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Tema 65:
El sistema 
educativo en el 
ámbito anglosajón.  
 Topic 65:
El sistema educcativo en el ámbito anglosajón.
2

Topic 65::
El sistema educa
ativo en el ám
mbito anglosajón.

Table of contents
1. US
SA Educatiional system
m. _________________
______________________________
___ 3
1.11. American
n educationaal history. _____________
________________________________
____ 3
1.1.1. The coolonial period. _______________________
____________________________________
_____ 3
1.1.2. Before the Civil War. ______________________
____________________________________
_____ 3
1.1.3. 1865-11945 _______________________________ ____________________________________
_____ 4
1.1.4. The poost-war Periodd. ______________________
____________________________________
_____ 5
1.22. Elementary and secon
ndary schoools.________
________________________________
____ 6
1.2.1. State Governments.
G ___________________________________________________________
_____ 6
1.2.2. Localissm_________________________________ ____________________________________
_____ 7
1.2.3. Privatee elementary and
a secondaryy schools. ____
____________________________________
_____ 9
1.33. Higher ed
ducation. ________________________
________________________________
___ 10
1.3.1. How too get in._____________________________ ____________________________________
____ 10
1.3.2. Differeent higher eduucation instituttions. _______
____________________________________
____ 11
2. Grreat Britain
n Education
nal system. _________
______________________________
__ 13
2.11. Historicall backgroun
nd ___________________
________________________________
___ 14
2.1.1. Public means privatee! ______________________ ____________________________________
____ 15
2.1.2. Unifiedd or diversifieed Secondary education?
e ___
____________________________________
____ 15
2.1.3. The trippartite system
m ______________________ ____________________________________
____ 16
2.1.3.1. Grrammar Schoools. ____________________ ____________________________________
____ 16
2.1.3.2. Seecondary Moddern Schools ____________
_ ____________________________________
____ 16
2.1.3.3. Seecondary Techhnical Schoolss___________ ____________________________________
____ 16
2.22. The preseent organizaation. _________________
________________________________
___ 17
2.2.1. The Staate Sector ___________________________ ____________________________________
____ 18
2.2.2. The Private Sector ____________
_ ____________ ____________________________________
____ 18
2.2.3. Educattional structure. _____________________ ____________________________________
____ 19
2.2.4. Pre-priimary educatioon _____________________ ____________________________________
____ 19
2.2.5. Compuulsory education _____________________ ____________________________________
____ 20
2.2.6. Post-coompulsory eduucation / uppeer & post-seco
ondary level. ____________
_ ____________
____ 23
2.2.7. Higherr education __________________________ ____________________________________
____ 24
2.33. Style ____________________________________
________________________________
___ 25
2.44. Public exaams ____________________________
________________________________
___ 26
Bibliiography_____________
____________________
______________________________
__ 27
Summary. _______________
____________________
______________________________
__ 28

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El sistema educativo en el ámbito anglosajón.
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1. USA Educational system.

1.1. American educational history.
1.1.1. The colonial period.
Local control over education developed early in America and today
remains a distinctive aspect of the country’s educational institutions. During the
colonial period, the British authorities did not provide money for
education, so the first schools varied according to the degree of
interest local settlers had in education. In the Southern colonies, where
settlement was wide-spread, schooling was frequently limited to the
private tutoring that individual families could afford. In the more compact
settlements of Puritan New England, each town attempted to build a school.
In general, colonists expected the schools to teach religion. Reading
skills were highly valued because they enabled the individual to read the Bible.
HIGHER EDUCATION also began early in the colonial period. In 1636,
HARVARD COLLEGE was founded, only six years after the Puritan migration to
North-America begun. By the Revolutionary War, 8 colleges prepared a small
elite of men for the ministry and leadership of public life.

1.1.2. Before the Civil War.

Only 5 of the 13 original States included normatives for public schools in
the constitution they wrote during the War of Independence. Thomas Jefferson
and other founding father, though, insisted that universal public education was
essential to create a democratic nation. The federal government passed
laws in the 1780s making provision for education and setting aside
land for schools in the future states of the Great Lakes region. In 1830,
no State had yet managed to put in operation a free public school
system through its territory.
By the Civil War, all States accepted the principle of tax-
supported, free elementary schools. Every state has such schools, but
most teachers were poorly trained and the quality was lower in the South
& West. Most children went to school sporadically (NORTH→ one out of six
white children; SOUTH → one out of seven; slaves could not be educated). At

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that time, public opinion rejected the idea of compulsory school

attendance, mainly because most people believed parents, rather than
governments, should be responsible for education.
The pattern of HIGHER EDUCATION was transformed in the 1st half of the
19th Century. The Supreme Court distinguished btw public and private
colleges in 1819 (Dartmouth College v. Woodward), and determined that private
institutions of higher learning could not be state control. During the Civil War,
the MORILL ACT set a revolutionary precedent by lying the foundation
for the state University.

1.1.3. 1865-1945
The tremendous pace of urbanization, industrialization and immigration
brought a turning point in America education in the second half of the
19th C. Assimilation through the schools seemed increasingly
necessary as immigrants arrived in larger numbers. The schools were
expected to Americanize these newcomers: teaching them English, the
principles of the American democracy and the skills needed to work. To
accomplish these goals, COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE LAWS were
adopted in the States. These laws also applied to the children of racial
minorities: Schools in the South for former slaves. By 1880, almost three-
fourths of schoolage children were in school. In 1896 the Supreme
Court’s Plessy vs. Ferguson1 decision gave legal backing to the segregation
that already existed.
However, while politicians quickly put children in schools, they did not as
quick give money for hiring more teachers and erecting new buildings.
Thus, overcrowded, poor maintained schools and a shortage of staff
were typical of USA public schools btw the 1880s and 1920s. In 1917,
the federal government offered financial support to any public secondary school.
Around 1900, public school teaching was not considered a profession.
After the 1920s, the job was professionalized, even though the salaries
remained very low & the job was regarded as one of the least prestigious.

1
SEPARATE-BUT-EQUAL DOCTRINE, which separate facilities for blacks and whites satisfied the
14th Amendment so long as they were equal.

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1.1.4. The post-war Period.

The Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education 2 decision in 1954
struck down the principle pf separate-but-equal educational facilities
for the races. For almost 20 years (1955-74), the Court tried to desegregate
USA public schools. It settled on BUSING as the most effective way to
integrate the schools. Until very recently, one universal rule in USA had been
that pupils attended the school closest to their homes. Since blacks and whites
live in different residential sections, they attended school in different districts.
That is, residential segregation produces racially segregated schools.
Therefore, the Supreme Court decided that the solution was to transport
student to other districts until “racial balance” in all city schools
resulted. Both races protested and resisted this decision, but the Supreme
Court held firm, with the result that whites fled to the suburbs in greater
numbers and the small percentage who could afford to send their children to
private school. In 1990, about 30% of the schools were still mostly or
entirely black. An even larger percentage were “racially segregated” if the
definition included schools that were predominantly Latino and black.
Since 1960s, the federal authorities have actively fought the
effects of prejudice and the related problem of poverty. In 1964,
Congress decided that federal funding would be available only to educational
institutions that prove they did not discriminate. The HIGHER EDUCATION ACT of
the next year helped minorities and “disadvantaged” students obtain
collage loans.
AFFIRMATIVE ACTION PROGRAMMES to improve women’s and minority
group’s access to education have proliferated since the early 1970s. They
have, however, provoked a number of Supreme Court decisions, which have
not finished affirmative action, but changed its methods. The best known
court cases in this area have involved complaints from white males
denied admission to university programmes because female & minority
groups applicants were preferentially treated: University of California v. Bakke

2
This decision did not abolish segregation in other public areas, such as restaurants &
restrooms, nor did it require desegregation of public schools by a specific time. It did, however,
declare the mandatory segregation that existed in 21 states unconstitutional.

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1.2. Elementary and secondary schools.

Local control over schools became an American tradition during the
colonial period. The US Constitution makes no mention of education, and
that omission reserves the power over education to the States or
people, according to the 10th Amendment. All 50 State constitutions, on
the other hand, have specific normatives about education. Generally,
these clauses define the State’s role and delegate primary responsibility
for schools to local governments.
Local authorities set up INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICTS, whose
elected local boards of education make most decisions regarding public
elementary and secondary schools. Generally, the districts organize
their schools into:
Kindergardens 5 y.o. kids
Elementary school 6-12 y.o. kids.
Middle schools (Junior highs) 13-15 y.o. kids.
High Schools 16-18 y.o. kids.

In 1990, there were 15,500 SCHOOL DISTRICTS with a enrolment of over

40,000,000 pupils.
The federal government’s involvement in education remains
quite limited, because very specific powers were given to the federal
government in the Constitution: Protection of rights guaranteed in the BILL
OF RIGHTS. In practice, the federal government seldom interfered with local
schools to protect civil rights until the 1950s. Not until then did the Congress
set up a federal “Office of Education” as part of the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH,
EDUCATION AND WELFARE.

1.2.1. State Governments.

Until the 1950s almost all state governments limited their
involvement in education to two areas of concern: (1) Establishing
public state universities and (2) setting very general guidelines for
public primary and secondary school. A STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION,

appointed by the governor, formulated the guidelines and the STATE’S

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION had the responsibility to see that they were
carried out in local districts.

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The STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION commonly sets only some general

minimum standards. It determines the number of days in the school-
year; the procedure for licensing teachers and administrators; the
schooling living age (usually 16); the core curriculum that pupils must
complete at each level of school; and minimum requirements for academic
progress at different grade levels. These common requirements serve several
purposes. They establish a degree of uniformity among diverse school districts.
Hence, the curriculum also facilitates the evaluation of individual
schools and makes it easier for pupils to move from one district to
another & gain admission to collages & universities around the nation.
All states require young people to attend school. The age limit
varies, however. Most states require attendance up to age 16, some up
to 18. Thus, every child in America receives at least 11 years of education.
This is true regardless of a child's sex, race, religion, learning problems,
physical handicaps, ability to speak English or citizenship. (Although some
members of Congress have promoted permitting the states to deny public
education to illegal immigrants’ children, such a proposal has not become law.)
Some states play a strong central role in the selection of
learning material for their students. For example, state committees may
decide which textbooks can be purchased with state funds. In other states,
such decisions are left to local school officials.

1.2.2. Localism
There are three important kinds of localism (Financial, political &
social) encouraged to local school districts:
(1) FINANCIAL LOCALISM generally refers to the delegation of responsibility
for funding schools to local districts. Local taxes currently raise 44% of
local school budgets (50% more is received by the State and 6% from the
Federal government). So, local money makes a very significant
difference for public schools. 44% in a rich district may represent the
resources for higher teaching salaries and better buildings and equipment
than those in other poorer districts. Each district is free to decide how high
it wants to set taxes for education.

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REDISTRIBUTION PLANS (State plans that redistribute property taxes to

reduce the educational difference resulting from financial localism) have
collected State taxes & placed them in a fund for public education.
This money is then redistributed to equalize the differences in school
budgets across the State. REDISTRIBUTION PLANS can bring drastic changes
in the school budgets of rich and poor districts. Of course, they have
met opposition. Some rich groups have tried to preserve their
advantages through private donations or special local education
taxes. As a response, the State of NEW JERSEY ruled that any external
increase in the school budget of the richer neighborhoods will result
in an automatic equal increase in the poorer districts.
However, State authorities often show a great reluctance to use
the increased power they have achieved by means of redistribution plans.
They also believe that education should be designed by the people in the
governments closest to them. American traditions of financial localism still
remain strong.
(2) POLITICAL LOCALISM is chiefly exercised through the members of the
LOCAL BOARD OF EDUCATION. They usually have more power over the
schools than members of the STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION and are nearly
always elected (parents, teachers, local business people and recently
a student).
The local board is powerful because it makes a range of powerful
decisions. It determines the size and content of the school budget
and controls the hiring and firing of teachers & administrators. The
choice of subjects, programmes & educational goals beyond the
State minimums is its responsibility too. It also decides how educational
facilities should be designed, constructed & maintained.
Another important source of political localism is the PTA (Parent-
teacher association). It is a voluntary organization and has no legal
authority to make school policy.

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(3) The third kind of localism in American education, the SOCIAL LOCALISM,

refers to the different district educational priorities and goals that

result from differences in their population’s social attitudes,
reflected in the local population’s socio-economic class and mix of
occupations, religion, races and ethnic groups. Social localism is so
important because LOCAL BOARDS OF EDUCATION make so many policy
decisions. Recently, extremes examples of social localism have resulted in
replacing evolutionary theory with the Biblical story of creation in science
courses.

1.2.3. Private elementary and secondary schools.

About 12% of the school age population attends one of the nations
more than 24,000 private schools. 4 out of 5 of these private schools are
parochial, usually Catholic institutions, but also Protestant, Orthodox Jews and
some Asian religious groups. Although they are quite diverse, they all promise
a high standard of academic competence.
Private schools depend heavily on private donations,
investments and income from fee-paying students. Public founding
amounts less than the 10% of their budgets, since the court has limited them,
so that they benefit school pupils in general, rather than any particular
institution. Thus, all children can receive government aid for some
medical services, nutrition supplements and transportation, but not
grants to pay tuition.
Some private educational institutions offer financial aid to attract
students from a variety of social backgrounds, while others follow a restrictive
admission policy. Exclusivity has always been an important attraction of
most private schools.

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1.3. Higher education.

High school graduates enter higher education through a process of
mutual selection in a system that is decentralized, diverse and
competitive. Colleges and universities select a student according to a
criteria set by the individual institution rather than by a central
authority. The FEDERAL government has only an indirect influence on these
standards through equal educational programmes, civil & constitutional
rights. STATE approval is necessary for institutions of higher learning
to operate, but once it’s gained, state involvement is usually minimal. This
large degree of institutional independence has encouraged popular
experiments and innovations in higher education.

1.3.1. How to get in.

In such a decentralized, diverse system, devices are needed to help
institutions and students make informed choices in the selection process. There
is no battery of nationally designed and evaluated examinations that
pupils must pass to receive a high-school diploma, such as the Spanish
selectividad or revalida. The fact & the great variation in the programmes &
quality of US secondary schools make evaluating applicants’ academic
achievement difficult for colleges. To provide a basis for comparing pupils’
skills, private agencies have developed competitive college entrance
examinations that are given all over the country on the same day.
Almost all colleges and universities require applicants to take the best
known of these, the SCHOLARSHIP ACHIEVEMENT TEST (SAT), and many
prestigious schools also require pupils to submit their scores on other national
tests.
In addition, institutions have well-staffed admissions department
that visit and evaluate secondary schools, interview applicants and
review pupil’s application forms. Secondary schools have guidance
departments with counselors who evaluate colleges and universities for
students and recommend them the most suitable institution to their abilities
and test scores.

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1.3.2. Different higher education institutions.

A closer look at some of these institutions of higher learning illustrates
the choices students have. Post-secondary TECHNICAL or SPECIALITY SCHOOLS

offer training for specific technical occupations, such as accounting,

computer programming, laboratory work or business management.
These institutions have become particularly numerous since the WW2 bacause
of rapid changes in technology. Today, some SPECIALITY SCHOOLS are as
prestigious as well-known universities.
COMMUNITY COLLEGES give courses covering the usual requirements
for the first two years of a college, at little or no cost to the student.
After that, students may graduate with an ASSOCIATE IN ARTS degree (AA) or
move into the third year of a full college or university programme and continue
towards a BACHELOR OF ARTS or SCIENCE degree (BA or BSc). COMMUNITY COLLEGES
are run by local authorities and offer many shorter certificate
programmes suited to the occupational needs of a local area.
COMMUNITY COLLEGES is one of the most important recent (1930s)
developments in America higher education, because they fulfill a number of
public expectations. First, they give reality to the common idea that basic-
college education should be available to the mass of the population
virtually free of charge. Secondly, they also satisfy the notion of “life-long
learning”, the believe that retraining and continuing education are
vital to the individual. Finally, they have opened the possibility of almost
unlimited local control over study programmes.
Although a clear majority of colleges and universities in the US are
private, 4/5 of high school graduates choose PUBLIC UNIVERSITIES. Every
state has its own university, and some states operate large networks of
colleges and universities: The State University of New York, for instance, has
more than 60 campuses in New York State. One important reason for this
situation is that tuition (the cost of instruction) at city and STATE UNIVERSITIES is
often 3 or 4 times lower than private universities. Location is also
important in reducing the costs to students. Residents of the city or State
pay much less tuition than students who come from other places. Public

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systems also attract more students because many have open admission
policies or minimal acceptance requirements for residents of the area.
The majority of secondary school graduates who have average grades can thus
avoid rejection in more selective private universities. Many campuses of public
universities are much like COMMUNITY COLLEGES, but some concentrate on
excellence through advances courses in a limited number of fields. STATE
UNIVERSITY systems usually have a main campus that maintains higher
overall values: Berkeley Campus of the University of California.
PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION in the USA is typical of American pluralism:
the belief in allowing many alternatives and centers of decentralized
power. The private sector, which educates 1/5 of university-level students, is
really large compared to that in other western nations.
They usually have a restrictive admissions policy and there is no
single reason for this. Contrary to what is thought, to pay school costs are
rarely the main reason for not accepting a applicant. Good private
institutions have little difficulty finding enough fee-paying studens. Furthermore,
scholarships, low-interest loans, part-time work study programmes or
a combination of these are available to people the institution wants.
Private colleges and universities recruit as many as 1/3 of their students from
poor and minority social groups.
The reason most private institutions have for remaining
relatively small are related to their concept of what quality education is.
A few concentrate only on high academic standards as their single
definition of quality. Many more combine that goal with the ideal of a
special community of learning. The ideal of community may be served
in two major ways: On the one hand, by requiring most or all of the
students to live in a campus and by having relatively few students per
teacher to encourage close co-operation btw student-teacher. On the
other hand, by gathering together staff and students who share a
particular religious/ethnic background or socio-political orientation.

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Some institutions are characteristic of both public and private higher

education in the USA. The four-year LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE is the most
important of these. They offer courses in literature, languages, history,
philosophy, and the sciences and its main purpose is to provide students with
basic courses in a broad range of humanities and sciences.
Liberal art students usually do not specialize until their third year. The
“major” subjects, the focus of their undergraduate education, is a requirement
for the BA or BSc degree. However, the primary goal of the liberal arts
college is making its graduates so called “well-rounded” individuals
(generally well-informed and cultured people)
A liberal arts degree is required before students can enter various
GRADUATE SCHOOLS. These may be professional schools, such as law or
medical schools, or advanced liberal arts institutions that offer
Master’s degrees (Master in Arts –MA- or Master in Science –MSc-) and
doctorates (the Ph.D.) in a range of fields. To be admitted to GRADUATE

SCHOOLS, students must normally take a competitive examination, either an

entrance tests or Graduate Record Exams (GREs).

2. Great Britain Educational system.

The basic features of the British educational system are the same
as they are anywhere else in Europe: full-time education is compulsory up
to the middle teenage years; the academic year begins at the end of
summer; compulsory education is free of charge, but parents may spend
money on educating their children privately if they want to. There are three
recognized stages, with children moving from the first stage (PRIMARY) to
the second stage (SECONDARY) at around the age of eleven or twelve. The third
(TERTIARY) stage is 'further' education at university or college. However, there
is quite a lot which distinguishes education in Britain from the way it works in
other countries.

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2.1. Historical background

The British government attached little importance to education
until the end of the 19th C. It was one of the last governments in Europe
to organize education for everybody. Britain was leading the world in
industry and commerce, so, it was felt, education must somehow be taking
care of itself. Today, however, education is one of the most frequent subjects
for public debate in the country. To understand the background to this debate,
a little history is needed.
Schools and other educational institutions (such as universities)
existed in Britain long before the government began to take an
interest in education. In typically British fashion, it sometimes incorporated
them into the system and sometimes left them outside it. Most importantly,
the government left alone the small group of schools which had been
used in the 19th C (and in some cases before then) to educate the sons of
the upper and upper-middle classes. At these PUBLIC SCHOOLS, the
emphasis was on character-building and the development of team
spirit rather than on academic achievement. This involved the
development of distinctive customs and attitudes, the wearing of distinctive
clothes and the use of specialized items of vocabulary. They were all
boarding schools (pupils lived in them), so they had a deep and lasting
influence on their pupils. Their aim was to prepare young men to take up
positions in the higher ranks of the army, in business, the legal profession, the
civil service and politics.
When the pupils from these PUBLIC SCHOOLS finished their education,
they formed the ruling elite, retaining the distinctive habits and vocabulary
which they had learnt at school. They formed a closed group, to a great
extent separate from the rest of society. Entry into this group was difficult
for anybody who had had a different education. When, in the 20th C,
education and its possibilities for social advancement came within everybody's
reach, new schools tended to copy the features of the PUBLIC SCHOOLS. (After all,
they provided the only model of a successful school that the country had.)

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2.1.1. Public means private!

Terminology to do with the school system in Britain can be
confusing. Schools funded by the government, either directly or via local
education authorities, are called STATE SCHOOLS and education provided in this
way is known as state education. This distinguishes it from private
education, which comprises independent schools. Some independent
schools (a varying number, because the term is not exact) are known as
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The possibility of confusion is especially great because in the USA
schools organized by the local government are called PUBLIC SCHOOLS and
the education provided is called the PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM. In Britain today,
about 8% of children are educated outside the state system.

2.1.2. Unified or diversified Secondary education?

While there were only ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS for children between the
ages of 5 and 13 problems were limited. There was only one way forward
after school: The working world. There was no possibility of an academic
career except for those who could afford it.
The general nature of education changed when it became possible
for a restricted number of pupils to gain free places in a Grammar
School if they passed an examination at the age of 11. The Elementary
School began to consider preparing for the examination as its main
function. The examination tested the ability of the children in two subjects
only: English and Arithmetic. Other subjects, therefore, tended to become
neglected. Furthermore, the reputation of the school depended mainly on its
success rate at this examination.
The examination formed the basis of what is known as the 11plus
(11+) examination. The future life of a child was decided at this age. Pupils
who didn't sit or who failed the 11+ examination could only gain
access to a SECONDARY MODERN SCHOOL and later perhaps to a TECHNICAL
SCHOOL.

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2.1.3. The tripartite system

Before the introduction of COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS the state
education system in England was essentially tripartite and was made up
of GRAMMAR SCHOOLS, SECONDARY MODERN SCHOOLS & SECONDARY TECHNICAL
SCHOOLS.

2.1.3.1. Grammar Schools.

GRAMMAR SCHOOLS provided an academic education for pupils
between the ages of 12 and 19. Their pupils came through the selective
process of the 11+ examination and therefore these schools had the most
academically gifted children. Most of the pupils entered university after
school.

2.1.3.2. Secondary Modern Schools

Here the pupils normally attended a four year course leading to the
School Leaving Certificate. The course usually offered instruction in English,
at least one other language, geography, history, mathematics, science, drawing,
manual instruction or domestic subjects, and physical exercise. When pupils
left school they normally entered into the working world.
The choice of curriculum was not influenced by future academic
achievement but was student-centered. It developed out of the
interests, needs and ability of the children and as they later went to work
it obviously had a practical dimension. As there was no external
examination to be taken at the end of the course the pupils were not
under pressure.

2.1.3.3. Secondary Technical Schools

This was the less popular alternative to the Secondary Modern School.
Those who failed the 11+ went to a Secondary Modern School but at
the age of 12 or 13 could gain a place at a Secondary Technical School.
It is difficult to imagine why it was not successful since this type of
school was closely linked to the world of industry and commerce. It provided a
general education with special emphasis on technical subjects. It was
definitely more in touch with reality than Grammar Schools and

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certainly more specifically geared to preparing the pupils for their trade after
leaving school.
However, there was a lack of qualified teachers and this must be
seen as one cause for its lack of success. Perhaps also there was a marked
psychological deterrent. The pupils who had already faced one examination
failure (11+) perhaps did not feel inclined to go through the humiliating
experience of another possible failure at such an early age. Besides, they had
already overcome the pressure of the 11+ exam and now felt psychologically
relieved.

2.2. The present organization.

Despite recent changes, it is a characteristic of the British system
that there is comparatively little central control or uniformity. For
example, education is managed not by one, but by three, separate
government departments: the Department for Education and
Employment is responsible for England and Wales alone - Scotland and
Northern Ireland have their own departments. None of these central authorities
exercises much control over the details of what actually happens in the
country's educational institutions. All they do is to ensure the availability of
education, dictate and implement its overall organization and set
overall learning objectives (which they enforce through a system of
inspectors) up to the end of compulsory education.
Central government does not prescribe a detailed programme of
learning or determine what books and materials should be used. It
says, in broad terms, what schoolchildren should learn, but it only offers
occasional advice about how they should learn it. Nor does it dictate the
exact hours of the school day, the exact dates of holidays or the exact
age at which a child must start in full-time education. It does not
manage an institution's finances either, it just decides how much money to
give it. It does not itself set or supervise the marking of the exams which older
teenagers do. In general, as many details as possible are left up to the
individual institution or the LOCAL EDUCATION AUTHORITY (branch of local
government).

Iván Matellanes’ Notes

 Topic 65:
El sistema educativo en el ámbito anglosajón.
18

One of the reasons for this level of independence is that the

system has been influenced by the PUBLIC SCHOOL tradition that a
school is its own community. Most schools develop a sense of
distinctiveness. Many, for example, have their own uniforms for pupils. Many,
especially those outside the state system, have associations of former pupils. It
is considered desirable (even necessary) for every school to have its own school
hall, big enough to accommodate every pupil, for daily assemblies and other
occasional ceremonies. UNIVERSITIES, although financed by the government,
have even more autonomy. Each one has complete control over what to &
how to teach, who it accepts as students and how to test them.

2.2.1. The State Sector

Schools in the state sector are financed by the government and
administered through local education authorities, although many schools
now manage their own finances and are known as GRANT MAINTAINED
SCHOOLS. No financial contribution to a child's education is required of parents.
Broadly speaking, secondary education (from age 11 onwards) is
comprehensive i.e. schools accept children of all academic levels, and are, in
the main, co-educational. However there are still some GRAMMAR SCHOOLS
which select only the more academically gifted children on the basis
of an examination and these tend to be single sex schools. All schools in
the state sector are day schools.

2.2.2. The Private Sector

Schools in the private sector are known as INDEPENDENT or PUBLIC
SCHOOLS. They rely for finance solely on fees charged to parents. The
majority are boarding schools, although there are some independent day
schools, particularly in the London area. Children live at school during term
time, only returning home at half term and during the main holidays.
As children live at school, there is a wide range of extra-curricular
clubs and activities, such as astronomy, chess, computers, debating,
public speaking, photography. Music and drama play a large part of outside
classroom life: They’re encouraged to learn to play a musical instrument.

Iván Matellanes’ Notes

 Topic 65:
El sistema educativo en el ámbito anglosajón.
19

2.2.3. Educational structure.

National
Exams Age England and Wales Northern Ireland Age
curriculum
0.3 UK & N
Offer in the private Offer in the private 0.3 Wales Ireland
1 and voluntary sectors and voluntary sectors 1
2 2
3 publicly-financed is currently being Publicly-financed is currently being 3
expanded in co-operation with the private expanded in co-operation with the private.
4 Minimum Primary Education: 4
weekly comprehensive school
5 Minimum Primary Education: 5
weekly hours:
6 Comprehensive school. 6
hours: KS1 KS1
15
SAT KS1 7 21 7
8 23.5 8
9 9
10 10 KS2
SAT KS2 11 11
22.5
12 24 Secondary Education: Secondary Education: 12
Compulsory free school. Compulsory free school. KS2
13 13 KS3
5% English non- 30% English non-
SAT KS3 14 14
comprehensive schools. comprehensive schools.
15 15
KS4
GCSEs 16 16
17 Secondary School: Secondary School: 17 no
GCE or 18 Sixth form collage. Further education college. 18 compulsory
A-levels Further education college.
Tertiary college. subjects.
+19 Higher education: +19 no
- Universities
compulsory
- Higher education colleges
- Small number of university colleges subjects.
Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) Council for the Curriculum, Examinations
Qualifications, Curriculum & Assessment and Assessment (CCEA)
Authority (ACCAC)

Pre-primary education Nursery

Compulsory free education Primary education Pre-primary education

Non-compulsory education
Secondary education Secondary School

Higher education

2.2.4. Pre-primary education

For children aged from 3 Months to 3 Years, offer is largely in the
private and voluntary sectors, and parents pay fees. For children aged from
three to five, publicly-financed early years education and childcare. All areas
of England and Wales are working towards the Government aim of
universal, free nursery provision for three-year-olds by 2004.
Government initiatives in Northern Ireland are also working towards
provision of a full year of pre-school education for every child whose
parents want it. At present, a free half-day place is available for all
four-year-olds and many three-year-olds whose parents want it. Places

Iván Matellanes’ Notes

 Topic 65:
El sistema educativo en el ámbito anglosajón.
20

are in state-maintained nursery schools and classes, and in voluntary and

private settings. Many four-year-olds are in reception classes at primary
school for five full days a week. Overall, virtually all four-year-olds and
the majority of three-year-olds participate in some form of pre-
compulsory education.

2.2.5. Compulsory education

a) Phases:
Age 5 to 11 (England/Wales)
Primary education
Age 4 to 11 (Northern Ireland)
Secondary education Age 11 to 16 or 18

Education is compulsory from age five (four in Northern Ireland)

to age 16. Many children in England and Wales start in the reception class of
primary school at age four. Most pupils move from a PRIMARY SCHOOL to a
SECONDARY SCHOOL at age 11, although in some areas of England, pupils
attend MIDDLE SCHOOL from the age of 8 or 9 to 12 or 13. Many secondary
schools also provide education for post-compulsory students aged 16 to 18.
b) Admissions criteria:
No charge may be made for admitting pupils to publicly-funded
primary or secondary schools. Parents may apply to any school for a
place for their child. The local authority or the school governing body
(depending on the legal category of school) must establish an admissions policy
to explain how places will be allocated if there are more applications than
places at the school.
Admissions policies typically give priority to children who live closest to
the school, to children who already have brothers or sisters at the school,
or to children with special needs which may be best met by the school.
Schools supported by religious foundations often give preference to members of
a particular faith or denomination. All primary schools accept pupils
without regard to ability. Most SECONDARY SCHOOLS in England and all
SECONDARY SCHOOLS in Wales are comprehensive, accepting pupils without
regard to academic ability. However, in Northern Ireland, and in some
areas of England, there are selective schools, known as GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.

These represent approximately 5% in England and 30% in Nothern

Iván Matellanes’ Notes

 Topic 65:
El sistema educativo en el ámbito anglosajón.
21

Ireland of all secondary schools. There are also some secondary schools in
England that specialise in a particular subject; these schools are permitted to
select up to 10 per cent of children based on their aptitude for the subject
concerned. Primary schools and most secondary schools are mixed sex, but
some secondary schools are single sex.
c) Length of school day/week/year:
Schools must be open for 190 days a year. The actual dates are
determined by the local authority or the school governing body,
depending on the legal category of school. The school year generally runs
from September to July. Schools normally operate five days a week. There
is currently some movement towards the adoption of a standardised
six-term school year which would be consistent year on year from
2003/4. However the decision to adopt this new model remains at the level of
the local education authority (LEA) or school governing body.
Minimum recommended weekly lesson times in England and Wales
are 21 (for 5 to 7 y.o.), 23.5 (for 8 to 11 y.o.) & 24 (for 12 to 16 y.o.).
In Northern Ireland, minimum daily attendance hours are 3 hours for
pupils under eight and 4.5 for those over eight. Most schools provide
more hours than the suggested minimum. The school day generally runs
from around 09.00 to between 15.00 and 16.00. The organisation of time
within the school day is determined by the school.
d) Class size/student grouping:
Class sizes for 5 to 7 y.o. (4 to 8 in Northern Ireland) are limited to
30 pupils. There are no requirements for other age groups. The
organisation of teaching groups is a matter for the school. Pupils are most
commonly taught in mixed-ability classes at primary level, although many
teachers use some form of ability grouping within a mixed-ability class.
Secondary schools commonly group pupils for some subjects
according to ability in that particular subject (a practice known as
SETTING), whilst teaching other subjects in mixed-ability groups. All teachers
are expected to ensure that there are sufficient opportunities for differentiated
work for pupils of all abilities.

Iván Matellanes’ Notes

 Topic 65:
El sistema educativo en el ámbito anglosajón.
22

e) Curriculum control and content:

In England, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills is advised on all
matters affecting the school curriculum by the QUALIFICATIONS AND

CURRICULUM AUTHORITY (QCA), a non-departmental public body. The QCA

works closely with the QUALIFICATIONS, CURRICULUM AND ASSESSMENT
AUTHORITY for Wales (known by its Welsh acronym ACCAC), which performs
similar functions in relation to Wales, and with the Northern Ireland
COUNCIL FOR THE CURRICULUM, EXAMINATIONS AND ASSESSMENT (CCEA) which
performs these functions for Northern Ireland.
All schools are required to provide a balanced and broadly-based curriculum
and have discretion to develop the whole curriculum to reflect their particular
needs and circumstances. The curriculum for compulsory education in
England, Wales & Northern Ireland is divided into 4 key stages (KS):
- KS1 (ages 5 to 7, or 4 to 8 in Northern Ireland)
- KS2 (ages 8 to 11, or from 8 in Northern Ireland)
- KS3 (ages 12 to 14)
- KS4 (15 to 16).

In England and Wales, the National Curriculum compulsory subjects

for KS1–3 include English (and/or Welsh in Wales), mathematics, science,
design and technology, ICT (IT in Wales), physical education, history,
geography, art and design (art in Wales) and music. A foreign language
is compulsory at KS3. In September 2002, citizenship became a statutory
requirement in England from KS3. At KS4, there are fewer compulsory
subjects.
The Northern Ireland Curriculum comprises five compulsory AREAS OF

STUDY from KS1–4: (1) ENGLISH, (2) MATHEMATICS, (3) SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY, (4)
ENVIRONMENT & SOCIETY, and (5) CREATIVE AND EXPRESSIVE STUDIES (at secondary
level only, MODERN LANGUAGES).

Iván Matellanes’ Notes

 Topic 65:
El sistema educativo en el ámbito anglosajón.
23

f) Assessment, progression and qualifications:

Promotion to the next year or key stage is automatic and does not
depend on the results of assessment. There are statutory assessment
arrangements on entry to primary school and at the end of key stages
1, 2 and 3. These arrangements include teacher assessment and
externally set and externally marked tests. The tests at the end of key
stages 1, 2 and 3 are commonly known as ‘SATS’. The English QCA, the
ACCAC in Wales, and the Northern Ireland CCEA are the statutory advisory
bodies responsible for keeping these assessment arrangements under review.
The majority of pupils take GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF SECONDARY
EDUCATION EXAMINATIONS (GCSEs) in a range of single general or vocational
subjects. Assessment schemes vary, but always include externally set
and externally marked assessment; there may also be internally
marked and externally moderated assessment. Assessment may include
oral and practical assessment as well as written examinations.

2.2.6. Post-compulsory education / upper & post-secondary level.

a) Types of education:
Secondary school Age 16 to 18
Further education Age 16 +
Sixth form college*
Further education college
Tertiary college*
*England and Wales only

Secondary schools and sixth form colleges offer general education;

further education colleges offer largely vocational education although many also
offer general education; tertiary colleges offer both general and vocational
education.
b) Admissions criteria:
There are no general requirements for admission to post-
compulsory education, although schools and colleges normally set
specific requirements relating to GCSE results for admission to
individual courses. Students may apply to any institution offering their choice
of course. Post-compulsory education is free of charge up to the age of 19.

Iván Matellanes’ Notes

 Topic 65:
El sistema educativo en el ámbito anglosajón.
24

c) Curriculum control and content:

There are no compulsory subjects at this level. Students choose
courses of study from the range offered by the school or further
education institution depending upon the qualification they seek. The body
determining curricula and their content varies according to the course
chosen. Teachers are free to decide on teaching methods & materials.
d) Assessment, progression and qualifications:
There are statutory advisory bodies which regulate the external
qualifications used in schools and colleges: The British QCA, the ACCAC in
Wales, and the Northern Ireland CCEA. Awarding bodies (independent
organisations recognised by the regulatory authorities) offer a range of national
qualifications. Common qualifications taken are the GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF

EDUCATION ADVANCED LEVEL (GCE) or ADVANCED SUBSIDIARY LEVEL (A-levels).

Assessment schemes for GCE A-level/AS-levels and AVCEs vary, but always
include externally set and externally marked assessment; there may also
be internally marked and externally moderated assessment. Assessment
may include oral and practical assessment as well as written examinations.

2.2.7. Higher education

a) Types of institution:
Higher education institutions include UNIVERSITIES, HIGHER EDUCATION

COLLEGES and a small number of UNIVERSITY COLLEGES. The historical division

between polytechnics and universities was ended in 1992. Higher
education institutions are diverse, ranging widely in size, mission and history.
b) Access:
All major higher education institutions are autonomous bodies and each
determines its own admissions policy and requirements. Entry is
competitive, and specific requirements are set for each course. In most cases,
entry requirements are specified as GCE A-levels or equivalent
qualifications. However, most institutions also welcome applications from
mature candidates who have had appropriate experience but may lack formal
qualifications.

Iván Matellanes’ Notes

 Topic 65:
El sistema educativo en el ámbito anglosajón.
25

c) Qualifications:
In the UK, academic qualifications are not national awards, but are
granted by Individual institutions. Universities, university colleges and a
small number of higher education colleges have the power to award their
own degrees and qualifications.
Qualifications and titles vary between institutions. Qualifications may include
higher education certificates and diplomas, foundation degrees, bachelors
degrees, bachelors degrees with honours, and higher (postgraduate) degrees
such as masters degrees and doctorates. Undergraduate programmes leading
to bachelors degrees with honours (usually known as honours degrees) form
the largest group of higher education programmes. Typical courses leading to
an honours degree last for three years (if taken full-time) although some
courses are longer.
A new five-level framework has recently been developed to provide a
clearer structure to higher education qualifications and promote consistent use
of qualifications titles.

2.3. Style
LEARNING FOR ITS OWN SAKE, rather than for any particular practical
purpose, has traditionally been given a comparatively high value in
Britain. In comparison with most other countries, a relatively strong emphasis
has been put on the quality of person that education produces (as
opposed to the qualities of abilities that it produces). This approach has had a
far-reaching effect on many aspects of the educational system. First of all, it
has influenced the general style of teaching, which has tended to give
priority to developing understanding rather than acquiring factual
knowledge and learning to apply this knowledge to specific tasks. This is why
British young people do not appear to have to work as hard as their
counterparts in other European countries. Primary schoolchildren do not
normally have formal homework to do and university students have
fewer hours of programmed attendance than students on the
continent do. On the other hand, they receive greater personal guidance with
their work. A second effect has been an emphasis on academic ability

Iván Matellanes’ Notes

 Topic 65:
El sistema educativo en el ámbito anglosajón.
26

rather than practical ability. This has resulted in high-quality education for
the academically inclined students (Upper secondary & University levels) with
comparatively little attention given to the educational needs of the rest.
The traditional approach, together with the dislike of centralized
authority, also helps to explain why the British school system got a
national curriculum so much later than other European countries. If your
aim is so vague and universal, it is difficult to specify what its elements are. It is
for the same reason that British schools and universities have tended
to give such a high priority to sport. The idea is that it helps to develop
the complete person. The importance of school as a 'community' can
increase this emphasis. Sporting success enhances the reputation of an
institution. Until the last quarter of the twentieth century, certain sports at
some universities (especially Oxford and Cambridge) and medical schools were
played to an international standard. People with poor academic records were
sometimes accepted as students because of their sporting prowess (although,
unlike in the USA, this practice was always unofficial).

2.4. Public exams

Public exams are not set by the government, but rather by
independent examining boards. There are several of these. Everywhere
except Scotland, each school decides which board's exams its pupils take. Some
schools even enter their pupils for the exams of more than one board.
Second, the boards publish a separate syllabus for each subject.
There is no unified school-leaving exam or school-leaving certificate.
Some boards offer a vast range of subjects. In practice, nearly all pupils do
exams in English language, maths and a science subject, and most also do an
exam in technology and one in a foreign language, usually French. Many
students take exams in three or more additional subjects.
Third, the exams have nothing to do with school years as such.
They are divorced from the school system. The vast majority of people who
do these exams are school pupils, but formally it is individual people who enter
for these exams, not pupils in a particular year of school.

Iván Matellanes’ Notes

 Topic 65:
El sistema educcativo en el ámbito anglosajón.
27

Bib
bliograp
phy
http:///www.ifrance.co
om/g-carrier/edu uc.html the e-vversion of the chapter on: O’’Driscoll, Jamess (1997). BRITAAIN. The
country
ry and its peoplee: An Introducti
tion for learners of English. Oxfo
ord Press.

Mauk, D & Oakland, J. (1995) Americcan civilization. An Introduction

n.
Suprem
me court laws: http://www.oye
h ez.org/oyez/reso
ource/case/94/
USA ed
ducation: http:///usinfo.state.go
ov/usa/infousa/ffacts/factover/cch6.htm
UK edu ucation: http://w
www.intense.coo.uk/doc-pic/sysstem/frameset.hhtm
http:///www.nfer.ac.ukk/eurydice/docuuments/factfilesuk_cverview.pdf
http:///www.know-brittain.com/genera al/education_in_
_england_3.htmml
http:///www.teacherne et.gov.uk/teachiinginengland/de
etail.cfm?id=497
7
http:///www.tiscali.co.uk/reference/enncyclopaedia/huutchinson/m0027027.html
http:///www.google.ess/search?q=cach he:xUaN88losso oJ:www.britishcouncil.org.au/he
elpdesk/pdf/Maintained_Schools_Info
rmation.pdf+%22GRA ANT+MAINTAIN NED+SCHOOLS% %22&hl=es

Iván Matellaness’ Notes

 Topic 65: Brief summary.
28

Summary. El sistema educativo en el ámbito anglosajón.

- USA EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM:
- American educational history: Local control over education developed early in America & even today remains as a distinctive aspect.
♦ During the colonial period, the British authorities did not provide money for education, so the first schools varied according to the
degree of interest local settlers had in education.
___ In the Southern colonies, schooling was frequently limited to the private tutoring that individual families could afford.
___ In the more compact settlements of Puritan New England, each town attempted to build a school.
♦ HIGHER EDUCATION also began early in the colonial period. In 1636, Harvard College was founded.
♦ Thomas JEFFERSON & other founding fathers insisted that universal public education was essential to create a democratic nation.
___ By the Civil War, all States accepted the principle of tax-supported, free elementary schools, but teachers were poorly trained & paid.
___ Most children went to school sporadically.
♦ Public opinion rejected compulsory school, bc they believed parents, rather than governments, should be responsible for education.
♦ Schools were expected to Americanize new immigrabts: Teaching them English, the principles of the American democracy & the skills needed
to work. To accomplish these goals, COMPULSORY SCHOOL ATTENDANCE LAWS were adopted in the States.
___ By 1880, almost three-fourths of schoolage children were in school.
___ In 1896 the Supreme Court’s (SP) Plessy vs. Ferguson decision gave legal backing to the segregation that already existed.
___ In 1954, the SP’s Brown v. Board of Education decision destroyed the principle of separate-but-equal educational facilities.
♦ Since 1960s, the federal authorities have actively fought the effects of prejudice & the related problem of poverty.
___ 1964, Congress decided that federal funding would be available only to educational institutions that prove they did not discriminate.
___ 1965, The HIGHER EDUCATION ACT helped minorities and “disadvantaged” students obtain collage loans.
- Elementary & secondary schools:
♦ The USA Constitution makes no mention of education, & that omission reserves its power to the States (10 Amendment.)
th

___ All 50 State constitutions have normatives about education, which define the State’s role & delegate responsibility to local governments.
___ Local authorities set up independent school districts, whose elected local boards make most decisions regarding public schools.
♦ Generally, the districts organize their schools into: (In 1990, there were 15,500 school districts with a enrolment of over 40,000,000 pupils.)
a. Kindergardens 5 y.o. kids c. Middle schools (Junior highs) 13-15 y.o. kids.
b. Elementary school 6-12 y.o. kids. d. High Schools 16-18 y.o. kids.
♦ Federal government’s involvement in education remains limited: Protection of rights through the DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH & EDUCATION, …

- LOCALISM: There are 3 kinds of localism - STATE GOVERNMENTS:

encouraged to local school districts: ♦ Almost all state governments limited their involvement in education to 2 areas of concern:
a. Financial localism: Delegation of (1) Establishing public state universities.
responsibility for funding schools to local (2) Setting very general guidelines for public primary & secondary school.
districts. Local taxes currently raise 44% of local ♦ A STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION formulated the guidelines and the STATE’S DEPARTMENT
school budgets (50% more is received by the OF EDUCATION had the responsibility to see that they were carried out in local districts:
State & 6% from the Federal government). So, a. Number of days in the school-year
local money makes a very significant b. The procedure for licensing teachers and administrators
difference for public schools. c. The schooling living age (usually 16)
REDISTRIBUTION PLANS (State plans that d. The core curriculum that pupils must complete at each level of school
redistribute property taxes to reduce the e. Minimum requirements for academic progress at different grade levels.
educational diff resulting from financial localism) ♦ These common requirements serve several purposes. They establish a degree of
have collected State taxes & placed them in a uniformity among diverse school districts. Hence, t easier for pupils to move from one
fund for public education, but they have met district to another & gain admission to collages & universities around the nation.
-
opposition by sm rich groups.
b. Political localism is chiefly exercised through the members of the LOCAL BOARD OF EDUCATION, who usually have more power than
members of the STATE BOARD OF EDUCATION. Another important source of political localism is the PTA (PARENT-TEACHER ASSOCIATION).
The LOCAL BOARD is powerful because it makes a range of powerful decisions:
♦ It determines the size & content of the school budget. ♦ It controls the hiring & firing of teachers & administrators.
♦ The choice of subjects, programmes & educational goals beyond the State minimums is its responsibility too.
♦ It also decides how educational facilities should be designed, constructed & maintained.
c. SOCIAL LOCALISM refers to the diff district educational priorities & goals that result from diffs in their population’s social attitudes.

♦ About 12% of the school age population attends one of the nations more than 24,000 private schools.
___ Private schools depend heavily on private donations, investments & income from fee-paying students (only 10% of Public founding.)
- Higher education: Universities select a student according to a criteria set by the individual institution rather than by a central authority.
♦ In such a decentralized system, there is no battery of nationally designed and evaluated examinations that pupils must pass to receive
a high-school diploma, such as the Spanish selectividad or revalida.
___ Private agencies have developed competitive college entrance examinations that are given all over the country on the same day.
___ Almost all colleges & universities require applicants to take the best known of these, the SCHOLARSHIP ACHIEVEMENT TEST (SAT).
___ Institutions have well-staffed admissions department that visit & evaluate secondary schools & interview applicants.
- There are diff institutions of higher learning:
♦ TECHNICAL or SPECIALITY SCHOOLS offer training for specific technical occupations: accounting, computer programming, laboratory work …
Today, some SPECIALITY SCHOOLS are as prestigious as well-known universities
♦ COMMUNITY COLLEGES give courses covering the usual requirements for the first two years of a college, at little or no cost to the student.
rd
___ Sts graduate w/an ASSOCIATE IN ARTS degree or move into the 3 year of university & graduate as BACHELOR OF ARTS or SCIENCE degree.
___ COMMUNITY COLLEGES are run by local authorities & offer shorter programmes suited to the occupational needs of a local area.
___ Community colleges gave reality to the idea that basic-college education should be available to the population virtually free of charge.
♦ Every state has its own PUBLIC UNIVERSITY: 4/5 of high school graduates choose Public Universities bc tuition (the cost of instruction) at city
or State Universities is often 3 or 4 times lower than private universities.
___ Public sys also attract more students bc many have open or minimal admission policies for residents of the area.
♦ PRIVATE HIGHER EDUCATION have usually a restrictive admissions policy.
___ Contrary to what is thought, the fee is rarely the main reason for not accepting an applicant, bc they have no diff finding fee-paying Stds.
___ The reason most private institutions have for remaining relatively small are related to their concept of what quality education is.
♦ GRADUATE SCHOOLS may be professional schools (law or medical schools) or advanced LIBERAL ARTS INSTITUTIONS that
Iván offer Master’s
Matellanes’ Notes
degrees & doctorates in a range of fields.
 Topic 65: Brief summary.
29
- UK EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM:
th
- Historical Background: The British government gave little imp to education until the end of the 19 C.
♦ The government left alone a small group of schools which had been used in the 19 C to educate the upper/upper-mid classes.
th

♦ At these PUBLIC SCHOOLS, the emphasis was on character-building & the development of team spirit rather than on academic achievement.
___ When the pupils from these PUBLIC SCHOOLS finished their education, they formed the ruling elite.
♦ In the 20 C, it became possible for a limited number of Stds to gain free places in a GRAMMAR SCHOOL if they passed an examination at 11.
th

___ The ELEMENTARY SCHOOL began to prepare for this examination (11PLUS), which tested English and Arithmetic, as its main function.
___ A child’s future was decided at 11: Those who failed it could only go to a SECONDARY MODERN SCHOOL or perhaps to a TECHNICAL SCHOOL.
♦ Before the introduction of COMPREHENSIVE SCHOOLS, English system was essentially TRIPARTITE:
♦ GRAMMAR SCHOOLS: provided an ♦ SECONDARY MODERN SCHOOL: The choice of ♦ SECONDARY TECHNICAL SCHOOL was the
academic education for pupils btw 12 & 19. curriculum was student-centered. It developed less popular alternative to the Secondary
These schools had the most academically out of the interests, needs & ability of the Modern School. It provided a general
gifted children. children & as they later went to work it obviously education with special emphasis on
had a practical dimension. technical subjects.
PASS 11+ FAILED 11+ FAILED 11+ & HAVE 12/13

- The Present organization: There is comparatively little central control in the British educational system.
♦ Education is managed by 3 separate government departments: One for England & Wales, other for Scotland & other for N. Ireland.
♦ Central government does not prescribe a detailed programme of learning nor determine what books and materials should be used.
♦ It does not manage an institution's finances either, it just decides how much money to give it.
♦ Schools in the state sector are financed by the government & administered through local education authorities.
___ GRANT-MAINTAINED SCHOOLS have voluntarily withdrawn from local authority support & instead is maintained directly by central government.
♦ Schools in the private sector are known as INDEPENDENT or PUBLIC SCHOOLS & They rely for finance solely on fees charged to parents.
___ Children live at school during term time, only returning home at half term and during the main holidays.
♦ Educational structure:

___ Most secondary schools in England and all secondary schools in Wales are comprehensive, accepting pupils without regard to academic
ability. However, in Northern Ireland, and in some areas of England, there are selective schools, known as GRAMMAR SCHOOLS.
___ Schools must be open for 190 days a year. The actual dates are determined by the local authority or the school governing body.
___ Class sizes for 5 to 7 y.o. (4 to 8 in Northern Ireland) are limited to 30 pupils. There are no requirements for other age groups.
♦ The curriculum for compulsory education in England, Wales & Northern Ireland is divided into 4 key stages (KS):
___ KS1–3 include English (and/or Welsh in Wales), mathematics, science, design and technology, ICT, physical education, history,
geography, art & design and music. A foreign language is compulsory at KS3. At KS4, there are fewer compulsory subjects.
♦ Promotion to the next year or key stage is automatic and does not depend on the results of assessment. There are statutory assessment
arrangements on entry to primary school & at the end of KS 1, 2 & 3. These arrangements include teacher assessment and external tests (‘SATS’).
___ The majority of pupils take GENERAL CERTIFICATE OF SECONDARY EDUCATION EXAMINATIONS (GCSEs): external set & assessment.
___ Entry requirements at Universities are specified as GCE A-LEVELS or equivalent qualifications.

Iván Matellanes’ Notes