Education in the United Kingdom is a devolved matter with each of the countries of the

United Kingdom having separate systems under separate governments: the UK Government
is responsible for England, and the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the
[1] [2]
Northern Ireland Executive are responsible for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland,
respectively.

Education in England

Education in England is overseen by the Department for Education and the Department for
Business, Innovation and Skills. Local authorities (LAs) take responsibility for implementing
policy for public education and state schools at a regional level.

The education system is divided into nursery (ages 3–4), primary education (ages 4–11),
secondary education (ages 11–18) and tertiary education (ages 18+).

All maintained schools in England are required to follow the National Curriculum, which is
made up of twelve subjects. The core subjects—English, Mathematics and Science—are
compulsory for all students aged 5 to 16. A range of other subjects, known as foundation
subjects, are compulsory at one or more Key Stages: Art & Design, Citizenship, Design &
Technology, Geography, History, Information & Communication Technology, Modern
Foreign Languages, Music, Physical Education

In addition, other subjects with a non-statutory programme of study in the National

Curriculum are also taught, including Religious education, Sex education and Career
education and Work-related learning in Key Stages 3 and 4. Religious education within
community schools may be withdrawn for individual pupils with parental consent. Similarly,
parents of children in community schools may choose to opt their child out of some or all sex
education lessons.

Almost all state-funded schools in England are maintained schools, which receive their
funding from local authorities, and are required to follow the National Curriculum.

Since 1998, there have been 4 main types of maintained school in England:

●
community schools in which the local authority employs the schools'
staff, owns the schools' lands and buildings, and has primary responsibility for
admissions.

● voluntary controlled schools, which are almost always church schools,

with the lands and buildings often owned by a charitable foundation. However, the
local authority employs the schools' staff and has primary responsibility for
admissions.

● voluntary aided schools, linked to a variety of organisations. They

can be faith schools (often the Church of England or the Roman Catholic
Church), or non-denominational schools, such as those linked to London Livery
Companies. The charitable foundation contributes towards the capital costs
of the school, and appoints a majority of the school governors. The
governing body employs the staff and has primary responsibility for admissions.
 [20]

●
foundation schools, in which the governing body employs the staff
and has primary responsibility for admissions. School land and buildings are
owned by the governing body or by a charitable foundation.

English secondary schools are mostly comprehensive, except in a few areas that retain a
form of the previous selective system (the Tripartite System), with students selected for
grammar school by the eleven plus exam.

Private Schools

Approximately 7% of schoolchildren in England attend privately run independent schools,

commonly called "private schools", whilst private sixth forms are attended by around 18% of
students. Independent schools do not have to follow the National Curriculum, and their
teachers are not required or regulated by law to have official teaching qualifications.

Education at independent schools is usually chargeable. Such schools, some of which are
boarding schools, cover primary and/or secondary education and charge between £2,500
[25]
and £30,000 per year. Some schools offer scholarships for those with particular skills or
aptitudes, or bursaries to allow students from less financially well-off families to attend.

FURTHER EDUCATION ----It is post-compulsory education (in addition to that received at

secondary school). A distinction is usually made between FE and higher education ("HE")
which is education at a higher level than secondary school, usually provided in distinct
institutions such as universities. FE in the United Kingdom therefore includes education for
people over 16, usually excluding universities. It is primarily taught in FE colleges.

HIGHER EDUCATION

Students normally enter university from age 18 onwards, and study for an academic
degree. The typical first degree offered at English universities is the bachelor's degree,
and usually lasts for three years. Many institutions now offer an undergraduate master's
degree as a first degree, which typically lasts for four years. During a first degree students
are known as undergraduates.

POSTGRADUATE EDUCATION

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

●
Master's degree (typically taken in one year, though research-
based master's degrees may last for two)

● Doctorate (typically taken in three years)

Postgraduate education is not automatically financed by the state, and so admissions are
highly competitive.

------- ---------------- ---------------- ----------------- ----------------- ------------

DEBATE

What are State or Private schools?

In the United Kingdom, State schools provide education free of charge to pupils. This is
generally restricted to primary and secondary educational levels. They are funded from the
public sector such as the local education authority or central government.

Private, independent or public schools are not administered by local or national government
and retain the right to select their student body. They are funded either by raising their own
funds independently or by charging their students fees (restricted to primary and secondary
educational levels).

The facts

There are three types of State schools, which are organised differently:

●
Schools funded by private donors and businesses.

● Schools under control of local authorities, and run according to their

policies .

● Schools run on a more individual basis and under the control of their
governors.

According to Government Statistics and the Independent Schools Council:

●
8% of all children are in Private schools, whilst the remaining 92% study
in State schools.

● There are over 511,000 children nationwide in Independent (private)

schools.

● The average annual fee for a child to attend Private school is £10,000
and it costs an average of £18,828 per year for a boarding (private) school.

● More than half of all students in Private schools come out with A or A*
GCSE grades.

● 38% of all children getting three As or better at A-level are from Private
schools.

Your thoughts

Here's how some Student Life message board users felt about State and Private schools:
 ●
"State schools are better because you can experience life better and are
not narrow minded."

● "Private schools give you a better start in life. I wish my parents could afford
for me to go private."

● "Private school is amazing if you get the change but to tell you the truth, I
think state is better, just because I have been to a Private school. When you
go to a Private school and stay there you do get a very high opinion on
yourself not because you are stuck up but more because of the influence
around you."

What's the difference?

Some families choose the state system because they can't afford to go private, whilst other
families consider sending their children to independent schools due to prestige and tradition.
Private schools are expensive, but so are houses near good public-funded schools.
Maintained (state) schools might stand you a better chance of entering University, but
standards in Preparatory (secondary level private) schools are higher. Some Parents
consider Private schools to be better because they have smaller classes, teach their kids in
a more refined manner and get good results .

State schools require parents to live in the catchment area, giving their children a high
probability of getting them into a first-class State school, and a lots of parents spend a
fortune on extra tuition classes.