire out of doors,  he

must know first aid and develop his interest in  music,  literature,  drama,

arts and films. A Scout is а 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 tо  11),  Guides  (age

11 — 16) and Rangers (age 16 — 21). The programmer of  training  is  planned

to develop intelligence and practical skills inculding cookery,  needle-work

and childcare. The training and the Law are much the same as  those  of  the

Scouts. Like а Scout а Girl Guide must be а 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 co-operates with the National Union  of

Students and many other youth organizations. It organizes mass  rallies  and

meetings, demonstrations, marches of protest, festivals. 
 
 

                      9.Life at College and University 
 

      The academic year in Britain' s universities,  Polytechnics,  Colleges

of Education is divided  into  three  terms,  which  usually  run  from  the

beginning of October to the middle of December, from the middle  of  January

to the end of March, and from the middle of April to the end of June or  the

beginning of July.

      There are about one hundred universities in Britain.  The  oldest  and

best-known universities are located in  Oxford,  Cambridge,  London,  Leeds,

Manchester,   Liverpool,   Edinburgh,   Southampton,    Cardiff,    Bristol,

Birmingham.

      Good А-level results in at least two subjects are necessary to  get  а

place at а university. However, good  exam  passes  alone  are  not  enough.

Universities  choose  their  students  after  interviews.  For  all  British

citizens а place at а university brings with it а  grant  from  their  local

education authority.

      English universities greatly differ from each other.  They  differ  in

date of foundation, size, history, tradition, general organization,  methods

of instruction, way of student life.

      After three years of study а university graduate will leave  with  the

Degree of Bachelor of Arts, Science, Engineering, Medicine,  etc.  Later  he

may continue to take а Master’s Degree and then а Doctor’s Degree.  Research

is an important feature of university work.

      The two  intellectual  eyes  of  Britain  —  Oxford  and  Cam-  bridge

Universities — date from the twelfth and thirteenth centuries.

      The Scottish  universities  of  St.  Andrews,  Glasgow,  Аberdeen  and

Edinburgh date from the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries.

       In the nineteenth and the early part of the twentieth  centuries  the

so-called  Redbrick  universities  were  founded.  These   include   London,

Manchester, Leeds, Liverpool, Sheffield  and  Birmingham.  During the  late

sixties and  early  seventies  some  20  'new'  universities  were  set  up.

Sometimes they are called 'concrete and glass' universities. Among them  are

the universities of Sussex, York, East Anglia and some others.

      During these years the Government  set  up  thirty  Polytechnics.  The

Polytechnics, like the universities, offer first and  higher  degrees.  Some

of them offer full-time and sandwich courses. Colleges of Education  provide

two-year courses in teacher  education  or  sometimes  three  years  if  the

graduate specializes in some particular subject.

      Some of those who decide to leave school at the age of 16 may go tо  а

further education  college  where  they  can  follow  а  course  in  typing,

engineering, town planning, cooking, or  hairdressing,  full-time  or  part-

time.  Further  education  colleges  have  strong  ties  with  commerce  and

industry.

      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  and  listening  to  the  radio.

They keep in touch by phone and letter with their tutors and  attend  summer

schools. The Open University students  have  nо  formal  qualifications  and

would be unable to enter ordinary universities.

      Some 80,000 overseas students study at British universities or further

education colleges or train in nursing, law, banking or in industry. 
 
 

                            10.Higher education. 

      As has been mentioned above, there is a  considerable  enthusiasm  for

post-school education in Britain. The aim of the government is  to  increase

the number of students who enter into higher education.  The  driving  force

for this has been mainly economic.  It is assumed that the more  people  who

study  at  degree  level,  the  more  likely  the  country  is  to   succeed

economically. A large proportion of young people – about a third in  England

and Wales and almost half in Scotland – continue in education at a  more  A-

level beyond the age of 18. The higher education sector provides  a  variety

of courses up to degree and  postgraduate  degree  level,  and  careers  out

research. It increasingly caters for older students; over  50%  of  students

in 1999 were aged 25 and over  and  many  studied  part-time.  Nearly  every

university offers access  and  foundation  courses  before  enrolment  on  a

course of higher education of prospective  students  who  do  not  have  the

standard entry qualifications.

      Higher  education  in  Britain  is   traditionally   associated   with

universities, though education of  University  standard  is  also  given  in

other institutions such as colleges  and  institutes  of  higher  education,

which have the power to award their own degrees.

      The only exception to state universities is the  small  University  of

Buckingham which concentrates on law, and which draws most of  its  students

of overseas.

      All universities in England and Wales  are  state  universities  (this

includes Oxford and Cambridge).

      English universities can be broadly classified into three types. First

come the ancient universities of Oxford and Cambridge  that  date  from  the

12th  century  and  that  until  1828  were  virtually  the   only   English

universities. 
 

                                 11.Oxbridge 
 

      Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest and most prestigious  universities

in  Great  Britain.  They  are  often  called  collectively  Oxbridge.  Both

universities are independent. Only the  education  elite  go  to  Oxford  or

Cambridge. Most of their students are former public schools leavers.

      The normal length of the degree course is three years, after which the

students take the Degree of Bachelor of Arts (В.А.). Some courses,  such  as

languages or medicine, bay be one or two  years  longer.  The  students  may

work for other degrees as well. The degrees are  awarded  at  public  degree

ceremonies'. Oxford and Cambridge cling to their  traditions,  such  as  the

use  of  Latin  at  degree  ceremonies.  Full  academic  dress  is  worn  at

examinations.

      Oxford and Cambridge universities consist of  а  number  of  colleges.

Each college is different, but in many ways they are alike. Each

college has its name, its coat of  arms.  Each  college  is  governed  by  a

Master. The larger ones have more than 400 members,  the  smallest  colleges

have less than  30.  Each  college  offers  teaching  in  а  wide  range  of

subjects. Within, the college one will normally  find  а  chapel,  а  dining

hall, а library, rooms for undergraduates, fellows and the Master, and  also

rooms for teaching purposes.

      Oxford is one of the oldest universities in Europe. It is  the  second

largest in Britain, after I.ondon. The town of Oxford is first mentioned  in

the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in 911 А.D. and it  was  popular  with  the  early

English kings (Richard Coeur de Lion' was probably here).  The  university's

earliest charter" is dated tо 1213.

      There are now twenty-four colleges for men, five for women and another

five which have both men and women members, many from overseas studying  for

higher degrees. Among the oldest colleges are University College, All  Souls

and Christ Church.

      The local car industry in East Oxford gives an important  addition  to

the city' s outlook. There а great deal of bi- cycle traffic both in  Oxford

and Cambridge. 

                                 12.Oxford. 

      The first written record of the town of Oxford dates back to the  year

912. Oxford University, the oldest and most famous  university  in  Britain,

was founded in the middle of  the  12th  century  and  by  1300  there  were

already 1,500 students. At that time Oxford was a wealthy town, but  by  the

middle of the 14th century it was poorer, because of a decline in trade  and

because of the terrible plague, which killed many  people  in  England.  The

relations between the students and the townspeople were very unfriendly  and

there was often fighting in the streets.

      Nowadays there are about 12,000  students  in  Oxford  and  over  1000

teachers. Outstanding scientists  work  in  the  numerous  colleges  of  the

University  teaching  and  doing  research  work  in   physics,   chemistry,

mathematics, cybernetics, literature, modern and ancient languages, art  and

music, psychology.

      Oxford University has  a  reputation  of  a  privileged  school.  Many

prominent political  figures  of  the  past  and  present  times  got  their

education at Oxford.

      The Oxford English Dictionary is well-known  to  students  of  English

everywhere. It contains  approximately  5,000,000  entries,  and  there  are

thirteen volumes, including a supplement.

      Oxford University Press,  the  publishing  house  which  produces  the

Oxford English Dictionary has a special department called  the  Oxford  Word

and Language Service.

      Cambridge University started during the 13th century  and  grew  until

today. Now there are more than thirty colleges.

On the banks of the Cam'4 willow trees drown their branches into the  water.

The colleges line the right bank. There are beautiful college  gardens  with

green lawns and lines of tall  trees.  The  oldest  college  is  Peterhouse,

which was founded in 1284, and the most recent is  Robinson  College,  which

was opened in 1977. The most famous is probably King' s College" because  of

its magnificent chapel, the largest  and  the  most  beautiful  building  in

Cambridge and the most perfect example  left  of  English  fifteenth-century

architecture. Its choir of boys and undergraduates is also very well  known. 

The University was only for men until 1871, when the first women' s  college

was opened. In the 1970s, most col- leges opened their  doors  to  both  men

and women. Almost all colleges are now mixed.

Мапу 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 universities have over а hundred societies and clubs, enough  for  every

interest one could imagine. Sport is part of  students'  life  at  Oxbridge.

The most popular sports are rowing and punting. 
 
 

                                13.Cambridge.