CURRENT TRENDS IN

THE EDUCATION
SYSTEM
DEVELOPMENT IN
THE UK
By Albayeva A. 302/2
MANY EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS IN GREAT BRITAIN ARE KNOWN FOR THEIR CENTURIES-LONG HISTORY
AND ARE FAMOUS FOR THEIR STUNNING QUALITY OF EDUCATION. DISTINCTIVE FEATURES OF BRITISH
EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS ARE CLASSICAL TEACHING METHODS, WELL-ESTABLISHED EDUCATIONAL
PROCESS, AND VARIOUS TRAINING PROGRAMS FOR STUDENTS.

CURRENTLY, THE ENGLISH EDUCATION SYSTEM HAS FOUR MAIN STAGES

5-11 11-16
primary school secondary school

16-18 18-22
further education higher education
 Primary education emphasizes on group and creative activities. Primary education
lays groundwork for future education and learning.

3-5 In secondary schols tudents will study a wide range of subjects such as Music, Maths,
Sciences, English, and so on. When they reach 14, they enter the inaugural year of the
GCSE. GCSE is about 2 years and marks the end of the compulsory education in the UK.
Once the students have finished their GCSE's, then they have the option to either move
into further education or face the employment.

Once a student finishes secondary education they have the option to extend
into further education to take their A-Levels, GNVQ's, BTEC's or other such
qualifications. UK students planning to go to college or university must
complete further education

UK higher education qualifications include diploma, bachelors,

foundation and post-graduate degrees. Most higher education
courses have modular structure, i.e. you can make a personalized
course by choosing modules or units of study from different
subject areas.
The modern system of higher education in England is notable for its democratic character. Universities
have a wide range of different courses, from which you can choose the one that suits you, and if
necessary, change the list of selected subjects for study.

Universities in the United Kingdom are divided into two types:

Collegiate (consisting of colleges, such as Cambridge and Oxford);
Unitary (with departments and divisions).
The British government fully entrusted the formation of educational policy to higher education
institutions, the state only controls the quality of teaching.
All students of English universities without exception have access to libraries and scientific
laboratories equipped to modern standards. Students have the opportunity to attend various
elective courses.
Educational programs allow students to obtain not one, but two degrees in different fields of study.
Postal tuitionis also quite popular in Great Britain. This format of study, as usual, takes place
independently, but with the support of educational materials designed specifically for such
students, as well as periodic consultations with teachers online and by e-mail.
Characterizing the development of higher education in Great Britain in the second half of the XX century
and at the beginning of the XXI century, it should be noted that the country has made a transition from
the elite model, which was characterized by the tradition of providing quality higher education for a
relatively small number of students, selected from elite schools, to the model of equal opportunities for
access to higher education (egalitarianism). Thus, in the last decade the state has taken measures to
provide the majority of the population with the opportunity to get higher education.

Looking at the state and trends in higher education in the UK in recent years, it should be noted that there is
a continuing trend of increasing numbers of students entering higher education. The largest growth in
student enrollment has occurred in: postgraduate certificate courses; other undergraduate degrees; and
graduate degrees. Bachelor's courses account for the largest share of the increase.
The significant growth in master's and other undergraduate courses reflects the growing demand among
young people for additional professional knowledge other than that which they acquire in basic higher
education.
Postgraduate students are the least likely to receive a higher level of education. Thus, the growth rate of
postgraduate students is the lowest. This low level of attention to research careers can be explained by the
fact that: first, most students tend to give preference to specific careers and practical skills so that they can
find employment and improve their financial situation and have specific experience while they graduate.
One of the goals of the Western University is to create an atmosphere of partnership around the institution,
which will allow to use human and material resources not only of the institution, but also of the entire region.

The teaching process is closely linked to the practice of industry and other areas of social activity. Famous
practitioners are invited to deliver lectures (or lecture courses).

Universities create the necessary conditions for teachers by requiring them to continually develop.
Requirements for scientific activities, participation in projects, and conferences are also growing. Most
universities require their professors to participate in international conferences at least once a year.

Almost all leading Western universities are in a dynamic state of renewal and reform - determined or
cautious, depending on the circumstances. At the same time, they try to maintain a balance between
innovation and tradition so as not to destroy the latter.

More and more multidisciplinary programs are being introduced, i.e. graduates specialize in two or three
fields rather than one. Thus, a graduate gets a diploma in management, social sciences and foreign
languages.