System of Higher Education in Great Britain

The autonomy of higher-educational institutions is strikingly pronounced in Great Britain. Its universities enjoy almost complete autonomy from national or local government in their administration and the determination of their curricula, despite the fact that the schools receive nearly all of their funding from the state. Entry requirements for British universities are rather complicated. A student must have a General Certificate of Education by taking examinations in various subjects. The greater the number of " advanced level" passed, rather than " ordinary level" passed, the better his/her chances are of entering the university of his/her choice. (Britain has a centralized admissions bureau to which candidates for admission are able to give their choice of universities in an order of preference.) This selective admission to universities, combined with the close supervision of students through a tutorial system, makes it possible for most British undergraduates to complete a degree course in three years rather than the standard four years. Great Britain's academic programs are more highly specialized than their European continental counterparts. Most undergraduates follow an " honors" course (leading to an honors degree) in one or, at the most, two subjects, while the remaining minority of students takes " pass" courses that cover a variety of subjects. Great Britain's model of higher education has been copied to varying degrees in Canada, Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, and other former British colonial territories in Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific.

 

System of Higher Education in the USA

The system of higher education in the United States differs from its counterparts in Europe in certain ways. In the United States, there is a nationwide assumption that students who have completed secondary school should have at least two years of university education. Hence, a great number of " junior colleges" and " community colleges" have sprung up to provide two years of undergraduate study and confer associate degrees for successful completion of two-year programs, in contrast to the traditional universities and colleges, where a majority of students complete four years of study for a degree and where substantial numbers go on for one to three years of postgraduate study in a " graduate school." Universities that provide four-year study courses are either privately funded foundations or are state or city foundations that depend heavily on the government for financial support. Private universities and colleges depend largely on tuition charges levied on students. The individual state governments fund the nation's highly developed system of state universities, which ensure the provision of higher education for the vast majority of those willing and academically qualified to receive such education.

In the American system, the four-year, or " bachelor's, " degree is ordinarily obtained not by passing a " finals" examination but rather by the accumulation of course " credits, " or hours of classroom study. The quality of work done in these courses is assessed by means of a continuous record of marks and grades in a course transcript. The completion of a certain number (and variety) of courses with passing grades leads to the " bachelor's" degree. The first two years of a student's studies are generally taken up with prescribed courses in a broad range of subject areas, along with some " elective" courses selected by the student. In the third and fourth years of study, the student specializes in one or perhaps two subject fields. Postgraduate students can pursue either advanced studies or research in one of the many graduate schools, which are usually specialized institutions. At these schools students work toward either a " master's" degree (which involves one to two years of postgraduate study) or a doctoral degree (which involves two to four years of study and other requirements).

A marked feature of American education that derives from the German model is the de-emphasis on lecture and examination. In both of these countries, students are evaluated according to their performance in individual courses where discussion and written essays figure importantly. The American model of higher learning was adopted wholesale by the Philippines and influenced the educational systems of Japan and Taiwan after World War II.

 

Systems of Higher Education in France and in Germany

Both France and Germany have systems of higher education that are basically administered by state agencies. Entrance requirements for students are also similar in both countries. In France an examination called the baccalauré at is given at the end of secondary education. Higher education in France is free and open to all students who have passed this examination. A passing mark admits students to a preparatory first year at a university, which terminates in another, more rigorous examination. Success in this examination allows students to attend universities for another three or four years until they have attained the first university degree, called a licence in France.

Basic differences, however, distinguish these two countries' systems. French educational districts, called acadé mies, are under the direction of a rector, an appointee of the national government who also is in charge of the university in each district. The uniformity in curriculum throughout the country leaves each university with little to distinguish itself. Hence, many students prefer to go to Paris, where there are better accommodations and more cultural amenities for students. Another difference is the existence in France of higher-educational institutions known as grandes é coles, which provide advanced professional and technical training. Most of these schools are not affiliated with the universities, although they too recruit their students by giving competitive examinations to candidates who possess a baccalauré at. The various grandes é coles provide a rigorous training in all branches of applied science and technology, and their diplomas have a somewhat higher standing than that of the ordinary licence.

In Germany, a country made up of what were once strong principalities, the regional universities have autonomy in determining their curriculum under the direction of rectors elected from within. Students in Germany change universities according to their interests and the strengths of each university. In fact, it is a custom for students to attend two, three, or even four different universities in the course of their undergraduate studies, and the majority of professors at a particular university may have taught in four or five others. This marked degree of mobility means that schemes of study and examination are marked by a freedom and individuality unknown in France.

Each of these countries has influenced higher education in other nations. The French, either through colonial influence or through the work of missionaries, introduced many aspects of their system in North and West Africa, the Caribbean, and the Far East. In the 1870s Japan's growing university system was remodeled along French lines. France's grandes é coles have been especially copied as models of technical schools. German influence has come about through philosophical concepts regarding the role of universities. The Germans were the first to stress the importance of universities as research facilities, and they also created a sense of them as emblems of a national mind. The doctoral degree, or Ph.D., invented in Germany, has gained popularity in systems around the world.

Higher Education in Russia

Higher education in Russia is characterized by direct state administration. The schools of higher learning are divided into universities, where humanities and pure sciences are taught; institutes, where single fields are taught (e.g., law, medicine, and agriculture); and polytechnic institutes, where subjects similar to those in the institutes are taught but with a broader scientific foundation. Another distinction of the Russian system is that it greatly extends the educational network by offering a broad array of carefully prepared correspondence courses. Many students are thus able to proceed part-time with their education while holding full- or part-time jobs. Students are admitted to higher-educational institutions on the basis of competitive examinations. The duration of studies for a first degree ranges from four to six years, with five years being the average. The curriculum consists of compulsory, alternative, and optional subjects. Candidates for a degree must take examinations in two or three basic disciplines related to a chosen specialty. At the conclusion of a first-degree course, all students receive the same diploma, but students with the best results are awarded a " distinction." Most institutions organize graduate schools for postgraduate studies, which are likewise concluded by a set of examinations.

 

b) In the passages find information according to the headings given in the first column of the table below. Fill in the table with your findings:

	France	Germany	Great Britain	USA	Russia
1.Administration
2. Entrance requirements:
3.Years of study to obtain the first University degree
4. Curriculum development
5. Types of school providing higher education
6. Students’ performance assessment
7. Teaching process organization
8. Funding source

c) Work in pairs. Compare the systems of higher education in France, Germany, Great Britain, the USA, and Russia. Come up with a comparison chart. Get ready to present your results to other students.

 

III. a) Read the passage about tuition and use the correct tense forms of the verbs in brackets.

TUITION

The cost of attending colleges and universities steadily … (increase) since the 1980s. Since private institutions in the United States … (not receive) public funds, they generally … (charge) students higher tuition and fees than do public institutions. In Canada, public and private institutions usually … (charge) comparable tuition and fees because the provincial and federal governments subsidize student costs for both types of institutions.

In the United States, the average tuition with room and board at a four-year public college for in-state residents during the 1978-1979 academic year … (be) $1, 994. By the 1996-1997 school year, the figure … (reach) $7, 331. At private four-year schools, tuition, room, and board nationwide … (increase) from an average of $4, 514 to an average of $18, 476. In Canada, the cost of higher education … (vary) significantly from one province to another. In the 1996-1997 academic year tuition fees (without room and board) at four-year institutions … (rang) from $1, 170 in Quebec to more than $2, 800 in Nova Scotia. Tuition fees at private four-year colleges and universities in Canada … (range) from about $2, 800 to $5, 700.

More than 10 percent of full-time college students … (work) full-time to pay for their college education. Most others … (work) part-time to help offset the costs of attending college. However, higher tuition and a decline in the purchasing power of minimum wage jobs … (make) it increasingly difficult for students to pay for college by working part-time. To provide some assistance in financing higher education costs, a number of states … (establish) programs that allow families to prepay college tuition years in advance by purchasing special contracts or tax-exempt bonds.

b) Read the passage about tuition again and find English equivalents to these words and phrases:

1. назначать плату за обучение

2. сопоставимая плата за обучение

3. работать полный / неполный рабочий день

4. возмещать стоимость посещения университета

c) Compare the cost of attending colleges and universities in the USA and Canada with that in Russia.

IV. a) Read through the passage about financial aid and get ready to explain what grants, awards, loans mean.

FINANCIAL AID

Students may apply for and receive financial aid to help pay tuition and other costs of attending college. The chief sources of financial aid are federal programs, state grant programs, private grants, and institutional sources at the college or university. Aid may be either a grant based on financial need, a merit-based financial award given to the student, or a loan that the student must repay with interest in the future.

In the past, most students received financial aid in the form of a grant. However, the increases in tuition rates since the 1980s have coincided with a decrease in the funds available for public or private grants. More of the financial aid that most students now receive comes in the form of a loan rather than a grant or an award. For example, in the late 1980s the average grant was 46 percent of a typical student’s total aid package, while the average federal loan was 52 percent. By 1998 the grant size had fallen to 40 percent of the typical total, while loan size had increased to 58 percent. In 1997 borrowers who attended public four-year colleges had accumulated an average of $13, 000 in debts. Those who went to private colleges averaged $17, 500 in debts. Borrowers in graduate school had an average debt of $24, 500, and those who went to professional school averaged $48, 500.

 

b) What do you know about financial aid in our country? How can a student pay for his/her education?

c) Before you listen to the student speaking about money for education match words and phrases in A with their explanations in B.

A	B
a. challenging	1. difficult but rewarding
b. having a career	2. extra money paid on a loan or bank savings
c. interest	3. fight
d. repayment	4. getting a better job or salary within a company over time
e. salary	5. money a student pays to a university
f. struggle	6. money borrowed from a bank or finance company
g. student loan	7. money paid back on a loan
h. summer job	8. money paid for a week’s work
i. tuition fees	9. regular monthly or annual pay packet
j. wage	10. work between academic years

 

b) Complete the sentences using vocabulary from the previous activity. Now listen to the student speaking about money for education to check your answer.

1. We will lend you £ 3, 000, which you will need to repay with.................... of 3% after three years.

2. Paying my fees every year has been a constant.....................

3. With such a small loan, I don’t know if I’ll be able to pay the.....................

4. I’ve got a good job, but I just wish the work was more.....................

5. When term ends, I’ll have to get.................... just to make ends meet.

6. The.................... is £ 140 a week, but it’s cash-in-hand, so you don’t pay tax.

c) Listen again and decide if the following statements are true or false.

1. More than three quarters of all university students in England and Wales borrow money to study

2. Students tend to buy a house soon after graduating

3. Paying back a student loan is always voluntary

4. A degree gives people an advantage when applying for white collar jobs

5. Graduates often feel their first job doesn’t live up to their expectations

6. Numbers of British university students began to decline after the credit crunch

7. Students sometimes break the law to finance their studies

8. More international students are coming to Britain because the UK currency is weaker

 

 

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