B. Education: debates and issues

Opportunity, equality, etc.

Read the text and note the phrases and collocations in bold.

All education systems may ultimately be judged in terms of equality of opportunity'. This is not the same as the debates over selective ² versus comprehensive ³ schooling ⁴. It is rather a matter of whether everyone has the same opportunities for educational achievement or whether elitism⁵ of one sort or another is inherent in ⁶ the system. League tables ⁷ for schools and colleges may actually help unintentionally to perpetuate ⁸ inequalities, while claiming to promote the raising of standards. Inevitably, league tables divide the world into good and bad, success and failure, resulting in a two-tier system ', even if that is only how the public perceives ¹⁰ it. The ability of the better-off¹' parents and well-endowed ¹² schools to push children towards the institutions at the top of the league may, in the long term, have the effect of depressing ¹³ opportunity for the less well-off ¹⁴ or for children from home environments that do not provide the push and motivation to excel ¹⁵. исправить значки8888888888888888888888

' when everyone has the same chances

² pupils take exams for entry

³ everyone enters without exams
¹ education received at school

⁵ when you favour a small, privileged group

⁶ existing as a basic part of something

⁷ lists of schools or colleges from the best down to the worst

⁸ make something continue forever
⁹ a system with two separate levels, one of which is better than the other

¹⁰ sees, considers

¹¹ richer

¹² receiving a lot of money in grants, gifts from rich people, etc.

¹³ reducing

¹⁴ poorer

¹⁵ achieve an excellent standard

 

Other debates and issues

example sentence	meaning of words in bold
Some people think we should return to an emphasis on the three Rs.	reading, writing and arithmetic, the traditional, basic skills
Literacy and numeracy are skills no one can afford to be without.	- the ability to read - the ability to count / do basic maths
Curriculum reform is often done for political reasons rather than for good educational onlies.	changes to the educational programme, e.g. the national syllabus
Nowadays, lifelong/continuing education is an issue, and creating opportunities for mature students is importanc.	- education for all ages - adult students older than the average student
Special needs education is expensive because class sizes need to be small or one-to-one.	- education for children who cannot learn in the normal way, because they have some disability - one teacher and one pupil, not a group
He was unhappy at his new school because the older boys werebullying him.	frightening or threatening

 

 

Exercises

I. Complete the collocations by filling in the missing words according to the meaning given in brackets.

1................ tables (lists of schools from best to worst)

2................. education (entry to schools is decided by exam results)

3 equality of........... (when everyone has the same chances)

4................ inequalities (making inequalities continue forever)

II. Change the underlined words, using more formal and more appropriate words. Make any other changes that are necessary.

1 Inequality is built into the education system.

2 Giving access only to privileged groups is bad for the country in the long term.

3 Education where everyone gets into the same type of school without exams is a basic political ideal in many countries.

4 A system where there are two levels of schools reduces the opportunities for children from poorer families and favours those from richer families.

5 Some private schools have lots of wealth and receive gifts of money, and this means they can have better resources.

6 All parents want their children to achieve the best possible results at school.

7 Emphasis on the three Rs is considered by parents to be the key to success.

III. Which words or expressions mean...

1 the ability to read?

2 the ability to count and do basic maths?

3 changes made to the official programme of education in a country?

4 the traditional basic skills of reading, writing and maths?

5 a student who is older than the typical age, for example, in a university?

6 teaching with one teacher and just one pupil?

IV. Answer these questions for Russia

1. Under what circumstances do school closures occur?

2. What are typical discipline problems in your country? What do teachers do?

3. What special needs provision is there in typical schools?

4. What provisions are there for lifelong education?

****************************************************************V. Match the words on the left with the definitions on the right. The words refer to people involved in education. Use a dictionary if necessary.

1 РТА a)teacher who works in a school when needed(if sb is sick)

2 school governors b) group consisting of teachers and parents who meet

regularly

3 supply teacher c) teacher who works in different schools and travels

between them

4 peripatetic teacher d) group which oversees all the business of the school

 

C. Social Types

Exercises

I. The following is a list of colloquial names for various social types, i.e.

different kinds of people one meets at parties and elsewhere. Use the most

suitable one to complete each description below.