UK

LEARNING IN BRITAIN

There are at present over 9.5 million children attending about 38,000 schools in Britain. Some 12,270 schools have been built since 1945.

State Education

Children must start at school when they are 5 and stay until they are at least 15. State education is free.

At first children go to primary schools, and at 11 or 12 they move to secondary schools. These are usually secondary modern schools, where they receive a general and practical education until they are at least 15; or grammar schools, where they can Stay until they are about 18, then transferring to places of higher education; or comprehensive schools, in which all types of secondary education are given and where the children's courses are chosen to suit them from a wide range of subjects. In some areas there are middle schools for children of about 9 to 13 who then move to senior comprehensive schools.

The school day starts at about 9 o'clock, when the whole school meets for prayers before separating for lessons. Most children at day schools have their midday meal at school and go home about 4 o'clock. Country children are generally brought to and from home by school buses.

Independent schools

At these fees are charged, but a number have government help in providing free places. Many are boarding schools for boys and girls about 8 to 18 years of age.

Higher education

There are 44 universities in Britain, over 700 technical colleges teaching everything from engineering to satellite communications; 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. Oxford and Cambridge and some others are made up of separate colleges where students live and work. Other universities, like Manchester or Bristol, do not have separate colleges, their students meet together for classes and live in hostels or lodgings.

The Open University due to start in 1971, is scheduled to give degree courses using television, radio and correspondence courses, and a network of viewing centres.

(From "Read and speak about Britain and the British" by V.F. Satinova)