Party, returned to power in 1965, abolished the 11+ and tried to introduce

the non-selective education system in the form of “comprehensive” schools,

that would provide schooling for children of all ability levels and from

all social backgrounds, ideally under one roof. The final choice between

selective and non-selective schooling, though, was left to LEAS that

controlled the provision of school education in the country. Some

authorities decided for comprehensive, while others retained grammar

schools and secondary moderns.

In the late 1980s the Conservative government introduced another

major change. Schools cloud now decide whether to remain as LEA-maintained

schools or to “opt-out” of the control of the LEA and put themselves

directly under the control of the government department. These “grant-

maintained” schools were financed directly by central government. This did

not mean, however, that there was more central control: grant-maintained

schools did not have to ask anybody else about how to spend their money.

A recent development in education administration in England and

Wales in the School Standards and Framework Act passed in July 1998. The

Act established that from 1.09.1999 all state school education authorities

with the ending of the separate category of grant maintained status.

There are some grant-maintained or voluntary aided schools,

called City Technology Colleges. In 1999 there were 15 City Technology

Colleges in England. These are non-fee-paying independent secondary schools

created by a partnership of government and private sector sponsors. The

promoters own or lease the schools, employ teachers and make substantial

contributions to the costs of building and equipment. The colleges teach

the NC, but with an emphasis on mathematics, technology and science.

So, today three types of state schools mainly provide secondary

education: secondary modern schools grammar schools and comprehensive

schools. There should also be mentioned another type of schools, called

specialist schools. The specialist school programmer in England was

launched in 1993. Specialist schools are state secondary schools

specializing in technology, science and mathematics; modern foreign

languages; sports; arts.

State schools are absolutely free (including all textbooks and

exercise books) and generally co-educational.

Under the NC a greater emphasis at the secondary level is laid on

science and technology. Accordingly, ten subjects have to be studied:

English, history, geography, mathematics, science, a modern foreign

language, technology, music, art and physical education. For special

attention there of these subjects (called “core subjects”): English,

science, mathematics and seven other subjects are called “foundation or

statuary subjects”. Besides, subjects are grouped into departments and

teachers work in teams and to plan work.

Most common departments are:

. Humanities Departments: geography, history, economics, English

literature, drama, social science;

. Science Department: chemistry, physics, biology, mathematics;

. Language Department: German, French, English;

. Craft Design and Technology Departments: information and

communications technology, computing, home economics and photography.

The latter brings together the practical subjects like cooing,

woodwork, sewing, and metalwork with the new technology used in those

fields. Students can design a T-shirt on computer using graphics software

and make-up the T-shirt design. Students can also look at way to market

their product, thus linking all disciplines. This subject’s area

exemplifies the process approach to learning introduced by the NC.

It is worth mentioning here the growing importance of personal

and Social Education. Since the 1970s there has been an emphasis on

“pastoral” care, education in areas related to life skills such as health

(this includes looking at drug, discussing physical changes related to

poverty, sex education and relationship). There are usually one or two

lessons a week, from primary school through to sixth form and they are an

essential part of the school’s aim to prepare students to life in society.

Education in Britain is not solely concentrated on academic

study. Great value is placed on visits and activities like organizing the

school club or field trips, which are educational in a more general sense.

The organization of these activities by teachers is very much taken for

granted in the British school system. Some teachers give up their free

time, evenings and weekends to do this “unpaid” work. At Christmas teachers

organized concerts, parties and general festivities. It is also considered

a good thing to be “seen” to be doing this extra work since it is fairly

essential for securing promotion in the school hierarchy.

Classes of pupils are called “forms” (though it has recently

become common to refer to “years”) and are numbered from one to beginning

with first form. Nearly all schools work a five-day week and are closed on

Saturdays. The day starts at nine o’clock and finishes between three and

four. The lunch break usually lasts about an hour-and-a-quarter. Nearly two-

thirds of pupils have lunch provided by the school. Parents pay for this

except for the 15 per cent who are rated poor enough and have it for free.

Other children either go home for lunch or take sandwiches.

Schools usually divide their year into tree “terms” starting at

the beginning of September:

|Autumn |Christmas |Spring |Easter |Summer |Summer |

|term |Holiday |term |Holiday |term |Holiday |

| |(about | |(about 2| | |

| |2weeks) | |weeks) | |(about 6|

| | | | | |weeks) |

Passage from one year to the next one is automatic. At the age of

14 pupils are tested in English, mathematics and science, as well as in

statutory subjects. At that same age in the third or forth pupils begin to

choose their exam subjects and work for two years to prepare for their

qualifications. The exams are usually taken in fifth form at the age of 16,

which is a school-leaving age. The actual written exams are set by outside

examiners, but they must be approved by the government and comply with

national guidelines. There are several examination boards in Britain and

each school decided that board’s exam its pupils take. Most exams last for

two hours, marks are given for each exams separately and are graded from A

to G (grades A, B, C are considered to be “good” marks).

16 are an important age for school-leaves because they have to

make key decisions as to their future lives and careers. There is a number

of choices for them.

7.Life at School.

The school year is divided into terms, three months each, named

after seasons: autumn term, winter term and spring term.

The autumn term starts on the first Tuesday morning in September.

In July schools break up for eight weeks.

Life at school is more or less similar everywhere. Each group of

30 pupils is the responsibility of a form tutor. Each school day is divided

into periods of 40-50 minutes, time for various lessons with 10-20 minutes

breaks between them. It might be interesting for you to see the “Bell

Times” at Lawnswood school in Leads.

Bell Times

8.40 a.m. – School begins

8.45 a.m. – Registration

8.50 a.m. – Assembly bell

9.00 a.m. – Pupils move to lessons

9.05 a.m. – Lesson 1

9.45 a.m. - Lesson 2

10.25 a.m. – Lesson 3

11.25 a.m. – Lesson 3

11.05 a.m. – Break

11.25 a.m. – Pupils move to lessons

11.30 a.m. – Lesson 4

12.10 p.m. – Lesson 5

12.50 p.m. – Lunch time

1.40 p.m. – Afternoon school begins

1.45 p.m. – Registration

1.50 p.m. – Lesson 6

2.30 p. m. Lesson 7

3.10 p.m. – End of normal lessons

3.10 p.m. – Start of additional lessons, clubs, societies, team practice,

detentions.

On important occasions such as end of term or national holiday,

called in English schools speech-days pupils are gathered in the assembly

or hall.

Most of the pupil’s time is spent in a classroom equipped with

desks and a blackboard nowadays often called chalkboard because normally it

is brown or green. The desks are arranged in rows, the space between the

rows is called an aisle.

In addition to classrooms there are laboratories for Physics,

Chemistry and Biology. Technical rooms are for Woodwork, Metalwork,

Technical Drawing. There are rooms for computer studies. Many young people

use them for school exercise. They are now able to write their own games as

well. The Physical Education lessons are conducted at the gymnasium, games-

hall or at the playground in front of the school building. There are also

language laboratories and house craft rooms. Every school has a library and

a school canteen. In student common room boys and girls can relax during

the breaks and lunchtime the Staff common room is for teachers. In case of

illness a schoolchild may go to the sick room.

Pupils at many secondary schools Britain have to wear a school

uniform. This usually means a white blouse for girls (perhaps with a tie),

with a dark-colored skirt and pullover. Boys wear a shirt and tie, dark

trousers and dark-colored pullovers. Pupils also wear blazers-a kind of

jacket-with the school badge on the pocket. They often have to wear some

kind of hat on the way to and from school-caps for boys and berets or some

other kind of hat for girls shoes are usually black or brown. And no high

heels!

Young people in Britain often don’t like their school uniform,

especially the hats and shoes. Sometimes they do not wear the right

clothes. Schools will often give them a warning the first time that this

happens but then will punish them if they continue not to wear the correct

uniform. Senior student don’t have to wear their school uniform.

It sounds logical to say that the school’s function is to train a

pupil’s mind and his character should be formed at home. Teachers would be

pleased if the problem could be solved so easily. But children don’t leave

their characters at home when their minds go to school. Many of them have

personality problems of one kind or another.

The pupils who violate various school regulations may be punished in

the following ways: for lateness, truancy they may be reported to the

Headmaster or named in school assembly. They may be detained in school

after ordinary hours.

Corporal punishment has recently been banned in state schools. But in

most public schools it is still allowed. Caning is the usual punishment for

serious misbehavior in class, damage and vandalism. Many teachers remark

that standards of discipline have fallen since corporal punishment was

banned by the government.

You may want to know whether there are any rewards and prizes for the

best pupils. Of course, there are. Each school has its system of rewards:

medals and prizes.

8.Social, Cultural and Sporting Life

Each school or sixth-form college has its School or College Council.

It helps to plan the policy for the whole school. It organizes the social

and cultural life at the school.

School Councils in many schools and colleges are chaired by a student

and have a majority of student members. They run discos and parties, stage

drama productions and decorate the student common room. Music-making is

part of school life. Some students help in local hospitals, homes for the

handicapped and elderly people.

There are many clubs and societies. Very popular, especially with

senior pupils, is а school debating society.

Most clubs meet regularly: daily, weekly or monthly, at lunch time or

after school. Extracurricular activities include various outings, visits to

places of interest and dances. School choirs and orchestras give regular

concerts. Sports are very popular too: running, jogging, swimming, self-

defence, football, soccer, badminton, aerobics, rugby, etc.

There are many national voluntary youth organizations in Britain. You

have probably read about the Scout and Girl Guides Associations. There are

some clubs run by the churches. There three pre-service organizations (the

Sea Cadet Corps, Army, Cadet Force and Air Training Corps) are not very

large. Their activities are related to the work of the armed forces.

But the largest youth organizations, as you probably know, are the

associations of the Boy Scouts and the Girl Guides. There are about

1,300,000 boys and girls in them. The movement of Boy Scouts was founded by

General Baden-Powell in 1908 and began to spring up in almost every town

and village of the British Isles. Its aim is to help I а Scout (а boy from

8 to 18) to develop into а good man and а useful citizen. He must be able

to handle sails, to use а compass, to lay and light а fire out of doors, he

must know first aid and develop his interest in music, literature, drama,

arts and films. A Scout is а friend to animals, he is 'clean in thought,

word and deed’. He must obey the Scout Law.

The Girl Guides Association was founded by Lord Baden-Powell in 1910.

It is divided into three sections: Brownies (from 7,5 tо 11), Guides (age

11 — 16) and Rangers (age 16 — 21). The programmer of training is planned

to develop intelligence and practical skills inculding cookery, needle-work

and childcare. The training and the Law are much the same as those of the

Scouts. Like а Scout а Girl Guide must be а friend to animals. She must be

‘pure in thought, word and deed’. She must be loyal to God and the Queen.

There are several youth organizations associated with political

parties. The Youth Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (YCND) unites thousands

of young people of Great Britain. It co-operates with the National Union of

Students and many other youth organizations. It organizes mass rallies and

meetings, demonstrations, marches of protest, festivals.

9.Life at College and University

The academic year in Britain' s universities, Polytechnics, Colleges

of Education is divided into three terms, which usually run from the

beginning of October to the middle of December, from the middle of January

to the end of March, and from the middle of April to the end of June or the

beginning of July.

There are about one hundred universities in Britain. The oldest and

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