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Paul Sparks
- Xiangtan University, Online Postgraduate (Phd Doctors) English Lesson Plans, Lesson Material and Ideas...
Speaking Lesson: Discussion - British and Chinese
Education Systems
BRITISH EDUCATION:
State Education -
Funded by Government (Ages 5 to 18)
Private Education - To
be paid for by student or students parents
Education is
Compulsory from aged 5 to 16
After 16 Further
Education is optional
Under 5 years of age -
Nursery school education is optional. Some is state funded, but most is
private.
Aged 4/5 to 11 -
Primary Education (3 years Infant School, 4 years Junior School)
Aged 11 to 16 -
Secondary School (Comprehensive School/ Grammar School) GCSE Examinations
Comprehensive School -
no entrance exams, not assessed on ability
Grammar School -
Entrance Exams, is assessed on ability
Ages 16 to 18 - School
or College
Aged 18+ University
Secondary Education (High School): Secondary
Education is from the age of 11. The qualification which students leave
school with is the General Certificate in Secondary Education (GCSE). GCSE
courses usually last for the last two years at school.
You will normally be
expected to have a GCSE (or equivalent qualification) in the subject(s) you
wish to study at A-level (see next section, Further Education for "A
levels")
Scottish schools and
colleges offer the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE), where Standard
grade is equivalent to the GCSE and the Higher grade examinations are taken
after one year of additional study.
Examples of subjects
which are compulsory for GCSE's
Maths
English
Geography
History
Science
Examples of Optional
Subjects (chosen by students)
Woodwork
Cookery
Religion
Art
Further Education (School or College): 16 year old students choices:
Find a Job
“A-Level” Exam
course - (Advanced Level) (2 years, school or college)
Vocational Course (2
years)
Stay at school for
“A-Levels” or Vocational Education Course
Go to College for
“A-Levels” or Vocational Education Course
Edexcel (formerly BTEC): Many students study
for an Edexcel qualification instead of GCSE and A-levels. They award
qualifications in subjects like Computer Studies, Business and Finance,
Engineering, Catering and Travel and Tourism. The programmes combine theory
and practice, giving students practical experience and not just writing
about the subject.
The Advanced
Supplementary (AS) level exam is often taken by students from abroad as a
way of meeting entry requirements for degree courses at British
institutions. Two AS-levels are equivalent to one A level for degree course
entry.
Vocational Courses: Course designed for
particular career, for example:
Engineer
Car Mechanic
Computer Technician
Nurse
Vocational training is
about teaching you the things you need to know to pursue the career you want
to follow. Practical courses in a college environment, leading to entry to
university degree courses or work. The names given to Vocational courses
are:
General National
Vocational Qualifications (GNVQs)
(BTEC) Higher National
Diploma (HND)GNVQs and SVQs
The British government
has improved and reformed vocational qualifications in Britain. Employers
have identified skills needed for different jobs which have resulted in
NVQs (National Vocational Qualifications). NVQs are awarded at five
levels. GNVQs are a broader base of skills and knowledge that can be
compared to academic qualifications. GNVQs are available at three levels:
foundation, intermediate and advanced.
Higher Education (University - Undergraduate): Options for people aged 18
Leave Education for
Work
Go to University -
Undergraduate degree
University Degree: 3 years or 4
years (3rd year - Job Placement)
There are literally
thousands of courses for you to choose from and hundreds of schools,
colleges and universities in which to study:
Over 180 institutions
offering degrees
Over 500 colleges of
further education
Over 800,000
international students are currently enjoying the benefits of a British
education.
Access or Bridging
courses are offered as an alternative route into higher education or
vocational training. Some are designed especially for international
students, often referred to as 'bridging' courses because they bridge the
gap between overseas qualifications and the entry requirements for British
courses. They often involve some English language classes and usually take
one year.
Postgraduate Education (University): Options after Degree:
Find work
Continue Education -
Postgraduate (Masters Degree)
Masters Degree (University): More
specific course - 1 Year. Designed to suit particular career, less general
than a degree
Doctors Degree Phd
(University): After completion of Masters
Degree, the next course is a PHD (Doctors degree) - 1 Year - Full Time
Most Masters courses and
PHD courses are designed to get the students prepared for the world of work.
They will involve mainly research, but may also involve some Lectures
(Lessons) and Tutorials (Discussion Lessons).
University Funding:
Some students may work and study at the same time. Because students have to
finance their own course they may work part time, normally in bars, shops
and offices. University courses are generally paid for by the student
through Student Loans arranged through banks.
There are some student
grants available to cover some of the costs, but the number of places on
grant assisted courses is very limited.
Vocational courses are
sometimes paid for by employers if the course is relevant to the job.
University Flexibility:
Universities normally offer part time Degrees, which are normally 1 day per
week or 2 evenings per week. These are ideal for people who need to work
full time but also want to study. Employers may offer Vocational Training
courses to their employees, the biggest provider of Vocational Education is
“City and Guilds”. Employees will go to university or college 1 day per
week in order to gain skills which they can use in their job.
University Facilities:
Well stocked Libraries
Free Computer access
Free Email accounts
and Internet access
Sports Facilities
Training:
Many Adults return to education in the UK in order to gain new skills.
Therefore most university classes are a mix of all ages. There are also
specific Adult training colleges in the UK.
The University Campus:
The British University campus is a very open place. Students are free to
come and go as they like. Many universities offer entertainment on site, but
students frequently go out off site. Accommodation on site is optional, many
students prefer to live in shared houses.
Student Life:
Students in the UK like to drink beer!!! Going to bars is a great way for
students to socialise and meet each other. Students either make their own
food or eat out, Macdonalds and KFC are very popular!!! Student
life in Britain is a mix of study and socialising. Universities encourage
learning through enjoyment, a big part of learning is gaining the ability to
interact with others on all levels. Student life in Britain is about having
fun!!
Differences Between UK Education Systems and
Education Abroad: The British educational
system differs in a number of respects from the educational systems operated
by many of our European partners. One important difference is that students
tend to specialise more extensively in their School Leaving Certificates (A
Levels) which qualify them for entry into Higher Education (which normally
takes place at University). This in turn means that undergraduate degrees
often take less time to complete (3 or 4 yrs) than they do in Europe. A
summary of the typical route into Higher Education is shown below.
Most subjects within a
course are taught over the one or two semesters. They may be integrated with
other courses running at the same time or provide the basis for subsequent
courses. Consequently, there is often less flexibility to choose different
options in the early stage of the degree in contrast to the modular system
used elsewhere in Europe and in the States. While options are an important
part of most courses, these occur most commonly in the final year of the
degree. Again, as our educational system is beginning to diversify, a number
of institutions are moving to a truly modular system.
Britain does lag behind
many European countries in the proportion of young people in University
Education. Selection for a University place is competitive with students'
chances of admission being determined by their qualifications, the number of
places available and the popularity of the course. As the number of students
on a course is planned it is possible to ensure that there are sufficient
facilities for each student. As students are selected for their ability to
follow the course, the drop out rate is normally low and students are
expected to attend all formal teaching periods.
You are usually expected
to enroll on specific course units very soon after your arrival. We do not
follow the practice of students turning up to a large number of courses with
the intention of narrowing down the choice after a few weeks. In most cases,
the Tutor responsible for you will have already drawn up a suitable
programme for you following advice from your home institution. If the
department you are entering is participating in the European Credit Transfer
System (ECTS) then you should already have had a Learning Agreement drawn up
for you.
Lectures can be given to
quite large audiences, especially during the first year of a degree, or to
quite small groups as in the case of student who attend specialised options
in their final year. Students are not expected to ask questions in the
middle of a lecture, especially if large numbers of students are involved,
but many lecturers will invite questions at the end. While students are
expected to go to all the lectures, this is not strictly policed. If a
student does miss a lecture, they are advised to borrow a classmate's notes
as textbooks can rapidly become out of date.
Most students will
undertake at least one major project which will generally be in the final
year. The work will often be in one of the research laboratories and
students normally choose, within the confines of the project, how much time
to spend on it. It is not uncommon for final year students to spend too much
time on their project as this is generally much more interesting than
revising ! In some departments, students are asked to give formal
presentations on the results of their projects.
Seminars and Tutorials
tend to vary considerably depending upon the department. Seminars involve
the introduction of a particular subject, by either a Tutor or a guest
speaker, which is then followed by questions and answers. Tutorials can
involve small groups exploring areas in a more informal way and can include
students being asked to undertake certain tasks. Larger tutorials may
involve students working through question sheets with staff on hand to help
with difficulties as they arise.
Most courses will
involve some form "continuous assessment" of students. This means
that marks obtained for essays, projects and laboratory work during the year
are taken into account when deciding the final mark for the course unit
concerned. Work to be assessed must be submitted by the deadline given. In
certain circumstances, extensions to the deadline may be given providing
students give good reasons to the lecturer concerned before the deadline had
passed.
Oral examinations are
rarely used in British universities for undergraduate degrees except to
determine the final classification of a student's degree in cases of doubt.
Teaching how to think,
not what to think: UK education has always
placed great importance on the ability of students to work independently and
to develop their own thinking. Learning here isn't a one-way process in
which you simply receive information from your teachers. Instead, you'll be
encouraged to read widely, to research thoroughly and to question what you
learn at every opportunity.
A personal approach to
learning: Classes and lectures are often
supplemented by small, informal group tutorials in which you will be free to
exchange ideas and opinions with your teachers. A process which, in turn,
stimulates new ideas and new avenues for discussion. The result is that you
emerge from a UK education not only with a thorough understanding of your
subject but also with analytical abilities and problem-solving skills that
are much prized by employers in later life.
Quality assured:
The UK operates a unique quality assurance system that ensures
accountability in all areas. From student support services to the quality of
the teaching staff, every school, further education and higher education
establishment is subject to rigorous scrutiny by government. This system
allows you to compare the choice of courses on offer on a like-for-like
basis, secure in the knowledge that each one has been assessed according to
the same demanding criteria. Giving you the peace of mind that comes from
knowing the education you receive will live up to your expectations...in
every way
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