Text C. Education in Great Britain

There are about 38,000 schools in Britain.

State Education is free.Children start school from the age of five and stay until they are 15. At first children go to Primary schools. When they are 11/12, there is a choice for them where to go:

1). Secondary modern schools – children receive a general and practical education until they are 15;

2). Grammar schools – they learn until they are 18 and then transfer to places of higher education;

3). Comprehensive schools – all types of secondary education are given, courses are chosen from a wide range of subjects;

4) In some areas there are Middle schools for children from 9 to 13 who then move to senior comprehensive schools.

The school day starts at 9 o’clock and finishes at about 4 o’clock.

Independent schools are payable, fees are charged but there exist government help in providing free places.

Higher education. There are 44 universities in Britain, over 700 technical colleges teaching everything from engineering to satellite communication; many other types of training colleges include art schools, colleges of education for teacher training and commercial colleges.

Universities govern themselves, although they receive most of their money from the Government. Such universities as Oxford and Cambridge are made up of separate colleges where students live and study. The Open University gives education with the help of television, radio and correspondence courses, and a network of viewing centres.

Read the text for your knowledge.