Unit II Colleges and Universities in Great Britain Text a

Read and translate the text. Discuss the possibilities of getting ‘further education’ in England.

Education after school

Most formal education after school is done in the various technical and other colleges, of which there is at least one in every town. There are more than 550, big and small, specialised or more general, mostly maintained by their local education authorities. Some of their students do full-time courses, but many have jobs and attend classes in the evenings, or on one or two days a week, preparing themselves for diplomas or certificates of proficiency in the innumerable skills which a modern society needs. These courses may be suitable for people who have left school at sixteen, or at a higher level. Some colleges prepare students for certificates of education, supplementing the work of equivalent level done in ordinary schools. The variety of colleges and courses is so great that it is impossible to make general statements about them. The students are of all ages, including older people developing new skills. In general the bigger the college the greater the range of its courses though attempts which are made within each local area to provide courses suitable for most of the people who want to obtain qualifications for their careers. Vocational training, most of which is conducted at the country’s further education colleges is bound to be an important component.

In general, people who undertake ‘further education’ beyond the age of eighteen pay fees for their tuition as well as their living costs, though for a long time until around 1980 the tuition fees were very low, and almost all the costs were covered by grants from public funds – that is, the process of taxation.

However, students living in Britain may receive grants from the local authorities of the counties where they have their homes. The amount of the grant depends on their parents’ income. The maximum, payable to people with low incomes, is fixed by the central government, and is supposed to be enough to cover the whole of the student’s costs. However, students have always argued that the grants are not enough. Wealthy parents have to pay almost all costs.

Degrees

For higher-level studies the main qualifications is the ‘first’ degree of Bachelor(of Arts, Science, etc.) which can be attained by students who pass their university examinations, or in some cases other examinations of equivalent level. This normally involves at least three years of full-time study after passing the advanced level certificate of education at the age of about eighteen, so most people who become BA, BSc, etc. do so at the age of at least twenty-one. First degrees in medicine require six years of study, some others four. It is now quite usual for students in subject such as engineering to spend periods during their degree courses away from their academic studies, in industrial location so that they may get practical experience. A student of a foreign language normally spends a year in a country where that language is spoken. Bachelors’ degrees are usually awarded on the basis of answers to several three-hour examinations together with practical work or long essays or dissertations written in conjunction with class work. Degrees are classified. About a tenth (or less) of candidates win first-class honours degrees, three-quarters second-class (divided nearly equally into two groups) the rest third-class, or pass without humorous, or fail. A person studying for a degree at a British university is called an undergraduate, one who has taken a degree is called a graduate.

Some students continue to study for degrees of Master (of Arts, Science, etc.) which often need two further years of study, with examination papers and substantial dissertations. A minority go on further, preparing theses which must make original contributions to knowledge, for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Higher-degree study is more common among students of natural or applied sciences than among those studying the arts – that is, philosophy, history, English or foreign languages – or the social sciences such as economics, sociology, political science or law. But many people who gain first degrees in these subjects often go on to more practical training courses which lead to various kinds of professional qualifications.

Text B

Read the text. Discuss the main stages in the development of Britain’s university system.