Education in Great Britain

Education in Britain is compulsory and free for children from five to sixteen years

old. Education in Great Britain consists of primary school, secondary school and high school.

Primary schools are divided into two periods: infant schools (pupils from 5 to 7 years old) and

junior schools (pupils from 7 to 11 years old). In infant schools children don't have real classes. In

junior school pupils study History, Geography, Science, Religion and sometimes a Foreign

language.

Compulsory secondary education begins when children are 11 and lasts for 5 years. Children

study English, Maths, Science, History, Art, Geography, Music, a Foreign language and PE.

After five years of secondary education, at the age of 16, pupils take the General Certificate of

Secondary Education (GCSE) examination.

After finishing the fifth form pupils can make their choice: they may either leave school and

go to a Further Education College or continue their education in the sixth form.

After leaving secondary school young people can apply to a university, a college of further

education.

Questions:

1.When do British boys and girls begin to go to school?

2. What subjects do they study at school?

3. How long does secondary education last?

4. Would you like to study in Britain? Why?

Vocabulary:

compulsory — обязательный

free — бесплатный

primary school — начальная школа

secondary school – средняя школа

high school – высшая школа

infant school — школа для малышей, дошкольное учреждение

junior school — начальная школа (для детей от 7 до 11 лет)

secondary education — среднее образование

to be divided into — делиться на

GCSE — экзамен на сертификат об окончании среднего образования

to apply — подавать заявление