Education in Britain

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Lecture 5

• Education in Britain

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Abstract

• If the family is central to peoples life, surely
  their next most significant experience is their
  education.
• In this lecture, we will begin with a brief
  survey of the development of free universal
  education since the last century, and then take a
  closer look at the main institutions in which
  British people are formally educated.

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Important Issues

• The development of British education system from
  the 19th century limited and voluntary schooling
  to the present expanded and compulsory education
  system.
• The basic structure of British education system,
  particularly the 3 stages of education in modern
  Britain.
• The higher education system and institutions of
  further education.

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Facts Figures (1)

• Compulsory schooling Every child in Britain must
  by law receive full-time education from 5 to 15.
  In 1972, the school leaving age was raised from
  15 to 16, so now all children have a minimum of
  11 years compulsory full-time education.
• An increasing proportion of under 5s are
  attending school---over half in 1992/93, compared
  with only a fifth in 1970/71.
• Overall, girls outperform boys. In 1991/92 a
  third of girls left school with one or more A
  levels compared with a quarter of males.
• There were 1.3 million students in higher
  education in U.K.in 1991/92.---more than double
  the number in 1070/71.

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Facts Figures (2)

• In 1992/93, 460 thousand women were enrolled on
  full-time further education courses in U.K.,
  compared with 182 thousand in 1970/71.
• In 1992-93, 12 of the population between 25 69
  had a degree.
• Total government expenditure on education
  increased by just over half in real terms between
  1970-71 and 1992-93.
• Expenditure per pupil on education in secondary
  schools rose by two fifths in real terms between
  1981/82 and 1991/92.

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Focus Questions (1)

• what are the most outstanding changes in the
  English educational system since the 19th
  century?
• What does the streaming system mean to you? Do
  you think it is reasonable? Why?
• what is the basic structure of British education
  system?
• What are the three stages of education in modern
  Britain?

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Focus Questions (2)

• What are some of the recent changes that have
  taken place in higher education in Britain?
• Apart from universities, name some other higher
  and further institutions in Britain.
• Make a list of aims and functions of further
  education and training.

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Change and Reform

• Before 1870 education was voluntary many of the
  existing schools had been set up by churches.
• Only 2 of children under 14 40 of those aged
  10 went to school regularly.
• From 1870, in response to changes brought about
  by the industrial revolution movements for
  social political reform, the government started
  to take responsibility for education.

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From Tripartite System...

• It was not until the Education Act in 1944 that
  all children were given the right to free
  secondary (middle school) education. Local
  education authorities were then required to
  provide schools funded by the state.
• A tripartite system of secondary modern,
  technical and grammar schools selected 11
  year-old children at the end of their primary
  education by means of an exam. The top 20
  attended grammar schools. Secondary moderns
  technical schools dealt with more practical
  subjects. Pupils from them were expected to
  become manual workers skilled workers
  respectively, whilst those who attended grammar
  schools were more likely to go on to university
  and become professionals and managers.

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To Comprehensive System...

• In the 1950s some people were dissatisfied with
  the tripartite system because it did not seem to
  ensure either equal educational opportunities or
  a meritocracy.
• Comprehensive schools were introduced in the
  1960s with the idea that pupils should not be
  selected streamed at such an early age. In 1993
  90 of pupils attend such schools the other 10
  attend some remaining grammar or private schools.
• Since the introduction of comprehensive schools
  some have argued that streaming still causes
  children to be labeled at an early age as
  either academic or non-academic, while others
  argue that it holds back brighter pupils since
  more attention will be given to those with less
  academic talents.

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Britain State Schools

• The system of secondary education in Britain has
  been changed in recent years. Under the old
  system, children took an examination called the
  eleven plus at the age of 11. If they passed
  this examination, they went to a grammar school
  (high school) if they failed, they went to a
  secondary modern school.

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• Under the new system, there is no examination at
  the age of eleven, the grammar schools
  secondary modern schools have been replaced by
  large comprehensive schools. Some comprehensives
  are streamed others are unstreamed. In a
  streamed school, pupils are placed into classes
  according to their ability. Children of high
  ability are in the A stream, those of lesser
  ability in the B stream so on. In an
  unstreamed school, children of mixed ability are
  placed together in the classes.

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Streaming

• In many British schools, children are grouped
  together according to their ability, and this is
  known as streaming.
• As to whether it is reasonable, different people
  may hold different opinions. Some people may not
  think it fair to put children into groups
  according to their ability, while others may
  think it helpful to promote competition among
  children.

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Recent ReformsThe Education Reform Act 1988

• The establishment of a National Curriculum for
  5-16 year-olds regular examination.
• The introduction of city technology colleges
  sponsored by industry commerce. Their
  curriculum emphasizes science, technology
  business understanding within the framework of
  the National Curriculum. By September 1991 there
  were 13 of these.
• More power being given to schools to run their
  own affairs within the framework of a set of
  national standards.

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Basic Structure of British Education System

• Pre-school education
• Primary school
• Secondary school
• University, colleges of higher education
• Colleges of further education

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Pre-school Education

• Compulsory schooling
  every child in Britain must
  by law receive full-time
  education from the age of 5 to
  16.
• Children begin their education in the State
  system at the age of 5 some lucky children may
  attend Nursery schools(kindergartens) from 3 to
  5, but most start their basic education in an
  Infants (the infants department of a junior
  school) or First School.

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Primary School

• Most primary schools
  are co-educational
  (boys girls are
  taught together), usually
  with a class teacher system,
  giving young children a sustained
  contact with one teacher.
• Children used to be selected for secondary
  education by means of an examination---the
  eleven plus.

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Secondary School (1)

• Compulsory education extends up to 16 years.
  Comprehensive schools are mostly mixed sex
  cater for a mixed range of abilities. Their
  students come from a range of social classes
  ethnic backgrounds. Students are often streamed
  into different ability groups. Some think this
  undermines the principles of comprehensive
  education.

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Secondary School (2)

• The main examination that all students should
  take at 16 is the General Certificate of
  Secondary Education (GCSE). Some students
  continue in the same school for a further 2 years
  of study leading to the examination of the
  General Certificate of Education, Advanced level
  (GCE A level). Usually 3 or 4 academic subjects
  are studied 1 general studies paper. This is
  the main examination required for university
  entrance.

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General School Certificate (??????)

• The General School Certificate (G.S.C) was a
  standardized school (public) examination in
  Britain. It was replaced by the General
  Certificate of Education (G.C.E) (??????)in 1965.
• The G.C.E consists of two sets of examinations
  the ordinary level and the advanced level. It is
  on the results of the advanced level examination
  that universities choose their students.

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• At present there are 2 levels of examination the
  General Certificate of Secondary Education
  (G.C.S.E) taken between ages 15 16 Advanced
  Level Examinations (G.C.E.A level) taken between
  ages 17 19.

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• At the age of 13 pupils begin preparing for the
  G.C.S.E in 8 or 9 subjects such as English,
  French, mathematics history.
• Then pupils may choose 2 or 3 subjects out of the
  8 or 9 for a 2-year course leading to the A level
  examinations. With 8 good grades in the G.C.S.E
  3 G.C. E. A level passes, students will stand a
  very good chance of being accepted by
  universities.

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University, Colleges of Higher Education(1)

• British universities can be divided roughly into
  3 main groups the old universities the Redbrick
  universities the new universities.
• The old universities refer to those founded
  before 1600. Oxford Cambridge are the oldest
  ones, dating from 1249 1284. Until the 19th
  century, they are the only 2 universities in
  England

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University, Colleges of Higher Education(2)

• The Redbrick universities include all the
  provincial universities of the period 1850-1930,
  as well as London University. They are so called
  because they were all built in the favorite
  building material of the period---red brick.
• The new universities are those founded since the
  2nd world war. They have their own independent
  and modern approaches to teaching.

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University, Colleges of Higher Education(3)

• Altogether, there are now 44 universities in the
  United Kingdom 33 in England, 8 in Scotland, 2
  in Northern Ireland 1, a federation of 7
  colleges, in Wales.
• Degrees BA (Bachelor of Arts) or BSc (Bachelor
  of Science) MA (Master of Arts) or MSc (Master
  of Science) Ph.D. (Doctor of Philosophy).

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Colleges of Further Education

• Polytechnics study centers that offer a wide
  range of full-time or part-time courses for
  students of all ages (usually over 18) at all
  levels of higher education. Courses lead to
  diplomas, or to degrees.
• Adult Education vocational or recreational
  courses provided mainly by local authorities, the
  Workers Educational Association by the
  extramural departments of universities
  colleges.
• Part-time Education workers take specialist
  courses in their particular skill work for a
  diploma. Or they just study general subjects.

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Open University (1)

• The open University is a non-residential
  university offering degree other courses for
  adult students of all ages. It uses specially
  printed texts, correspondence tuition, TV radio
  broadcast, audio visual cassettes. There is
  also a network of study centers for contact with
  part-time counselors fellow students. No formal
  academic qualifications are required to register
  for most courses, but standards of the
  Universitys degrees are the same as those of
  other universities. They offer higher degrees
  programs for professionals in education, health
  welfare for updating managers, scientists
  technologists.

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Open University (2)

• History (background origin) in 1963 the leader
  of the Labor Party made a speech outlining plans
  for a university of the air--an educational
  system which would make use of TV, radio
  correspondence courses.

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Open University (3)

• Purpose to give educational opportunity to those
  people who, for one reason or another, had not
  had a chance to receive further education.

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Open University (4)

• The 1st teaching program appeared on the air
  screen in January 1971, with clerks, farm
  workers, housewives, teachers, policemen many
  others as students (25,000 were accepted for the
  4 foundation (introductory) courses offered
  social sciences, arts, science mathematics).
• The Open University is probably the cheapest
  most far-reaching method of spreading further
  education.