T h e E d u c a t i o n a l S y s t e m i n E n g l a n d & W a l e s

The educational system is more or less the same type all over England and Wales, but Scotland has its own system.

The educational system in England and Wales is complicated. There are wide variations between the parts of the country. The English educational system is a divided one. The first division is between those who pay and those who do not; the second, between those selected for an intellectual training and those not so selected.

Education in England and Wales is compulsory from five to sixteen years old. The state provides this education free of charge. Education in England and Wales is regulated by the Education act 1944, which was adopted on August 3 of that year.

The National Education Act of 1944 divided education into three stages: Primary Education, Secondary Education, Further Education. All larger councils have an Educational Committee, often called the local education authority, which is responsible for all educational matters in the council’s area.

The local authority may establish nursery schools for every small children who are not yet five years old. There are some nursery schools, which provide informal educational and play facilities for children between two and three years old. Attendance at nursery school is not compulsory. The number of nursery schools and classes is at present small.

All children must start school at five years of age. The primary stage is divided into two – Infant School (5-7) and Junior School (7-11).

All children of 11-12 years of age pass from primary schools to secondary schools. There are different types of secondary schools. Grammar schools, secondary modern schools, technical schools are the three types of school in the so-called tripartite system of education introduced in 1944. However the traditional tripartite system is now gradually being replaced by the comprehensive system. A new system of comprehensive schools has now become more usual all over the country.

Alongside the state system of education there exists the system of private, independent or public schools. There are co-educational and single-sex schools in Great Britain.

Further education means education after school, that is, in colleges of further education, technical colleges and various other institutions. Further education includes all the part-time and full-time educational provision as well as cultural training, leisure-time activities, etc.

Q u e s t i o n s :

1. The educational system in England and Wales is complicated?

2. What are the main stages of education?

3. Is attendance at nursery schools compulsory?

4. What are the changes in secondary school?