Match the words for people in education with the correct definition.

1. apprentice	a) female teacher in charge of a school
2. cadet	b)person who trains sportsmen for contests or prepares private students for an exam
3. coach	c) highest grade of university teacher
4. dean	d) the lowest teaching rank at a university
5. disciple	e) person in charge of a division of study
6. headmaster	f) person who teachers you driving
7. instructor	g) the head of some universities and schools
8. lecturer	h)a person studying to become an officer in the army or a policeman
9. trainee	i) someone learning a trade who works in return for being taught
10. principal	j) person undergoing some form of vocational training
11. professor	k) anyone devoted to the acquisition of knowledge, especially attending university
12. pupil	l) attends primary school
13. student	m) follower of a religious teacher

 

Lesson 36.

Preschool and school education

in ENGLAND AND WALES

BASIC VOCABULARY

THE SYSTEM

Most children in England and Wales follow this route in the state system (= free education)

Age
	Some children go to nursery school.
	Everyone starts primary school.
	Children go on to a secondary school (AmEng=high school). This may be a comprehensive (= mixed ability) or a grammar school (= children selected for their academic ability)
	They leave school and get a job, or go to a college for vocational(=job) training, e.g. hotel management, secretarial courses; or stay at school for two more years.
	They leave school and get a job or go to university/college for further education/training

Note:

· In some areas of the UK there are not many grammar schools.

· There are also public schools. In fact, these are private, and parents pay to send their children there. Some are expensive. About 5% of the population to go to public schools.

SCHOOL TIMETABLE

The pupils have five lessons every day, and altogether they do (=study) eleven subjects a week plus Physical Education (PE). Every morning they have a twenty-minute break. There are three terms (=periods of continuous work) in a school year, and the timetable changes every year.

Vocabulary practice

A. How much can you remember? Try to answer these questions or complete the sentences:

1. At what age do children go to nursery school?

2. At what age do they start primary school?

3. When they go to secondary school it is either a grammar school or a ………...

4. At what age can English and Welsh children leave school?

5. According to the timetable the foreign language studied is ….

6. Not including PE, how many subjects do the children do?

7. What happens if children fail all the exams they take at the age 16?

8. What can they do if they pass all their exams at the age of 18?

B. Complete this description of a typical school education in many parts of Britain.

Age
	Some children go to ……………………………………….school.
	Everyone starts ……………………………….. school.
	Children go on to …………………………. School. Some of these are called grammar schools, others are called ……………………….. i.e. with mixed ability.
	By law, children can ……………. school at his age and …………………………… a job, but many ……………………….. at school for two more years.
	If they pass their exams, many ……………… to university.

C. True or false? If the sentence is false, change it to make it true, using the space below.

1. In England public schools are the same as state schools.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2. Children are schools are called “pupils”.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

3. In British schools PE is short for “practical education”.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

4. In Britain, the academic year is usually divided into two terms.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

5. The working day is divided into lessons, with morning and afternoon breaks.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

6. The plan for each day’s work is called the school schedule.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

D. Complete the names of eight school subjects from the letters you are given.

1. Ge …………………

2. Hi …………………..

3. Sc …………………..

4. Ma …………………

5. Fr …………………..

6. Mu ………………….

7. Inf ……………………

8. Rel …………………..

 

 

4. READING

Read the text and to the tasks.

What makes a good school?

 

Hannah (15)

What makes a good school is a balance between discipline and fun.

You don’t want to learn if the lessons are boring and all you do is memorise facts – you only become interested in a subject if it is taught in an enjoyable way. My favourite teachers are the ones who encourage us to be creative and think for ourselves.

However, it’s also really important that pupils respect the teachers and each other. No one can learn if there are people messing around all the time – teachers should be able to exclude troublemakers from classes.

Paul (13)

A good school would be one where you only have to study stuff you’re interested in.

What’s the point of studying subjects you don’t like and you know you are never going to use later in life, like foreign languages? I don’t think there should be any compulsory subjects at all, apart from basic maths and learning to read. I don’t see the point of exams, either.

It’s important to be healthy, though, so I think schools should have good sports facilities and also proper school meals, not chips and burgers all the time.

Amy (18)

Schools can only be as good as the education system allows them to be.

I reckon the problem in England is that we have too many tests, and worrying about passing a test can destroy your interest in a subject – I’m sure kids would want to learn more if there was less pressure on them.

We also specialise too early in our system. Unlike in some other countries, after the age of 16 you only continue studying three or four different subjects – but at 16 do you really know what you want to do as a career? I certainly didn’t, and still don’t.

Ryan (16)

I think a good school is one where the teachers know when to be strict but can also have a laugh with you sometimes as well.

I also think schools should crack down on bullying – no one should be afraid to go to school in the morning because of the risk of being bullied by other kids.

It’s also important for boys and girls to study together, like in most schools. Some people say single-sex schools get better exam results, but I reckon a mixed school is a better preparation for real life.