Dear group-mates, I’d like to speak on the topic “The system of higher education in GB”.

In my topic I’m going to

highlight the following points. Firstly, I’ll tell you about the types of institutions of higher learning, degrees. Then I
will dwell upon the curricula, syllabuses, courses, tests and exams. And finally I will focus on the student life.

The famous American political and public figure John Kennedy says: “In our democracy every young person should
have an equal opportunity to obtain a higher education, regardless of his station in life or financial means.”

Firstly, I’d like to draw your attention to the types of higher learning and degrees. There are 46 universities in
Britain. The oldest and best-known universities are located in Oxford, Cambridge, London, Leeds, Manchester,
Liverpool, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Bristol and Birmingham. English universities greatly differ from each other. They
differ in date of foundation, size, history, tradition, general organization, methods of instruction and way of student
life. After three years of study a university graduate will leave with the Degree of Bachelor of Arts, Science,
Engineering, Medicine, etc. Some courses, such as languages and medicine, may be one or two years longer. The
degrees are awarded at public degree ceremonies. Later he/she may continue to take Master's Degree and then a
Doctor's Degree. The 2 intellectual eyes of Britain – Oxford & Cambridge Universities – date from the 12 & 13
centuries. They are known for all over the world and are the oldest and most prestigious universities in Britain. They
are often called collectively Oxbridge, but both of them are completely independent. Only education elite [eɪ'liːt] go
to Oxford and Cambridge. So, both these Universities work hard to ensure that the best students are successful in
gaining a place, whichever college they've applied to or been allocated to (in the case of open applications). This
means that applicants may be interviewed by more than one college and students may receive an offer from a
different college to the one to which they applied or were allocated.

Secondly, I will tell you about the curriculum, courses, tests and exams. At the beginning of each term a list is
published showing all the lectures being given during the term within each faculty, and every student can choose
which lectures he will attend, though his own college tutor will advise him which lectures seem likely to be more
useful. Attendance at lectures is not compulsory, and no records of attendance are kept. Universities offer courses in
a broad range of academic and vocational subjects, including traditional arts subjects, the humanities, and science
and technology. The government encourages young people to choose degree courses in subjects, or combinations of
subjects, that provide the knowledge and skills required by a technologically advanced economy. Furthermore, some
universities and colleges require that students pass an admissions test as well as achieving particular grades at A
Level. The nature of the tests will vary greatly depending on the university and the subject a student wants to study.
Generally, they test the student’s knowledge of the subject they are applying to study, but they usually include more
general aptitude and awareness tests too. The best and most popular universities will also conduct interviews with
students applying for a place. By the way, do you know that there are 4 main exams studying in Great Britain?
IELTS, TOEFL, GMAT(Graduate Management Admission Test), and GRE (Graduate Record Examinations).So,
these internationally delivered tests which aim to ensure applicants are prepared for the rigors of advanced study, in
their own country or abroad.

Finally, I will focus on the student life. Many students in Britain go to university away from their home town. They
usually live in a hall of residence in their first year and then move into digs( a rented room in a private house). The
interests of students are represented by a student’s union which liaises [lɪ'eɪzɪz]with the university on academic
matters, arranges social events and provides advice to students. British universities have a wide choice of societies,
clubs and social activities including sports, drama and politics. In Britain reduced government support for higher
education means that students can no longer rely on having their expenses paid for them. Formerly, students
received a grant towards their living expenses. So, student life can be really exciting and educational, and it’s
absolutely what you make it to be.

In conclusion, the UK higher education is valued all over the world for its renowned standards and quality. Its
higher education’s prestige it also emanates from its graduates’ work afterward. Many eminent people in many
different areas whose work reached global recognition came out of British universities. Some of these universities
and other higher education providers are ranked at the top among universities in the world.