Лінгвокраїнознавство / sharman_e_across_cultures (2)

I

-~- . .

....
ethos a fundamen tal principle s
to get ahead of a to be better		than
gift ed a ext remely talented
nctn ousrnq a t~ int ensely	educate young children (as a plan t in a
hoth ouse get s Intens e hea t)
to lessen a to diminiSh

OAP a Old Age Pensioner

to ta p a to hit w ith the finger

toddler a a child aged approximat ely we ll-off a rich

w ell -rounded a complet e and var ied

18

mcntn s-a

years

fLowers

	old who passed an A-level in comput ing .
	Dr Ryde, the college's		71-year-old founder,
				of t he college is
	believes that t he " et hos
	the right one:			t heir brains are
	'When a child is young,
	like sponges, they absorb everything you
	give them: he says. 'By the t ime they				are
	in their late teens,	their		ability to learn
			are the " OAPs of the
	ehas lessened . They
	academic world:

such children are being deprived of their
childhood and become less " well-rounded
adults as a result. Dr Ryde dismisses such
criticism. 'If you		have	a child		that is
" gifted in ice-skating or singing, then no-
one comments	if those children			get extra

Dr Ryde calls his

methods

'accelerated

learning'. Others call it e hothousinq. Call

it what you like,

but it is a growing

trend

These days

the

in British edu cation.

competition

to get

a

child

into

a

good

that

parents are

school

is so

intense

tuto rs t o help

increasingly using

private

system .

their child survive

the education

employ

Some

" well-off

parents

even

private tutors for their three-year-olds.

Parents waiting fortheir children inthe hall where the college's successes are displayed on the noticeboard.

Hothousing is also a phenomenon				of the
state system th ese days. Whereas children
used to start formal			education at five,
some now start at four, and increasing
numbers of state		pupils are taking		GCSEs
before they reach secondary school.
In a Ryde world,	all children would be able
to take exams when t hey were ready, even
to start degrees at 11. Some argue					that

t raining at a young age: he says. 'So why is it wrong to give children who have a passion for learning extra education when they are ready for it?'

by Lucy Elkins

[) What is the youngest	age
1.start a technology class?
2. pass a GCS E exam?
3. pass an A-level exam?

	I	1p
			! Match the	beginning
01	M-

·ost Ryde students 2 GCS E d

·st u e nts at Ryde

3. Accordrng to Dr Ryde, young children

for a student at Ryde College to'
			.
s and the ends of the s entences
.	hei	h	.
a. give t	elf t		ree-vear-oios
private tutors.
b. learn better than
teenagers.

4. SCome nch		IS h people	c. thinks that children who
		Engl		I	d .
5	rrncs of Ryde
·				ave stu yrng should have
6	D R d
				extra education.
·	rye
			d. only study for 9 months.
			e. go to state school too.
			I.	think that the		pupils
						.
				don't have a rea l childhood

	Writing
	mWd		rit~ a table	like the one				in exercise 3 for your country's
	e	ucatmn system.
	S		akin
	~What are th.e			adva ntages and disadvantages of encoura in
						to ~tudyand be successful? Think abo~t.				g
	very young chrldren
								.	.
	> makrngthe most				of your abilities
	> getting good qualifications						.	-
	> getting a good			job.
				from othe r children.
	> being. different
	> free time.
	> stress.