BritishTraditionalEducationSystemThepurposesofBritainarenotonlytoprovidechildrenwithliteracyandtheotherbasicskillstheywillneedtobecomeactivemembersofsociety,buttosocializechildren.Andthebasicpurposeisthethree“Rs”--“reading,ritingandrithmetic”(reading,writingandarithmetic).Inthepast,educationwasvoluntaryandmanyoftheschoolsthatexistedweresetupbychurches.Theinfluenceofthechurchissostrongthatdailyprayersandsinginghymnsisstillaregularpartofschoollife,andreligiouseducationwastheonlysubjecttoteach.(Untilveryrecently,religiouseducationwastheonlysubjectwhichthestateinsistedallschoolsteachtheirpupils(othersubjectswereleftuptoschoolstodecideupon).)Before1870,only40%ofchildrenunder10wenttoschoolregularly.Themainreceiversofamoreadvancededucationwerethesonsofthewealthy.(In1870thegovernmentpassedalawwhichcalledforgovernment-foundededucation,soby1880theattendanceatschoolforchildrenbetween5and10wascompulsoryratherthanvoluntary;andbytheendoftheFirstWorldWar,theschoolleavingagewasraisedto14inordertodissuadechildrenfromleavingschoolinordertoworktosupporttheirfamilies.)Classdifferencescouldbeseeninthewaypeoplewereschooledinthepast.Inspiteofthegovernment’shighhopes,workingclasschildrenstillleftschoolatayoungerageandwithfewerqualificationsthanmiddleclasschildren.Becauseentrancetoschoolswasbasedonexamperformance,thechildrenofthemiddleclassesperformedbetter.(Theyhadmorefreetime,moreaccesstohelpiftheywerehavingtrouble(theirparentscouldhiretutors,forexample)andvaluededucationmorethantheirworkingclasspeerswhowereoftenunderpressuretoquitschoolandfindjobsinordertohelptheirfamilies.)Studentsoftenaddressteachersformallybytheirlastnames.Theteacherisconsideredarespectedrolemodelinthecommunity.Studentsshouldobeytheteacher.Properbehaviorfortheuniversityorprofessionalworkcommunityisemphasized.EducationintheUKiscompulsory.Childrenarelegallyobligedtoattendschoolfromtheageof5(4inNorthernIreland)to16.In1992therewere9.5millionfull-timeschool/collegestudents.ThemodernBritishEducationsystemParentscanchoosebetweensendingtheirchildrentostateschoolsortoprivateschools.Stateschoolarefundedbylocalandcentralgovernment.About93%ofpupilsreceivefreeeducationfromthepublicsector.Thegovernmentalsosometimesassistsschoolsestablishedbyreligiousgroups.Uptoage5,childrenmayhavesomepre-primaryschoolinginnurseryschools,daycare,orplaygroups.Thegovernmenthasnoobligationtoprovidesuchfacilitiesandsomanyareprivateenterprisearrangements.However,thestaterealisessuchprovisionisimportant,especiallynowthatmanymotherswork,andsotheyprovidesomefinancialsupport.Betweentheagesof5to11,pupilsmainlyattendstatesectorprimaryschool.Theseschoolsarecalledco-educationalormixedschoolsbecausetheyadmitbothboysandgirls.Fromtheageof11uptoaroundtheageof19,studentsattendsecondaryschools.After5yearsofsecondaryeducation,(ataboutage16)English,NorthernIrishandWelshstudentssittheirGCSEexams(GeneralCertificateofSecondaryEducation).GCSEsarethemainmeansofassessingpupils’progressintheirfinal2yearsofcompulsoryeducation.Basedontheseresults,pupilsthendecidewhatavenueofeducationtheywouldliketofollow.Theyhaveanumberofchoices.Attheageof16,theycandecidetoquitschoolandfindajob;ortheycanpreparetositexamsforuniversityentrance;ortheycanconcentrateonvocationaltraining.Every16&17yearoldisguaranteedaplaceinfull-timeeducationortraining.PupilswhohopetoattenduniversitycarryontheiracademicstudyinthesixthformforafurthertwoyearsandthensitA-levelsexams(GeneralCertificateofEducation-Advanced).SinceadmittancetouniversitiesdependslargelyonA-levelresults,thetwoyearsspentinthesixthformareveryimportantandoftenverystressfulforBritishpupils.Amongfirstyearuniversitystudentsgettingtoknoweachother,themostcommonquestionafter“What’syourname?’and“Whereareyoufrom?’is“WhatA-levelsdidyoutake”Otherpupilswhodecidenottogotouniversitymaychoosetotakevocationaltraining.ThevocationalequivalentofA-levelsareGNVQs(GeneralNationalVocationalQualifications),whichprovideabroadlybasedpreparationforworkorfortakingfurthervocationaltraining.
