British Education System

BritishEducationSystemI.Introduction1.ThepurposeofeducationoftheUK:toprovidechildrenwithliteracyandtheotherbasicskillstheywillneedtobecomeactivemembersofsociety;tosocializechildren:theylearnrulesandvaluestheyneedtobecomegoodcitizens,toparticipateinthecommunity,andtocontributetotheeconomicprosperityofanadvancedindustrialeconomy.Britishchildrenarerequiredbylawtohaveaneducationuntiltheyare16yearsold.Educationiscompulsory,butschoolisnot,childrenarenotrequiredtoattendschool.Theycouldbeeducatedathome.1996EducationActoftheUKSection7ofthe1996EducationActstates:Theparentofeverychildofcompulsoryschoolageshallcausehimtoreceiveefficientfull-timeeducationsuitable-(a)tohisage,abilityandaptitude,and(b)toanyspecialeducationalneedshemayhave,eitherbyregularattendanceatschoolorotherwise.“2.Educationisfreeforallchildrenfrom5to16.Full-timeeducationiscompulsoryforallchildrenagedbetween5and16(inclusive)acrossEngland.Thiscanbeprovidedbystateschools,independentschools,orhomeschooling.About94percentofpupilsinEngland,andtherestoftheUK,receivefreeeducationfrompublicfunds,while6percentattendindependentfeepayingschoolsorhomeschooling.3.CurriculumAllgovernment-runschools,stateschools,followthesameNationalCurriculum.4.TheSchoolYearTheschoolyearrunsfromSeptembertoJulyandis39weekslong.Formanyareastheyearisdividedintosixterms:＊SeptembertoOctober＊OctobertoDecember＊JanuarytoFebruary＊FebruarytoMarch＊ApriltoMay＊JunetoJuly(SomecountiesinEnglandstillfollowthetraditionalthreetermsayear.)Thedatesforschooltermsandholidaysaredecidedbythelocalauthorityorthegoverningbodyofaschool,orbytheschoolitselfforindependentschools.6)TheimportanceoftherelationshipbetweeneducationandsocialclassIn1994,46%ofconservativepartymembersofParliament,3/4oftheGovernmentexecutives,andmostseniorcivilservantsareOxbirdgegraduates.“theoldboysnetwork”:anelitegroupofmenwhowenttoschoolanduniversitytogether.InGreatBritain,whereyouareeducatedisveryimportanttoyourfuture.5.SchoolholidaysThemainschoolholidaysare:＊Christmas-2weeks＊Spring-2weeks＊Summer-6weeksTherearealsooneweekholidays:＊endofOctober＊midFebruary＊endofMayII.Thepresenteducationsystem1.stateschools:fundedbylocalandcentralgovernmentprivateschools:publicschools=independentschools2.1)Beforeage5:pre-primaryschoolingsuchasnurseryschools,daycareorplaygroups2)age5-11:Primaryschoolco-educationalschools/mixedschools3)age11-19:secondaryschoolcomprehensiveschools:providegeneraleducation.Pupilcanstudyeverythingfromacademicsubjectslikeliteratureandsciences,tomorepracticalsubjectslikecookingandcarpentry.grammarschools:pupilswhoshowacademicpotentialareselectedthroughanexaminationcalled“the11-plus”(age11).Theyconcentratetheirstudyonadvancedacademicworkratherthanthemoregeneralcurriculumofthecomprehensiveschools(NorthernIreland)4)Examinationsage16:GCSEexams(GeneralCertificateofSecondaryEducation)中学毕业证书①quitschoolandfindajob②preparetositexamsforuniversityentrance③concentrateonvocationaltrainingA-levels(GeneralCertificateofEducation-Advanced)高级水平测试结业证书GNVQs(GeneralNationalVocationalQualifications)国家专业资格证书History•1.theformofBritisheducationinthepast•2.theBritisheducationsystemisrunbythestatetoday•3.SomechangestotheBritisheducationsystem*▶SomechangestotheBritisheducationsystem:*before1870,educationwasvoluntaryandmanyoftheexistingschoolshadbeensetupbychurches*only40%ofchildrenaged10wenttoschoolregularly(1)somecausedbytheIndustrialRevolution⇒governmentdecidedtobecomeinvolvedintakingresponsibilityfortheeducationofchildren*in1870thegovernmentpassedalawwhichcalledforgovernment-fundededucation*by1880,theattendanceatschoolforchildrenbetween5and10wascompulsoryratherthanvoluntary(2)SomecausedbyWWII⇒thegovernmentbeganplanningtoreconstructtheeducationsystem①1944EducationActstipulatesthatallchildrenweregiventherighttofreesecondaryeducation(failed)②inthe1960s,comprehensivesystemwasintroducedintoBritain→endedthedivisionbetweengrammarschoolsandvocationalschools→entranceexamswereabolished③theEducationReformAct1988providedfortheestablishmentofaNationalCurriculumfor5-16year-oldsandregularexaminations→broughtabigchange(reintroducedcompetitionbetweenschools)NationalCurriculumThenationalcurriculumoccupiesnotlessthan70%oftheschooltimetable,therestofthetimebeingusedforsubjectsoftheschool’schoosing.TherearefourkeyStages.AteachofthestagesthecoresubjectsofEnglish,mathematics,science,technology,physicaleducationandreligiouseducationaretaught.History,geography,musicandartarealsocompulsorysubjectsupto16yearsold,buttheybecomeoptionalinKeyStage4.AmodernforeignlanguageisaddedtothecurriculumatKeyStages3and4.ThePresentEducationSystem1.EducationintheUKiscompulsory(fromtheagesof5to16)2.Stateschoolsandprivateschools*3.Theschoolingstages*ThePresentEducationSystemStateschoolsandprivateschoolsstateschools:fundedbylocalandcentralgovernment(free)*asystemof“leaguetables”privateschools(publicschools):receivetheirfundingthroughtheprivatesector,tuitionratesandgovernmentassistanceThePresentEducationSystemThereareninefamouspublicschools:Winchester,Eton,St.Paul’s,Shrewsbury,Westminist