Language and Culture I Prof. Adriana M.

Fernández

Education in the UK

(Summarized from Britain by O’Driscoll, Aspects of Britain and the USA by Garwood and The Oxford
Guide to British and American Culture, for academic purposes only)

In Britain it is compulsory for everyone between the ages of 5 and 18 to receive

some officially recognized form of schooling. It is a characteristic of the British system
that there is comparatively little central control or uniformity. Education is managed by
three 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 controls the details of what actually
happens in the country’s educational institutions. All they do is to ensure the availability
of education and set the overall learning objectives.
There are three recognized stages, with children moving from the first stage
(primary) to the second stage (secondary) at around the age of 11 or 12. The third
stage (tertiary) is “further” education at university or college.
An increasing number of children under 5 receive pre-school education. Some
go to playgroups, others to nursery schools or the kindergarten of a primary school.
The availability of pre-school education varies from area to area, and parents often have
to pay for it.
Children are required to be in the system of education between the ages of 5 and
16. Different areas in Britain have different school systems. In some areas primary
education is carried out in infant schools and then junior schools. At about 11 students
begin their secondary education at a comprehensive school, a grammar school or a
high school. The vast majority of pupils attend state schools, which are absolutely
free, but there are also hundreds of private schools providing secondary education.
There is no statutory age at which children change from primary to secondary school,
nor are schools “specialized” – pupils choose from the numerous subjects taught in their
particular school.
In the 19th C. “public (private) schools” used to educate the sons of the upper and
upper-middle classes. At these “public” (because they were open to the 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” (the pupils lived in them). Their aim was

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Language and Culture I Prof. Adriana M. Fernández

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 schools
finished their education, they formed the ruling élite. Today, these schools place more
emphasis on academic achievement and on how education might help to bring about a
better society – social justice more than efficiency. This approach has tended to give
priority to developing understanding rather than acquiring factual knowledge. Among
the most famous ones are Eton, Harrow, Rugby and Winchester. British schools and
universities have tended to give a high priority to sport. The idea is that it helps to
develop the “complete” person.
Education in Britain was provided by the Local Education Authority (LEA) in
each county until 1988, when the National Curriculum was introduced. It was
financed partly by the Government and partly by local taxes. In 1988, these schools
started to receive money directly from the central government and are now run by a
board of governors consisting of parents and members of the public. This means that
there is now greater (though not complete) governmental control over what is taught in
schools. The recently introduced National Curriculum has made it compulsory,
however, for three core subjects – English, Maths and Science – and seven other
foundation subjects – technology, history, geography, music, art, physical education
and a foreign language – to be included in the curricula of all pupils. Passage from one
academic year to the next is automatic. After a two-year course, usually from 14 to 16
years of age, most pupils take their General Certificate of Secondary Education
(GCSE). Pupils obtaining at least five passes at GCSE can then specialize for two years
in two or three subjects, in which they take the Advanced Level (A-Level)
examination. Those students who hope to go to university stay at school for the sixth
form or are said to attend a sixth form college. These A-level exams are used as
entrance qualifications for university (minimum two passes) and other types of higher
education. These exams are not set by the government but by independent examining
boards.
As stated above, the central government does not prescribe a detailed
programme of learning or determine what books or materials should be used. It says, in
broad terms, what schoolchildren should learn, but it only offers little occasional advice
on how they should learn it. Nor does it dictate the exact hours of the school day, the
exact dates of holidays; it does not manage an institution’s finances either; it just
decides how much money to give it. In general, details are left up to the individual

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Language and Culture I Prof. Adriana M. Fernández

institution or the LEA, a branch of the local government. The system has been
influenced by the old public-school tradition that a school is its own community, that is
why most schools develop a sense of distinctiveness.
The academic year starts at the end of summer. Schools usually divide their year
into three terms – the Autumn term, the Spring term and the Summer term, with the
Christmas and Easter Holidays in between.
The British education system aims to educate the whole person, so that each
child develops their own personality as well as gaining academic knowledge. Most
schools offer a wide range of extra curricular activities, including sports, music,
community service and trips to places of interest. Secondary schools also offer careers
advice and help students to prepare for a job by arranging short periods of work
experience with local businesses.
There is a considerable choice of post-school education in Britain. In addition to
universities, there are also Polytechnics and a series of different types of assisted
colleges, such as colleges of technology, art, etc, which tend to provide more work-
oriented courses than universities. All students on full-time courses receive grants or
loans from the government which cover their tuition fees and every day expenses
(accommodation, food, books, etc).
Universities in Britain, although financed by the government, enjoy complete
academic freedom, choosing which students to admit, what and how to teach, and which
degrees to award. Candidates are accepted on the bases of their A-Level results.
Students are not supposed to take a job during term time. Unless their parents are rich,
they receive a state grant of money which is intended to cover most of their living
expenses during these times. A large proportion of students live “on campus” or in
rooms nearby, which means that the student is surrounded by a university atmosphere.
All degree courses are full-time and most last three years. Students who obtain their
Bachelor Degree (BA) can apply to take a further degree course, usually involving a
mixture of exam courses and research. There are two different types of post graduate
courses – the Master’s Degree (MA or MSc), which takes one or two years, and the
higher degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which takes other two or three years.