ENGLISH SCHOOLING

Education is compulsory from the age of five to sixteen, and there is usually a move from primary to secondary school at about the age of eleven, but schools are organized in a number of different ways.

Schools Maintained by the State.No fees are charged to parents of the children at maintained schools, and books and equipment are free. Schools supported from public funds are of two main kinds in England and Wales: county schools and voluntary schools. County schools are provided and maintained by Local Educational Authorities wholly out of public funds. Voluntary schools, mostly established by religious denominations, are also wholly maintained from public funds but the governors of some types of voluntary schools contribute to capital costs. Primary Schooling.Compulsory education begins at five when children in England and Wales go to infant schools or departments; at seven many go on to junior schools or departments. The usual age of transfer from primary to secondary schools is 11, but a number of Local Educational Authorities in England have established "first" schools for pupils aged 5 to 8, 9 and "middle" schools covering various age ranges between 8 arid 14.

Secondary Schooling.The publicly maintained system of education aims to give all children an education suited to their particular abilities. A few areas especially in the south of England still have selective exams at the age of eleven, but about 90 per cent of secondary schools in Britain are now comprehensive. They take pupils without reference to ability or aptitude and provide a wide range of secondary education for all or most of the children from their local area. Independent Schools.Most parents choose to send their children to free state schools financed from public funds but an increasing number of secondary pupils attend fee-paying independent schools outside the school system. Many of these are boarding schools, which provide accommodation for pupils during term time. They are sometimes confusingly referred to as "public schools" ' in England and Wales. Today the term is becoming less frequently used but refers to the mainly boys' schools (which are increasingly admitting girls). Preparatory schools prepare children for the Common Entrance Examination to senior schools. The normal age range is from seven plus to 11, 12 or 13, but many of the schools now have pre-preparatory departments for younger children.

Examinations.Since 1988, most sixteen-year-olds have taken the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) in five, ten or even fifteen subjects.

Pupils going on to higher education or professional training usually take A' level examinations in two or three subjects. These require two more years of study after GCSE, either in the sixth form of a secondary school, or in a separate sixth-form college. Other pupils may choose vocational subjects such as catering, tourism, secretarial or building skills. Subsidized courses in these subjects are run at colleges of further education.