British Educational History - IELTS Listening Answers & Explanations

Many people think that school is just about teaching children what are often called "the three Rs" - "reading, riting and rithmetic" (writing and arithmetic). In other words, the purpose of school is to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to become active members of society. However, the purpose of the British educational system is also to socialise children. Children are taught practical skills; but in school they also learn the rules and values they need to become good citizens, to participate in the community and social life, and to contribute to the economic prosperity of an advanced industrial economy.

Great Britain is a society in which social class is still very important. In Britain, the accent you speak with, the clothes you wear and the colleges you attend are all markers that identify your social class. The college tie is an important marker of social class. Even on the informal occasions you will sometimes see men wearing their school ties as belts to hold up their trousers - proudly displaying their attendance at a certain school. The two oldest universities in Britain are Oxford and Cambridge. These two rival universities have been nicknamed "Oxbridge", which is still the single best way to guarantee a successful career. According to records, 46% of Conservative Party Members of Parliament were graduates of Oxbridge, as were three-quarters of the Government executive. Most senior civil servants are also Oxbridge graduates. When people in Britain talk about "the old boys network", they mean this elite group of men who want to school and university together.

The British education system is run by the state, which provides funding, oversees standards, and tries to make sure that all British children receive a quality education. One of the largest, most important government departments is the Ministry of Education. In 1944, the Education Act made entry to secondary schools and universities meritocratic. All children were given the right to a free secondary education not because they were of a certain social class or because their parents possessed a certain amount of money.

In the 1960s, comprehensive schools were introduced all over the country, which ended the division between grammar schools-where the most academically capable students were sent to be prepared for university-and vocational schools where less successful students were sent to learn trade. Entrance exams were abolished and schools were no longer allowed to let students "compete" for places. In 1976 the British education was the focus of a new controversy when the Labour Party started "the Great Education Debate" about national standards and styles of teaching. However, the government thought that job training was also very important. It felt the schools were not paying enough attention to teaching students the traditional "three Rs". Therefore, in 1989 the Ministry of Education introduced a National curriculum. Nowadays, all children throughout the country must study English, mathematics, science, religious education, history, geography, technology, music, art, physical education, and a modern foreign language, etc.

Now in Britain, children are legally obliged to attend school from the age of 5 (4 in Northern Ireland) to 16. Parents can choose between sending their children to state schools or to private schools. States schools are funded by local and central government. About 93% of pupils receive free education from the public sector. In the private sector there are independent schools which are commonly, but confusingly, called public schools. Independent schools receive their funding through the private sector and through tuition rates, with some government assistance. Up to age 5, children may have some pre-primary schooling in nursery schools, day care, or play groups. Between the ages of 5 to 11, pupils mainly attend sector state primary schools. From the age of 11 up to around the age of 18, students attend secondary schools. About 90% of secondary schools are comprehensive schools which admit children without reference to their academic abilities. After 5 years of secondary education, English, Northern Irish and Welsh students sit their GCSE exam (General Certificate of Secondary Education). Based on these results, pupils can decide whether to quit school or to prepare to sit exams for university entrance. The General Certificate of Education-Advanced is usually called A-levels exam - this is for students who want to pursue further education at university. Pupils have to try to get 3 or 4 A-levels in the subjects they are most proficient at. Other pupils who decide not to go to university may choose to take vocational training which provide a broadly based preparation for future work.

The Open University in Britain offers a non-traditional route for people to take university level courses and receive a university degree. There is no formal entry requirement, such as qualifications when students register. Students follow university courses through textbooks, TV and radio broadcasts, video and even Internet. First degree courses are mainly full time and last three years, except in Scotland where they take four years. Degree titles vary, but usually one award a Bachelor of Arts (BA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc), for a second degree Master of Arts (MA) or Science (MSc) and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). While, in Cambridge and Oxford, the BA converts to an MA several years later, upon paying a fee.