5. Further Education and Training

Further education is distinct from higher education, and comprises all provision outside school aged 16 and over, up to GCE A-level or equivalent examinations. Student may attend part-time or in the evening. Further education colleges have strong links with industry and commerce, employers often being involved in the design of the courses. It also provides courses for older students returning to study after several years of working, enabling them to gain qualifications to enter higher education.

The aim of youth training scheme is to give a training opportunity to all school-leavers who did not get a job or go on to college or university. A combination of training and work experience aimed to ensure that these young people learnt how to be effective in their jobs and how to transfer the skills they had learnt in one job to another.

Notes

1. comprehensive schools 综合中学，英国的一种中学。1944年在伦敦、布里斯托尔（Bristol，英格兰西部一港口城市）、考文垂（Coventry，英格兰中部一工业城市）等地首先建立。主要是为反对文法学校和普通中学的区别教育方式而设立。年满十一岁的小学毕业生，不论家庭背景和本人能力，均可入学。特别是六、七十年代以来，这类中学发展很快，其规模和力量已经超过文法学校和普通中学，成为英国主要种类的中学。

2. grammar schools 文法学校，起源于市镇里，为中上层阶级的男童提供教育。1179年，罗马天主教教会规定，每个总教堂（由一个在教会任高职的主教管理的教堂）附近必须建立一所学校。总教堂的主教遵从教会指令，任命一位校长给当地的神父及其他人员传授拉丁语语法。当初的“文法学校”通常利用慈善捐款建立，给当地的男童提供拉丁文教育。这些学校之所以被称为“公学”，是因为学生不必付学费。后来这些属于“公学”的文法学校逐渐接受付费的学生，这些付费生占据了学校的主导地位。 当时多数“文法学校”的毕业生无法上大学，而只能接受学徒制教育，或者学习父亲的手艺或者行当。不过确实有少数人能升上中世纪混乱而又催人奋进的大学，继续接受教育。

3. prep or preparatory schools 预备学校，英国的一种私立小学，为学生升入公学（public school）作准备，故名。学生年龄一般为八至十三岁，多为男女分校的住宿学校。课程偏重于学术性，一般都要设立拉丁语和希腊语等古典课程，这是与普通的国立小学

（junior school）极不相同的一点。

Exercises

I. Define the following terms.

1. comprehensive schools

2. public schools

II. Fill in the blanks according to the text.

1. There are two systems of primary and secondary education in Britain. They are the _____ school and the _____ school.

2. The independent school or “_____” school is few in number but of great influence.

3. The four types of state schools in the secondary education are the _____ schools, comprehensive secondary schools, _____ schools and secondary modern schools.

4. For all children in state schools, secondary education begins at the age of _____.

5. There are two systems for secondary education in state schools, the _____ and the _____.

6. Under the old selective system, children took an examination called the _____ _____ in their last year at a primary school. The results of this examination determined the secondary education a pupil would receive.

7. The oldest schools in U.K. are _____ schools.

8. _____ _____ schools were established before 1960, in which pupils were not separated by the criterion of academic ability.

9. At _____ or _____ pupils take an examination, either at the Ordinary Level of the General Certificate of Education or the Certificate of Secondary Education.

10. At 18 there is another examination for the pupils, the _____ _____ of the General

Certificate of Education or the Certificate of Secondary Education.

III. Questions for discussion.

1. What distinguishes the Open University from all other British Universities?

2. For whom is compulsory education in the U.K.?

3. What do you know about state schools and “public schools” in the U.K.?

4. What distinguishes the Open University from all other British Universities?

5. What are the differences between quality papers and popular papers?