Other Colleges for Further Education

Polytechnics: These could be called the "comprehensives of further education", where students can study for diplomas or even degrees, or else just continue their education in the subjects of their choice. The polytechnics offer full-time or part-time courses for students of all ages (usually over 18). There are thirty polytechnics in England and Wales, and fourteen similar colleges in Scotland. They all have the status of universities.

Other kinds of colleges: There are specialist colleges such as the Agricultural Colleges, Colleges of Art and Music, the National Colleges for advanced technical studies for industry. There are also a large number of local colleges of farther education, technical colleges and colleges of commerce, all of which take part-time as well as full-time students and offer them a very wide choice of subjects.

Graduation ceremony at Cambridge The University of East Anglia, one of the most popular new universities

Adult education: Courses for adults at these colleges may be vocational (concerning a person's job) or recreational (purely for pleasure). These courses are provided by the local councils, or by a body called the Workers' Educational Association (WEA). Sometimes lecturers from a neighbouring university give a series of lectures.

Courses in pottery (making vases, pots, ornaments), woodwork, car maintenance, modern languages and cookery, are usually well attended.

Most villages and small towns have clubs and societies of all kinds, and their secretaries invite experts to come and talk to them. Some of these lecturers have a nation-wide reputation.

Altogether, there are several million full-time and part-time students at poly­technics, LEA colleges and evening institutes — their ages ranging between sixteen and eighty!

Part-time education: Every young worker who joins the Blakeney firm spends one day a week — with pay — at a technical college or college of further education. They take courses in their particular skill and work for a diploma.

"You get better work out of an educated worker," Charles says. "Besides, firms which offer further education of this sort attract a better kind of worker. I've got a promising young mechanic studying for an engineering degree at a polytechnic."

There is no law which forces employers to send their young workers to these colleges, but employers have to pay a "Further Education Tax" whether they take advantage of the system or not. Herbert Perkins considers the tax to be unfair.

"What are you grumbling about, Herbert?" said Charles. "If you sent your workers to classes you'd get your money back in the form of a generous training grant. That's the whole idea of the tax. It's meant to encourage old reactionaries like you to be progressive!"

"It's a waste of time and public money," replied Herbert. "If my workers want to better themselves they should go to evening classes in their spare time — as I did."

Text E

The Youth Training Scheme

The majority of young people do not continue their education beyond the age of 16. Most of those who leave school at 16 or 17 cannot find a job either, so about half a million each year join the Youth Training Scheme. The scheme was set up in 1983. The trainees get work experience in local firms as well as training and they also get a small weekly wage. Some trainees find the training and work experience helps them to get a real job at the end but others feel that it is just a way of keeping young people occupied. "It provides cheap labour for industry", the scheme's critics say. "And it reduces the unemployment figures artificially."

Text F

Дата добавления: 2015-10-30