EDUCATION 2

MATURITNÍ TÉMA č.1
British and American educational systems in comparison
with the Czech one
Education system in Great Britain
The nowadays British system of education is quite new, from the 1990s. It gives parents more choice to choose the schools and it makes further and higher education more economically available to large numbers of people.
All children and young people between the ages 5 to 16 must get full-time education. About 93 per cent of British pupils receive their education at state schools supported by local public funds, the rest attend independent private or church schools. Most private schools have its pupils uniforms and still remain single-sex. The school year in England and Wales begins in early September and ends in the following July (Scotland varies a bit). State schools have usually six weeks off in summer and some holidays during the school year (at Christmas, Easter etc.).

Pre-schools and primary education is provided by nursery and primary schools. About 50 per cent of 3 and 4 year-old children attend nursery, day-care centres or other pre-school play groups, mostly organised by parents. At the age of 5 they go to kindergartens - they learn to draw, paint or use musical instruments there but also to read, write and a little count. At 7 many children move to primary (also basic or element) schools where the work is more systematic.

The usual age for transfer from primary to secondary education * is 11. They can attend all-inclusive Comprehensive schools , which give children all abilities and provide a wide range of secondary education. Another are Grammar schools which entered pupils on the bases of their abilities. Grammar
schools offer a mainly academic education for the 11 to 18 (or 19) year age.
Subjects taught at school are given by this national curriculum : English, Maths, Science, Technology, History, Geography, Music, Art, PE, foreign languages and optional religious education or technical and vocational education. At the ages of 7, 11, 14, there are four grades , which a pupil must pass during the school attendance and an assessments of tests show how the children study. The principal examination at about the age of 16 is the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) which is required for most jobs and further vocational training. GCSE - A level (Advanced) - gives students possibility to study more subjects - as the (six form( - and these exams taken at 18 are the standard and basic qualification for entrance to university.
The expensive and prestige private secondary schools are in Eton, Harrow or Winchester.
In Scotland the curriculum and the examination system is slightly different.

About 30 per cent of 18- and 19-year people receive some form of full-time higher education. Higher education institutions include universities, teacher training colleges and other colleges 7 of technology (polytechnics), art and medicine. Those who do not study at the universities can be trained in business, law, banking, manufacturing, service industry or any other specials collages.

Great Britain has 46 universities which can be divided into three groups:
I. Oxford (1167) and Cambridge (1229) - (Oxbridge( - they are the oldest and the most famous and prestige universities in UK; in Scotland there is Glasgow (1451) and Aberdeen (1494)
II. (Redbrick universities( - were founded in 19th century (in London or Manchester); these schools provided some technological training in industrial areas
III. The new universities founded after 1960s (in Bristol, Sussex, Kent etc.) and during 1990s

People who pass examinations at the end of 3 or 4 years are called undergraduates and their first degree is Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) (the title is put after a name). Students with degrees B.A. or B.Sc. can study further - by attending a postgraduate course to get the degree of Master - they must work on a thesis at least for one year. They graduate the university, are called graduates and the title they get then is M.A. or M.Sc. The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is given only for a thesis in humanities and science which originally contributes to human knowledge .
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