Text: higher education in great Britain

Students normally enter University from 18 and study for an Academic Degree. Apart from a single private university, all undergraduate education is largely state financed (with tuition fees set at a maximum index-linked £3,145 per year, repayable after graduation on attaining a certain level of income, and with the state paying all fees for students from the poorest backgrounds), and UK students are generally entitled to student loans for maintenance. The state does not control syllabuses, but it does influence admission procedures. Unlike most degrees, the state still has control over teacher training courses, and uses inspectors to maintain standards.

The typical first degree offered at British universities is the Bachelor's degree (typically three years). Many institutions now offer an undergraduate Master's degree as a first degree, typically lasting four years. During a first degree students are known as undergraduates.

Some universities offer a vocationally-based Foundation degree, typically two years in length for those students who hope to continue to take a first degree but wish to remain in employment.

Postgraduate education

Students who have completed a first degree are eligible to undertake a postgraduate degree, which includes:

Master's degree (typically taken in one year);

Doctorate degree (typically taken in three years);

Postgraduate education is not automatically financed by the state, and so admission is in practice highly competitive.

Specialist qualifications

Education: Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE), Certificate in Education (Cert Ed), C&G 7407 or Bachelor of Education (BA or BEd), most of which also incorporate Qualified Teacher Status (QTS).

Law: Bachelor of Laws LL.B.

Medicine: Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery studied at Medical school (United Kingdom);

Business: Master of Business Administration MBA.

Undergraduates pay up to £3000 per annum (capped) in top-up fees and postgraduates typically pay £3000 per annum however some institutions charge more. There are numerous bursaries (awarded to low income applicants) to offset the undergraduate fees, and for postgraduates, full scholarships are available for most subjects which are awarded competitively. Non UK students at English universities are charged differing amounts, often in the region of £5000 - £20000 per annum for undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. The actual amount differs by institution and subject with the lab based subjects charging a greater amount.

In Great Britain post school education is carried on in the Universities and colleges, which give various courses of studies.

Britain's oldest and most famous universities are Oxford and Cambridge. They date from 12^th century. These two universities are the most "aristocratic" universities of Great Britain, and cost of studying and living there is higher that at any of the others. Both universities consist of a number of different independent colleges. Cambridge has 27 colleges including two for women students; Oxford has 32 colleges. The teaching here is based on the tutorial system. Tutor is a teacher who has a small group of students (3-4) under his supervision. He advises students what to read, he helps them individually with their work, with finding accommodation, and he arranges regular meetings called tutorials.

In England there are many types of colleges: Teacher Training Colleges, Technical Colleges, Medical Colleges, Commercial Colleges, Art Colleges, Building Colleges, etc. The difference between the universities and colleges is as
follows: a university gives an academic education and it is mainly non-vocational.
I. E. doesn't prepare students for a particular profession: college education is less
academic more practical and usually vocational, i.e. trains students for a particular trade or profession.

In Great Britain there is no system of education in the generally accepted meaning of the word. Every university or college is autonomous and responsible only to its governing body. The regulations differ from university to university. All English universities are financed through a special committee and are also scarcely controlled by the state.

Each university consists of several faculties. The dean is the head of the faculty. The academic year is divided into three terms. All three terms are the same length - 10 weeks. The progress of the undergraduates (students) is tested by terminal examinations.

The social life of the universities and colleges is characterized by a great number of students’ societies and clubs.

At present only a small part of those who study at the universities of England belong to the working class; because the undergraduates have to pay all kinds of fees, especially much money is paid for tuition and lodgings.

Answer the following questions:

1. What influence has the state?

2. What does the state control over?

3. What is the first degree offered at British universities?

4. What does postgraduate education include?

5. How mach does the undergraduates pay up per annum?

6. What are the oldest and the most famous universities in Great Britain?

7. Who is the tutor?

II. What is the function of the ending –ing?

State paying;

Teacher training;

First degree lasting;

Students studying;

Subjects charging;

Colleges including;

Finding accommodation;

Regular meetings.

III. Give Ukrainian equivalents to the following English ones:

Tuition fees;

Education merit;

Student loans;

To maintain standards;

Employment;

Admission;

Trade or profession;

Accepted meaning of the word;

Academic year;

Tuition and loggings.

IV. Find Participle I and Participle II in the following sentences:

I. UK students are generally entitled to student loans for maintenance.

II. The typical first degree offered at British universities is the Bachelor’s degree.

III. Students who have completed a first degree are eligible to take a postgraduate degree.

IV. Postgraduate education is not automatically financed by the state.

V. Differing arrangements apply to English students studying in Scotland and Scottish.

VI. In Great Britain there is no system of education in the generally accepted meaning of the word.

VII. All English universities are financed through a special committee and are also scarcely controlled by the state.

V. Give 3 forms of the following verbs:

to pay; to find;

to know; to meet;

to mean; to be;

to take; to study;

to give; to use;

to read; to teach.