Education in Great Britain

1. Skim the text to understand the topic and the main points.

There are some features in the British educational system, which distinguish it from education in other countries.

The availability of higher education and finding a university place is not easy. Universities, although financed by the government, have autonomy and each one has complete control over what to teach, how to teach it, and how to test the students. They accept only the better students on their courses. Universities normally select students on the basis of top grades in several A-level exams and an interview, and competition for places is fierce.

The labour-intensive system of instruction known as tutorials has been polished for 800 years. The strength of the tutorial system is that it’s almost impossible to be lazy under it. Within the first week the freshman meets the tutor to whom he is assigned and begins his work.

The academic year in Britain’s universities is divided into three terms. After three years of study a university graduate will leave with the Degree of Bachelor of Arts, Science, Engineering, Medicine, etc. It is only for modern languages, medicine and certain vocational studies that students take more than three years. Later a university graduate may continue to take the Master’s Degree and then the Doctor’s Degree. Research is an important feature of university work.

The cost of education depends on the college and speciality which one chooses.

This is how a student spends his day. His working hours are from 9 to 1. From 2 to 5 he is engaged in sport. From 5 to 7 he usually either works in the library or in the laboratory. 7 o’clock is the dinner-hour. After dinner the students have club activities, debating societies, etc.

There is an interesting form of studies which is called the Open University, when people study in their own free time and “ attend” lectures by watching television, listening radio, using Internet. They keep in touch with their tutors by phone, letter or on-line.

1. Read the text carefully to understand the peculiarities of the British educational system. When you have finished reading, see how much you can recall.

c. Try to work out the meanings of any words you don’t know from the context. Try to find Russian equivalents to the underlined word combinations.

Glossary

A Levels = Advanced Levels.	They are taken mostly by people around the age of eighteen who wish to go on to higher education.
Certificate	A qualification obtained after secondary education.
Degree	A qualification from a university. Students studying for the first degree (a BA or BS) are called undergraduates. When they have been awarded a degree, they are known as graduates.
Diploma	A qualification obtained after higher education.
Grant	Money, given by an organization, eg the Local Education Authority.
Master’s Degree	The general name for a second (postgraduate) degree, an MA or MSc.
Part-time education	Students must be present at the classes for only a part of the working day or week.
A pass	A successful result in an examination.
A period	A lesson in school.
Polytechnics	Are similar to universities, but the courses tend to be more practically-oriented.
A professor	A senior university academic, not an ordinary teacher.
Reader	A lecturer, usually ranking below a professor, but above an ordinary lecturer
Term	Schools usually divide their year into three “terms”, starting on the first Tuesday morning in September. (Autumn term – Christmas holiday about 2 weeks, Spring term – Easter holiday about 2 weeks, Summer term – in July schools break up for 8 weeks). In addition, all schools have a “half-term” holiday, lasting a few days in the middle of each term.
Tutor	A teacher in a college or university who leads a discussion group, directs the studies of undergraduates at Oxford and Cambridge
Undergraduate	University student working for a bachelor’s degree

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