There are no important official or

legal distinctions between the various types of university in the country. But it is possible to discern a few broad categories.

> Oxbridge

This name denotes the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, both founded in the medieval period. They are federations of semi-independent colleges, each college having its own staff, known as 'Fellows'. Most colleges have their own dining hall, library and chapel and contain enough accommodation for at least half of their students. The Fellows teach the college students, either one-to-one or in very small groups (known as 'tutorials' in Oxford and 'supervisions' in Cambridge). Oxbridge has the lowest student/staff ratio in Britain. Lectures and laboratory work are organized at university level. As well as the college libraries, there are the two university libraries, both of which are legally entitled to a free copy of every book published in Britain. Before 1970 all Oxbridge colleges were single-sex (mostly for men). Now, the majority admit both sexes.

> The old Scottish universities

By 1600 Scotland boasted four uni­versities. They were Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and St Andrews. The last of these resembles Oxbridge in many ways, while the other three are more like civic universities (see below) in that most of the students live at home or find their own rooms in town. At all of them the pattern of study is closer to the continental tradition than to the English one - there is less special­ization than at Oxbridge.

 

• The early nineteenth-century English universities

Durham University was founded in 1832. Its collegiate living arrange­ments are similar to Oxbridge, but academic matters are organized at university level. The University of London started in 1836 with just two colleges. Many more have joined since, scattered widely around the city, so that each college (most are non-residential) is almost a separate university. The central organization is responsible for little more than exams and the awarding of degrees.

•The older civic ('redbrick') universities

During the nineteenth century various institutes of higher educa­tion, usually with a technical bias, sprang up in the new industrial towns and cities such as Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. Their buildings were of local mat­erial, often brick, in contrast to the stone of older universities (hence the name, 'redbrick'). They catered only for local people. At first, they pre­pared students for London University degrees, but later they were given the right to award their own degrees, and so became univer­sities themselves. In the mid twentieth century they started to accept students from all over the country.

•The campus universities

These are purpose-built institutions located in the countryside but close to towns. Examples are East Anglia, Lancaster, Sussex and Warwick. They have accommodation for most of their students on site and from their beginning, mostly in the early 1960s, attracted students from all over the country. (Many were known as centres of student protest in the late 1960s and early 1970s.) They tend to emphasize relatively 'new' academic disciplines such as social sciences and to make greater use than other universities of teaching in small groups, often known as 'seminars'.

 

•The newer civic universities

These were originally technical col­leges set up by local authorities in the first half of the twentieth century. Their upgrading to university status took place in two waves. The first wave occurred in the mid 1960s, when ten of them (e.g. Aston in Birmingham, Salford near Man­chester and Strathclyde in Glasgow) were promoted in this way. Then, in the early 19/os, another thirty became 'polytechnics', which meant that as well as continuing with their former courses, they were allowed to teach degree courses (the degrees being awarded by a national body). In the early 1990s most of these (and also some other colleges) became universities. Their most notable feature is flexibility with regard to studying arrangements, including 'sandwich' courses (i.e. studies interrupted by periods of time outside education). They are now all financed by central govern­ment.

140 14 Education

 

QUESTIONS

1 From your reading of this chapter, what can you say about the trends in the British educational system? Is it moving towards greater or lesser uniformity? Towards more or less provision before and after the years of compulsory school­ing? Concentrating more on purely academic subjects or on more practical ones?

2 Here are the ten subjects which, according to the national curriculum for England, must be taught in the first three years of secondary edu­cation: English, Mathematics (Maths), Science, Technology, History, Geography, a modem foreign language (French is the most common), Art, Music and Physical Education (PE). Is there anything here that surprises you? Do you think any other subjects should be included? Are these the main subjects taught in your country?

 

3 Would you say that people in your country are more or less enthusiastic about university educa­tion than they are in Britain?

4 In what ways has the pursuit of equality for all affected the development of the educational system in Britain? Would you say that there was equality of opportunity in the present system?

5 What would you say are the successes and fail­ures of the British educational system? What things, if any, does it appear to do well, and what areas does it seem to neglect or do badly in?

 

SUGGESTIONS

• Any British Council library has lots of information about educational institutions in Britain. For example, a look at a few university pro­spectuses would help you to get the flavour of British universities (but remember, of course, that these prospectuses function as advertisements!). Alternatively, you could write to British universit­ies (including the Open University) for free information or pro­spectuses.

• David Lodge's contemporary social comedies Small World and Nice Work have a university background. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh paints a romantic view of life as lived by Oxford undergraduates in the nineteen twenties and Porterhouse Blue by Tom Sharpe is a comedy of contemporary Oxbridge student life. Educating Rita is a play by Willy Russell (which has also been made into a film) about a working-class woman from Liverpool whose life is transformed by studying with the Open University.

The economy and everyday life