British instruction p.46-47
American instruction p.86-89
EDICATION
School
In Britain it is compulsory for everyone between the ages of 5 and 16 years to receive some officially recognized form of schooling, though most secondary schools continue to provide education until the age of 18. The vast majority of pupils attend state schools, which arc absolutely free (including all text books and exercise books), but there arc also about 500 private schools providing secondary education. The most famous of these schools, confusingly known as public schools, are Eton and Harrow.
There is no statutory age at which students change from primary to secondary school, nor are schools 'specialized'- , pupils choose from the numerous subjects taught in their particular school. The recently introduced National Curriculum has made it compulsory, however, for. three core subjects - English, mathematics and science - and seven other foundation subjects - technology (including design), history, geography, music, art, physical education and a modern foreign language - to be included in the curricula of all pupils. Passage from one academic year to the next is automatic. After a two-year course, usually from 14 to 16 years of age, most pupils take their General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), assessed on the basis of a mixture of course work and a written examination, in individual subjects. Pupils obtaining at least five passes at GCSE can then specialize for two years (usually from 16 to 18 years of age) in two or three subjects, in which they take the General Certificate of Education, Advanced level (A-level);examination. This is used as an entrance qualification for university (minimum two passes) and other types of higher education, as well as for many forms of professional training.
HIGHER EDUCATION
There is a considerable choice of pose-school education in Britain. In addition to universities, there are also polytechnics and a series of different types of assisted colleges, such as colleges of technology, art, etc, which tend to provide more work-orientated courses than universities. Some of these courses are part-time, with the students being released by their employers for one day a week or longer periods. Virtually all students on full-time courses receive grants or loans from the Government which cover their tuition fees and everyday expenses (accommodation, food, books, etc).
Universities in Britain enjoy complete academic freedom, choosing their own staff and deciding which students to admit, what and how to teach, and which degrees to award (first degrees are called Bachelor degrees). They are mainly government-funded, except for the totally-independent University of Buckingham.
There is no automatic admission to university, as there are only a limited number of places (around 100,000) available each year. Candidates are accepted on the basis of their A-level results. Virtually all degree courses are full-time and most last three years (medical and veterinary courses last five or six years). Students who obtain their Bachelor degree (graduates) can apply to take a further degree course, usually involving a mixture of exam courses and research. There are two different types of post-graduate courses - the master's degree (MA or MSc), which takes one or two years, and the higher degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), which takes two or three years.
Exercise 21
Use these notes to make a summary of the text.
wide variety - higher education
universities - more academic-colleges and polytechnics
government grant - fees and maintenance
universities independent - financed government
entrance - depend 'A-levels'
degree, - 3 years
postgraduate - either ... or ...
Founded in 1969 in Milton Keynes. Buck- mshire, the Open University - so called because it is open to all - does not require any formal academic qualifications to study for a degree, and many mature students' enrol. The university is non-residential and courses are mainly taught by post and by programmes on state, ratio and television. There are. however, short summer courses and special part-time study centres where the students can meet their tutors when they have problems.
List the three or four main differences between the Open University and ordinary universities.
EDUCATION
American instruction p.86-89
Education is not mentioned in the Constitution, nor is there any federal department of education, so the matter is left to individual states. Education is free and compulsory in all states, however, from the age of 6 till 16 (or 18).
At 6 years of age children begin the first year of elementary school, which is called grade 1 or first grade (the second year is 'grade 2', etc). At elementary school the emphasis is placed on the basic skills (speaking, reading, writing and arithmetic), though the general principle throughout the American school system is that children should be helped and encouraged to develop their own particular interests.
Children move on to high school in the ninth grade, where they continue until the twelfth grade. There are two basic types of high school; one with a more academic curriculum, preparing students for admission to college, and the other offering primarily vocational education (training in a skill or trade). The local school board decides which courses are compulsory. There is great freedom of choice, however, and an important figure in high schools is the guidance counsellor, who advises the students on what courses to take on the basis of their career choices and frequent aptitude and ability tests.
In order to receive the high school diploma necessary in most states to gee into college, students must accumulate a minimum number of credits, which are awarded for the successful completion of each one- or half-year course. Students hoping to be admitted to the more famous universities require far more than the minimum number of credits and must also have good grades (the mark given on the basis of course work and a written examination). Extra-curricular activity (such as playing for one of the school's sports teams) is also .very important in the American school system and is taken into consideration by colleges and employers.
Exercise 14
Answer these questions to obtain a summary of the text.
Who is responsible for education in the US?
At what age do students start elementary school?
What type of school comes after elementary school, and at what age?
Who decides what subjects students study at school?
What do you need (o obtain the high school diploma?
Is sport important in the American school system?
Exercise 15
In American schools the students are assessed throughout the year by means of multiple-choice tests. In November 1989 the newspaper USA TODAY printed some of these tests for parents and children, to do together. Below is a selection of questions suitable for students in the 12th Grade. Do the test yourself: all the answers can be found in the preceding pages about the USA.
SOCIAL STUDIES GRADE 12
(Numbers in brackets are the percentage of kids of that age who have answered that question correctly.)
1. The major criticism of the U.S. Electoral College systems is: (63%)
a) it delays the selection of a winner in presidential elections .
b) it encourages [he growth of third panics
c) it permits a candidate 10 be elected president without a majority of the popular vote
d) it undermines the power of political party conventions
2. The First Amendment to Constitution guarantees: (64.5%)
a) the right to vote
b) die right to an education
c) freedom of religion
d) freedom from slavery
3. The term 'separation of powers' refers to the: (69.1%)
a) state powers and dudes not given to the central government
b) division of authority among legislative, judicial and executive branches of government
c) division of a legislature into two houses
d) creation of a national capital that is not pan of any state
4. How many United States senators does each state have? (59.8%)
a) 1
b) 2
c) 3
d) The number varies according to a State's population
5. The chief justice of the U.S. Supreme Coon is selected by: (65.3%)
a) a national election with approval by a majority of state … governors
b) a vote of existing Supreme Court justices
c) constitutional amendment and presidential signature
d) appointment by the president with consent of the Senate
6. How many representatives does each slate have in the U.S. House of Represeniaiivtives? (61.1%):
a) 3
b) 2
c) The number varies according to the area of a state
d) The number varies according ю the population of a state
7. The powers of Congress are set forth in the: (61.7%):
a) Declaration of Independence
b) Articles of Confederation
c) Constitution of the United States
d) Bill of Rights
8. Which of the following are elected to office? (55.9%)
a) Members of the Hose of Representatives
b) Directors of government agencies
c) Supreme Court justices
d) Members of the Precedent's Cabinet
9. Under the U.S. Constitution, the power to tax belongs to the (51%)
a) president
b) Treasury Department
c) Supreme Court
d) Congress
10. What person or group has the authority to decide whether a law is constitutional? (50.8%)
a) The president
b) A governor
c) The Congress
d) The Supreme Court
11. Which among the following regions of the United States was first ю be settled by Europeans coming to America? (46%)
a) Great Plains
b) Western Plateau
c) Appalachian Highland
d) Pacific Mountains
12. Which of the following may vote in a closed primary election? (43.1%)
a) All eligible voters
b) Only registered voters with a party affiliation
c) Only dues-paying members of a political рапу
d) Only elected delegates to а рапу convention
13. Judicial review is best described as the: (54.9%)
a) right of Congress to reverse Supreme Court decisions
b) American Bar Association assessment of the quality of judges' decisions
c) president's right to review and veto actions of federal judges
d) courts' authority ю decide if government actions are constitutional
14. The first 10 amendments to the U.S. Constitution arc called the:
a) Preamble
b) Bill of Rights
c) Articles of Confederation
d) Separation of Powers
15. What did the United States attempt to do through the Marshall Plan? (54%)
a) Increase trade with communist countries
b) Isolate itself from other nations
c) Rebuild the economies of countries damaged in World War 11
d) Acquire colonies in the Third World
Did you score better than the average American student? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of these multiple-choice tests compared with the oral questioning of students as used in Italian schools.
HIGHER EDUCATION
There are about 3,000 colleges and universities, both private and public, in the United States. They are all independent, offering their own choice of studies, setting their own admission standards and deciding which students meet chose standards. The greater the prestige of the university, the higher the credits and grades required.
The terms 'college' and 'university' are often used interchangeably, as 'college' is used to refer to all undergraduate education and the four-year undergraduate programme, leading to a bachelor's degree, can be followed at either college or university. Universities tend to be larger than colleges and also have graduate schools where students can receive post-graduate education. Advanced or graduate university degrees include law and medicine.
During the first two years students usually follow general courses in the arts or sciences and then choose a major (the subject or area of studies in which they concentrate - the other subjects are called minors). Credits (with grades) are awarded for the successful completion of each course. These credits are often transferable, so students who have not done well in high school can choose a junior college (or community college), which offers a two-year 'transfer' programme, ' preparing students for degree-granting Institutions. Community colleges also offer two-year courses of a vocational nature, leading to technical and semi-professional occupations, such as journalism.
Exercise 16
Say whether the following statements are true or false. Correct any false Statements to obtain a summary of the text.
There is no minimum requirement to get into college.
Colleges and universities are exactly the same.
Students do not specialize in their degree subjects during their first two years at college.
Students are awarded credits for successfully completing a course.
Junior colleges only offer vocational courses.
Exercise 17
Match the terms below with their correct definitions.
1 community college 2 credit 3 major 4 vocational education
main subject of academic study.
training in skill or trade to be pursued as a career
educational institution offering two years of studies that correspond to the first two years of a four-year college
recognition by a college that a student has fulfilled one of the requirements leading to a degree.
CHURCHES
One of the reasons for which many of the first immigrants left England and Germany was to escape religious persecution (such as the Puritans and the Mennonites). These immigrants brought with them their own particular brands of Protestantism. This lack of a national religion resulted in religious freedom being explicitly recognized in the Bill of Rights attached to the original Constitution.
The variety of religions increased at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20(h centuries with the massive influx of immigrants from central and southern Europe. Nearly a quarter of the present population are Catholic and (here are also about 6 million Jews. The majority of the population, however, belong to one of the 1,000 or so Protestant Churches. A common phenomenon in the United Slates has been the rise of new Churches or sects, such as the Mormons, Jehovah's Witnesses and Christian Scientists.
Most Churches in America are characterized by a strong evangelical spirit. Nowadays, (here are not quite so many preachers travelling around the nation with their bibles, as many preachers make use of television to preach their message.
Exercise 18
Why has there never been an official religion in the US?
Which is the largest single Church in the US?
Which religion do the majority of the population belong to?
What features do many of the Protestant Churches have in common?
TRADE UNIONS
The first important national organization of workers was the Knights of Labor, founded as a secret union in 1869. Its main aim was to win shorter hours, higher wages and satisfactory working conditions. Although it had nearly a million members by 1886, its mixture of all different types of workers prevented it from being effective. This led to the creation of the American Federation of Labor (A.F.L.), which was a federation of separate, quite autonomous, craft unions. The growing dispute over whether ю organize the unions according to crafts or trades, or on an industrial basis (i.e. incorporating ail (he workers in a given industry) led to the creation of an independent federation - (he Congress of Industrial Organizations (C.I.0.) - in 1938. With the continual increase in mass production and unskilled workers, the A.F.L. also began ю organize itself on an industrial basis instead of according to craft. The two organizations then merged in 1955 ю found a new federation: the A.F.L.-C.I.O.
Unions have never been able to achieve the same levels of membership as in most other Western countries. The political power of the giant corporations and the laissez-faire basis of the American economy has frequently resulted in restrictive laws being made by Congress and individual states against unions, especially in periods when numerous strikes occur.
Exercise 19
What were the main aims of the Knights of Labor?
What was the difference between the A.F.L. and the C.I.O.?
Why are the unions in the US weaker than in most Western countries?
