Week 7 - Education and Culture

BritishandAmericanCultureMissJeesunWeek7Today’sBandis…COLDPLAY!Coldplayis…•EnglishalternativerockbandthatformedinLondon1997•Theyhavewontheawardof“BestBritBand”threetimesfromtheBritAwards•Theyhavewon7Grammy’sandhavebeennominated20times•Verypopularbandallovertheworld!Today…wewill(try)I.EducationII.SomeCultureIII.ReligionintheUKtodayEducationGreatBritain’sEducationSystem•Centralgovernment(nationalgovernment)hasverylittlecontrolovertheschoolsystems•SchoolsaretheresponsibilityoftheLocalEducationAuthorities(LEAs)•Schoolshavehadalotofindependence•Butrecently,thegovernmenthasbeencontrollingmoresothatthequalityofeducationisbetterPolicyToday•Schoolisrequiredbylawforallchildrenages5to16•Fourstages:–Primary(age5-11)–Secondary(age11-16)–Furthereducation(optional:age16-18)–Highereducation(college/university)•Stateschools:schoolsrunbyandpaidforbythegovernment–freeforstudents•1988:NationalCurriculumwasestablished(standardforthewholecountry)–Stateschoolsmustfollowit–Privateschoolscanchoosetofollowitornot.PrimaryandSecondaryEducation•Stateschools–schoolsrunbyandpaidforbythegovernment-Alwaysco-educational(boysandgirlstogether)•Independentschools(alsocalled“Public”schools)–mustpayafee–7%ofBritishchildrenattendthesePublicschools–Someschoolsareforboysonlyorgirlsonly(single-sexschools)PolicyToday•Coresubjectsforallstudents:–English,math,science,technology(computers),P.E.,religion,history,geography,artandmusic•Educationisnowskill-based,notknowledge-based–Notjust“what”thechildknows,butalsothatthechildknows“how”tothinkordothings–Examples:•Communicationskills:readingandwriting,usingmathtosolvemanydifferentkindsofproblems•Cooperationskills:workingingroups,participation•Thinkingskills:problem-solving,doingresearchandanalysisGCSEsandSixthForm•At16yearsold,allstudentstaketheGCSEs(GeneralCertificateofSecondaryEducation)–Afterwards,studentsmayleaveschool–Ortheycancontinuetheireducation…•TheyproceedtotheSixthForm–SixthForm=two/threeyearsoffurthereducationbeforetakingtheteststogoontouniversity(16to18yearsold)–Studentsstudyonly4or5courses,dependingonwhattheywanttostudyandtheirgradesfromtheGCSEsTakingtheA-Levels…•AttheendofSixthForm(18yearsold),studentstaketheirA-Levelexamsinthese4or5subjects–Theyreceivea“GeneralCertificateofEducation,Advanced-Level”–TheirscoreshelpdetermineuniversityacceptanceornotStatevs.Independent•HowmanystudentschoosetocontinueeducationaftertheGCSEs?–StateSchools:only40%ofstudentscontinueaftertheGCSEs,totaketheA-Levelexams–IndependentSchools(“Public”Schools):90%ofstudentscontinueontotaketheA-LevelexamsPublicSchoolsIndependentschools=“Public”schools:theseareschoolsthatare“independent”fromthegovernmentPrivateschools!•Manypublicschoolsarepartlyfundedbythegovernment•Forstudentsages12to18–(Beforeage12,studentsgoto“preparatoryschools”–privateprimaryschools)•IndependentSchoolCouncil:organizationthatinspectsthesePublicschoolsevery6years•Somepublicschoolsarealsoboardingschools-Whatisaboardingschool?(RememberfromOralEnglish)•Recruitthebestteachers(becauseofbettersalaries),sotheyaregenerallymuchbetterthanthestateschoolsPublicSchoolsHigherEducation•SomeofthebestuniversitiesintheworldareinGreatBritain–OxfordUniversity–CambridgeUniversity•Universitiesareindependent:havecompletecontroloverwhatandhowtheyteach•Nonationalentranceexam–insteaduniversitieschoosewhotoacceptusing:–GradesfromtheA-levelexams–Schoolreferences–Interview•Only1/3orsoofyoungpeoplegotocollegeoruniversity–Butthisisanimprovement:10yearsago,wasonly1/6ofyoungpeopleOxfordandCambridgeUniversitiesHigherEducation•Alluniversitiesreceivemoneyfromthegovernment–thegovernmentprovides65%ofthemoneytheyspend(well,thereisoneexception:BuckinghamUniversityiscompletelyprivate–nomoneyfromthegovernment)•Before1998,universitieswerefreeforstudents–Buttoday,allstudentsmustpaytuition•Today,universitiescanchoosehowmuchtuitiontocharge–Butthegovernmentsetsa£3,000limit(peryear)–HowmuchisthatinRMB?31,650RMB•Governmentalsogivesmaintenancegrants:–ScholarshipstoallowstudentsfrompoorfamiliestoattenduniversityHowlongisGB’shighereducation?•InBritain:studentsspend3yearsinuniversityfortheirfirstdegree–BA–BachelorofArts–BSC–BachelorofScience•Canbelongerforforeignlanguagestudents:–Thesestudentsoftenstudyabroadforasemesterorayearduringthistime,soittakeslonger•+1moreyearfull-time(2yearspart-time)toreceiveaMaster’sdegree•+3-5moreyearstoreceiveaDoctoraldegree–StudyanddoingresearchCulture•fullofcultureandtraditionsforhundredsofyears.•famousallovertheworld.•drinkingtea,eatingfishandchipsandwearingbowlerhats,•traditionsofsport,music,foodandmanyroyaloccasions..Tea•Atea-drinkingnation.–165millioncupsofthestuffperday–Eachyear144thousandtonsofteaareimported.•Brewedinawarmedteapot,addingonespoonfulofteaperpersonandoneforthepot.•MostBritonsliketheirteastronganddark,butwithalotofmilk.Howtomaketea…ThetraditionalEnglishwayofmakingteais:•Boilsomefreshcoldwater.(useanelectrickettletoboilwater)•Putsomehotwaterintotheteapottomakeitwarm.•Pourthewateraway•Putoneteaspoonoftea-leavesperperson,andoneextratea-spoon,intothepot.•Pourbo