Educational system in Great Britain

Pre-school and Primary Education

-  children in GB can attend nursery schools or kindergartens since they are 3 years old - they learn basic things like in our country
-  over 90% of all school children attend public schools, they are free of charge supported by local public funds, it exists also fee-paying independent schools (7% of children)
-  idependent schools are known as public schools
-  most idependent schools have its pupils uniforms and still remain single-sex
-  the school year begins in early September and ends in the following July
-  state schools have usually six weeks off in summer and some holidays during the school year (at Christmas, Easter etc.).
-  full time education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 and 16
-  they go to primary schools, which we can divide into two parts: infants (5 to 7) and juniors (7 to 11).
-  infant schools - learning through experience, through drawing, painting, musical activities etc., children learn to read, write, do simple counting, they also learn how to get on with friends and teachers, they must realize that they have to keep some rulers...
-  at 7 many children move to junior schools, where the work is more systematic

Cotação libra esterlina (GBP) - Grã-Bretanha 

Secondary Education (11-18)

Secondary educaton is provided mostly in comprehensive schools. It’s non-selective school. They are often very large. In some comprehensive school are diveded into groups called streams according to their abilities. These schools provide a wide range of secondary education.
Another are grammar schools which the students are prepared for their studies at university. Grammar schools offer a mainly academic education for the 11 to 18 (or 19) year age. Subjects taught at school are given by this national curriculum. Nine subjects must be studied by all of them compulsory. They are English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, Technology, Music, Art and Physical education. Pupil from 14 to 16 must study at least one foreign language.

At the age of 16 students may take the examination for the General Certificate of Secondary Education at ordinary level (GCSE, O-level exams), which means the satisfactory completion of school at the age of 16 and is required for most jobs and further vocational training. Children take it in 10 subjects, no subjects are compulsory. At the age of 16 about two thirds of these pupils leave school and get jobs or or go to a college for vocational training e.g. hotel management, secretarial courses.

They can stay at school for two more years. At the age of 18, they take the examination for the General Certificate of take the examination for the General Certificate of Secondary Education at Advanced Level. (A‑Level). They take it in 3 or 4 subjects. The GCSE - A level is the basic qualification to enter university. A small minority of children attend secondary modern school where is more general and technical education.

About 7 percent of children attend independent schools, commonly known as public school. They are expensive schools of grammar school type. The oldest and most famous ones are Eton, Winchester, Harrow, Rugby. Eton is the best-known of them. The most prominent people of the political and commercial world were studying. These schools charge very high fees, graduates from these schools usually have better prospects in life. Before entering one of these schools, pupils usually attend preparatory schools (feepaying). It’s for children between the ages of 8 and 13, and boys and girls are educated separately.

Higer Education

Higher Education includes universities, teacher training colleges and other colleges of technology, art etc. The Open University is main distance-learning institution for adults.
 
Great Britain has more than 40 universities, which can be divided into three groups:
a)  The most famous and the oldest and prestige universities are Oxford and Cambridge, often called the Oxbridge college. They date from the 12th and 13th century.
b)  „Redbrick“ universities - were founded in 19th century (in London or Manchester)
c)  The new universities founded after 1960s (in Bristol, Sussex, Kent etc.) and during 1990s
 
University usually lasts 3 or 4 years (5 or 6 in medicine, dentistry and veterinary sciences). People who pass examinations at the end of 3 or 4 years are called undergraduates and their first degree is Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) or Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) (the title is put after a name). Students with degrees B.A. or B.Sc. can study further - by attending a postgraduate course to get the degree of Master - they must work on a thesis at least for one year. They graduate the university, are called graduates and the title they get then is M.A., (Master of arts ), M.Sc. The degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is given only for a thesis in humanities and science which originally contributes to human knowledge. At the head of the university there is a Vice-Chancellor.