Further Reading

1. Gordon P. Dictionary of british education / P. Gordon, Lawton D. – London; Portland, OR: Woburn Press, 2003. – 303 p.

2. Sheerin S. Spotlight on Britain [2-d edition] / S. Sheerin, J. Seath, G. White. – Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1990. 140 p.

* The name derives from the student age group: 11-12 years.

* The types of secondary schools described above within the selective and non-selective system are government-maintained schools where instruction is provided free of charge. Besides these government-maintained schools (or state schools) there are privately run schools in the UK called public schools or independent schools.

A public school, in common English and Welsh usage, is a (usually) prestigious school, for children usually between the ages of 11 or 13 and 18, which charges fees and is not financed by the state.

It is traditionally a single-sex boarding school (which provides accommodation), although many now accept day pupils and are coeducational. Public schools are free to select their pupils, subject only to the general legislation against discrimination. The principal forms of selection are financial and academic, although credit may be given for musical, sporting or other promise. The majority date back to the 18^th or 19^th centuries, and several are over 400 years old. Among the most famous ones are Eton, Harrow and Winchester.

The English usage of the term “public school” is in direct opposition to what any foreign English speaker would expect. In countries such as Australia, New Zealand, Scotland, the United States and Canada, a “public school” is the equivalent of an English “state school”, while an independent, fee-charging school is called a “private school”. This is also the generic name for all fee-paying schools for children in England and Wales, although rarely used for those which categorise themselves as public schools. Preparatory schools (historically also known as “private schools”, as they were usually privately owned by the headmaster) take children from the age of eight (or younger) and prepare them for their entrance exams to public schools.

The term “public” (first adopted by Eton College) refers to the fact that the school is open to the paying public, as opposed to a religious school, which was open only to members of a certain church. It also distinguished it from a private education at home (usually only practical for the very wealthy who could afford tutors).

* * Many non-advanced courses are provided in further education colleges for people aged over 16.

* The system described is the educational system of England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The Scottish educational system is different:

In Scotland, pupils between the ages of 5 and 16 years receive full-time education. After 7 years of primary education pupils are transferred to secondary education, usually around the age of 12 years. There are no entry restrictions to secondary education in Scotland. Further education in Scotland is available through Higher and Advanced Higher education courses.

There is no statutory curriculum in Scotland, thus local authorities and headteachers have responsibility for the delivery and management of the curriculum, however guidelines are provided.

Scotland also has a separate exam system. After seven years of primary education and four years of compulsory secondary education, students aged 15 to 16 take the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE) which appears in two levels: SCE (“O” level) or simply a Standard Grade (taken by pupils aged 14-16 over their 3^rd and 4^th years of secondary schooling); SCE “Highers” or simply “Highers” (one of the national school-leaving certificate exams and university entrance qualifications usually taken in the 5^th Year of secondary school at the age 15 or 16).

* In this case we refer to “college” as a part of the organizational structure of a university. The term “college” may also refer to an institution of higher learning that offers undergraduate programs, usually of a four-year duration, that lead to the bachelor’s degree in the arts or sciences (B.A. or B.S.), or in a general sense - to any postsecondary institution.

* * The Universities of Oxford and Cambridge are usually called Oxbridge.

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* The English civic university movement developed out of various 19^th century private research and education institutes in industrial cities.

* The report recommended immediate expansion of universities, and that all Colleges of Advanced Technology should be given the status of universities. Consequently, the number of full-time university students was to rise from 197 000 in the 1967-68 academic year to 217 000 in the academic year of 1973-74 with “further big expansion” thereafter.

* = humanitarian subjects

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