The education system in England has been developing for many centuries and today is one of the best in the world that meets high quality standards. The streamlining of the learning process was achieved after the adoption of the first important regulatory act in this area, namely the Education Act of 1944. This began a glorious story.
Education in England today is compulsory for all citizens of the country aged five to sixteen. Two sectors are distinguished in the structure of the educational system: state (free tuition) and private (paid tuition). In general, the state has two systems on which the educational process is built: one of them operates directly in England, Northern Ireland and Wales, and the second in Scotland.
Secondary education
In England, schools are very diverse. Widespread are boarding schools, where students not only receive knowledge, but also live. Such educational institutions appeared in Britain in the early Middle Ages, mainly they opened at the monasteries. And from the twelfth century, the Pope introduced the obligation for all Benedictine monasteries to create charitable schools. Later, they began to charge for training in them.
At first, the conviction prevailed among aristocratic families that it was better for children to study at home than in monastery schools, but then they realized that, regardless of their origin, it was better for children to get knowledge with their peers. This opinion became the foundation for the formation and development of privileged guesthouses, some of which are still functioning today and have been educating and nurturing the elite of British modern society for more than a thousand years.
Classification
The education system in England includes:
1. Preschools.
2. Full-cycle schools for children aged three to eighteen.
3. Institutions for primary school students, which are divided into Junior Schools and Primary Schools.
- At Junior Schools, children between the ages of seven and thirteen study. They are taught a special general initial cycle of subjects, and training ends with an exam, the successful passing of which is necessary in order to enter high school.
- Primary Schools accepts children between the ages of four and eleven. In the second and sixth years of study, SATs are passed exams - they, as in the previous case, are needed for entering high school.
4. Institutions for senior students are divided into Senior Schools, Secondary School and Grammar School.
- Senior Schools are designed for children thirteen to eighteen years old. In such schools, teenagers first study for two years, then pass the GCSE exams, after which they undergo another two-year training program.
- Secondary School provides an educational opportunity for children from eleven years old.
- At Grammar School, children from the age of eleven are also studying, but there are in-depth programs. In such a school, you can even get full-fledged preparation for entering a higher educational institution.
5. University preparatory schools are for older teens aged sixteen to eighteen.
In the United Kingdom, schools are also classified according to the gender of students. There are separate schools for boys and girls, as well as mixed schools. There are many supporters of separate education for children of different sexes in the country who argue their position that boys and girls develop physically and emotionally in different ways, and in the case of separate education they do not have to adapt to each other.
Early childhood education in England
It can be obtained in both private and public educational institutions. Often the British send their children to nurseries and kindergartens at the age of three to four years. Pre-school education in England continues until the child reaches the age of seven and includes reading, writing, and counting. As a rule, the development of children occurs in a playful way. Many private schools in the country have preparatory classes for children from five years old. Upon their completion, children continue to receive primary and secondary education in the same educational institutions.
elementary School
As already mentioned, most parents send their children to school at the age of five (in preparatory classes). In general, primary education in England begins at the age of seven and continues until the children reach eleven years of age. After that, children go to high school classes, usually within the same educational institution. In this sense, education in Russia and England is not much different. In the elementary grades, children study mathematics, English, music, geography, history, art and industrial technology. Parents choose the necessary items on their own.
secondary school
It should be noted that education is carried out in England in English, and for children under the age of sixteen it is compulsory. High schools educate teenagers between the ages of eleven and sixteen and prepare them for a general certificate of secondary education (GCSE) or a national certificate of vocational qualification (GNVQ).
Secondary education in England as one of its most important tasks is responsible for the formation of independent, self-confident, creative personalities. At school, students master the general special cycle of training in various subjects, followed by passing exams. To successfully pass the exams (in seven to nine subjects), which is necessary for entering high school, students begin to prepare for them from the age of fourteen.
University Prep School
At the end of the compulsory educational cycle, sixteen-year-old boys and girls can either go to work or continue their studies at Sixth Form, the school where they prepare to enter the university. Those who wish are invited to master the two-year A-levels course, which involves passing two exams: after the first year of study - AS, and after the second year of study - A2-levels. Four to five subjects are studied in the first year, and three to four in the second. At the same time, their students choose independently from fifteen to twenty proposed options, there are no compulsory disciplines. Thus, young people determine their future specialization, which will be further devoted to three to five years of study at a higher educational institution.
International students, as a rule, begin their education in England with a two-year course of A-levels.
Professional and higher education
The UK has more than six hundred private and public universities and colleges where young people can gain a profession. The educational institutions offer a variety of training programs. Passing the preparatory course A-levels gives students the opportunity to get either a professional or higher education in England. The first is the development of a vocational training course in the chosen specialty, and the second already includes undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and MBA programs.
Tuition payment
Education in England is paid for both its citizens and foreigners, but for the latter its cost is much higher. Citizens of the country have the opportunity to study on credit, and the state requires it to be returned only if, after receiving a diploma, a person can get a job with a salary of at least 21 thousand pounds per year. Otherwise, it is not necessary to repay the debt. In recent years, disputes over whether or not to raise the cost of training have not ceased in the English parliament, and many MPs are inclined towards the need to increase it.
International assessment of the quality of educational services
Conducted international studies indicate that in the last decade the quality of secondary education in England has negative dynamics regarding the preparation of university graduates for universities. As for higher education, in the international ratings of higher education institutions, the United Kingdom traditionally ranks second or third.