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 Spare the rod and spoil the child.

Пожалеешь розгу, испортишь дитя.

No pains — no gains.

Без трудов нет и заработка.

Live and learn.

Век живи — век учись.

Knowledge is power.

Знание — сила.

What do you know about higher education in the UK?

HIGHER EDUCATION IN GREAT BRITAIN

There is considerable enthusiasm for post-school education in GB. The aim of the government is to increase the number of students who enter into higher education. The explanation is simple: the more people who study at degree level, the more likely the country is to succeed economically. The higher education sector provides a variety of courses up to degree and postgraduate degree level, and carries out research. Higher education in Britain is traditionally associated with universities, though education of University standard is also given in other institutions such as colleges and institutes of higher education, which have the power to award their own degrees. Many big towns and cities have both a university and a college of higher education. There are about 91 universities and 47 colleges of higher education in GB.

What are the main categories of the British Universities?

All universities in England and Wales are state universities, English universities can be classified into several types.

The first category – ancient English universities – Oxford and Cambridge founded in the 12-13 centuries. They are composed of semi-independent colleges – 34 in Oxford and 32 in Cambridge, each college having its own staff, known as “Fellows”. The Fellows teach the students, either one by one or in small groups (called tutorials in Oxford and supervision in Cambridge). Oxford and Cambridge are often called together as Oxbridge to denote a very prestigious elitarian education.

The second category – ancient Scottish universities – St. Andrews (1411), Glasgow (1450), Aberdeen (1494), Edinburgh (1583). The first of these resembles Oxbridge in many ways, while the others follow the pattern of more modern universities;

The third category comprises various institutions of higher education, usually with technical study, that by 1900 sprang up in new industrial towns and cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds. They are known as “redbrick” universities.

The fourth category consists of new universities founded after the Second World War and later in the 1960s, which saw considerable expansion in new universities. These are purpose-built universities located in the countryside but close to towns; for example, East Anglia, Sussex, and Warwick. They are also, called “plate-glass” (concrete-and-glass) universities. They tend to emphasize relatively new academic disciplines such as social science and make greater use than other universities of teaching in small groups, often known as “seminars”. Among this group there are former polytechnics that adopted a university title.

How to become a university student in England or Wales?

Higher Education in England and Wales is highly selective. It means that entrance to British universities is through a strict selection process based on the interview. Applications for first degree courses are usually made through the universities (the Universities Central Council on Admissions — UCGA) and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS). After the interview a potential student is offered a place on the basis of GCE А-level exam results. If the student does hot get the grades specified in the offer, a place can’t be taken up. .Some universities, such as Oxford and Cambridge, have an entrance exam before the interview. You may also get a place through “clearing”. Under this procedure candidates apply for places on courses that have vacancies. In other words using the clearing system applicants try to find a university that will accept them. Only 25 % of the student population goes on to higher education. Competition to get into one of the universities is fierce and not everyone with А-level qualifications will be offered a chance.

What degrees are provided for the students after finishing higher educational course?

Students studying for the first degree are called undergraduates. New undergraduates are sometimes called “freshers”. During their first year the students have lectures, regular seminars where they discuss their course papers, reports or projects. Educational process at Universities is usually based on tutorials. A tutor is a teacher who supervises the work of the students and follows their progress.

Higher education course usually lasts for three or four years. At the end of that students sit for their exams and take the Bachelor’s degree. They can get Bachelor of Arts – BA – in history, languages, economics and law or Bachelor of Science – BSc – in medicine, chemistry, technology or agriculture.  When they have been awarded the degree, they are known as graduates. Students can continue with their study and apply for further degree, usually involving a mixture of exam courses and research. There are two different types of post-graduate courses – the Master’s degree (MA or MSc), which takes one or two years, and the highest degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which takes two or three years, PhD degree is given for the original research work which is a great contribution to knowledge.

The university system also provides a national network of extra-mural or “continuing education” departments which offer academic courses for adults who wish to study after they have left school of higher education.

What are other ways of getting higher education in GB? What are the Open University and colleges of higher education?

The development in education in which Britain can claim to lead the world is the Open University. It was founded in 1969 in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and is so called because it is open to all – this university does not require any formal academic qualifications to study for a degree, and many people who do not want to be ordinary students enroll. Courses are taught by special written course books and by programmes on state radio and TV.

There are short summer courses of about a week that the students have to attend and special part-time study centres where they can meet their tutors when they have problems. Such kind of education lasts six years.

Colleges and institutes of higher education offer a wide range of degree, certificate, diploma courses and postgraduate awards which are welcomed by employers nationally and internationally. All these institutions usually have a strong vocational aspect in their programmes, which fills a specialized role in higher education.

Today, in typically British fashion, learning for its own sake, rather than for any practical purpose is still being given a high level. As distinct from many other countries, a relatively stronger emphasis is on the quality of person that education produces rather than helping people to develop useful knowledge and skills. The general style of teaching is to develop understanding rather than acquiring factual knowledge and learning to apply this knowledge to specific tasks.

Activity

1. Read the text above and make the following sentences complete.
2. Higher education in Britain is traditionally associated with universities.
3. Universities in Britain fall into four broad categories: The first category – ancient English universities – Oxford and Cambridge founded in the 12-13 centuries.

The second category – ancient Scottish universities – St. Andrews (1411), Glasgow (1450), Aberdeen (1494), Edinburgh (1583).

The third category comprises various institutions of higher education, usually with technical study, that by 1900 sprang up in new industrial towns and cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds. They are known as “redbrick” universities.

The fourth category consists of new universities founded after the Second World War and later in the 1960s, which saw considerable expansion in new universities.

3. Higher education in England and Wales is highly selective. It means that entrance to British universities is through a strict selection process based on the interview.
4. UCCA means Universities Central Council on Admissions. UCGA deals with universities Central Council on Admissions.
5. Clearing is applying for places on courses that have vacancies.
6. Students use a clearing system in which they try to find a university that will accept them.
7. An undergraduate is a student studying for the first degree.
8. A is a teacher who supervises the work of the students and follows their progress is a student who has just started his first year at university or college.
9. A tutor is a teacher who supervises the work of the students and follows their progress.

• The first year teaching at the university includes lectures, regular seminars where students discuss their course papers, reports or projects.
• The first degrees are given only for the students who had passed examinations.
• BA stands for Bachelor of Arts and it is provided in such spheres as history, languages, economics and law. It is given after a three or four years course at university.
• BSc is Bachelor of Science in medicine, chemistry, technology or agriculture.
• The first postgraduate degree is the Master’s degree (MA or MSc), and it takes one or two years.
• The highest degree is Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which is given for two or three years of study.
• The Open University is called so because it is open to all – this university does not require any formal academic qualifications to study for a degree, and many people who do not want to be ordinary students enroll.
• Colleges and universities of Higher Education is also a good chance of getting higher education in GB. Besides, all of them usually have a strong vocational aspect in their programmes, which fills a specialized role in higher education.

2. Taking into consideration the given outline on the higher education in GB, would you like to get higher education in this country? Why? Why not?

I would like to get higher education in this country, because UK higher education degrees and qualifications are recognized by employers and academics worldwide. I will get the opportunity to develop my skills, knowledge, critical thinking, and connections to drive forward my career.