EDUCATION IN THE UK

Instructor: Nguyen Duy Mong Ha, PhD.

USSH, VNU-HCMC
Email: ndmongha@gmail.com
Mobile phone: 0919694811
Office hours: Monday afternoon, Block C (Office of Educational Testing
& Quality Assurance), DTH Campus
 Warm-up activities
• Find the key word from the
sentence/phrase in the piece of
paper
• Talk briefly about that
 Study Tour
1. HCMC Museum of Vietnamese History
(Learn about Vietnamese people to compare with
the British people): group tour (4.4.2023)
2. Education Fair (in a hotel Dist. 1): website of IDP
3. Visit to the Library of American Center, US
General Consulate in beginning May/end April
Progress test: 4 April 2023 (Quiz): 50% of mid-term
score
American Center, US General
Consulate
 Guided questions for the fieldtrip report
(with comparison with VN HE system)
• Brief history of the University/College/School, Brief
introduction of the location
• Brief introduction of the training programs
(undergraduate & graduate) years of study, ranking
• Entry requirements for the British students and
international students + tuition fees
• Academic life, methods of teaching & learning…
• Degree, internships, career chances, scholarship,…
• The sixth form college…
 Chapter 14: Education
• Historical background
• Modern times
• Style, types of school
• School life, public exams
• Education beyond 16
What is a public school in the UK?
• Schools financed/funded by the government/
local authority= state schools (92%)
• Private schools = public schools (elite schools)
= independent schools = fee-paying schools =
= schools paid by people (about 8%)

By law children between the ages of 5 and 16

receive full-time education (this has changed to
18 years around 2015)
 1-Historical background
• State schools: since the government started to
attach importance to education by the end of 19thC
(Industry & commerce)
• Public schools: since the medieval times
- For upper- & upper-middle classes (Character building,
team spirit> academic achievements)
- Boarding schools: for future ruling elites (army, business,
law, civil service, church...), attitudes, vocabulary
- All boys‘ public schools + later also all girls‘ public schools
(Recently, mixed schools for both boys & girls)
 2- Modern time: debates
1. Quality: not enough teaching and learning? (less
literate & numerate than other European) and “grade
inflation”, complaint for lack of basic knowledge & skills
2. Chronic shortage of teachers and larger class size: it is
hard to recruit and keep teachers (tradition of anti-
intellectualism), try National Award for excellence in
teaching, busy filling forms, inspected: less attractive
3. National curriculum: revised (dislike uniformity)
4. Social justice: equal opportunities in education
(support poor children, moving to better local areas, private
tuition, comprehensive schools...) >< freedom of choice
 Organization/Styles
• Little centralization, decentralization (Dept for
Education & Employment in England & Wales only
ensure availability + give advice); influenced by public-
school tradition (school is its own community)
• LEA (Local Education Authority) or schools decide
program/curricula, books, materials, teaching hours,
uniforms..., not central government (autonomy)
• National curriculum: set objectives in 1980s, 3
national curricula (operating by the end of 1990s,
emphasis on the ability to apply knowledge, sports,
the three Rs)
 Categories of school
More egalitarianism, less elite
• Local authority maintained schools (State Schools):
Free to all children between the ages of 5 – 16.
 Secondary modern schools (for „failures“)
 Comprehensive schools (children of all abilities, practical &
technical) – most go to same local comprehensive schools
• Independent schools (Private/Public Schools)
Parents pay for their children's' education (7% of
the children in England)
 Elite schools (no longer the trend)
 Grammar schools (more academic subjects to prepare for
Universities, highly-skilled jobs)
Eton college
 3- Style
• Learning for its own sake > practical purposes (Quality
of person >< qualities of abilities)
• Social justice (good member of society, citizenship),
sex & relationship education, physical education,
sports (complete person) > Knowledge & skills
• Understanding and sophistication of approach rather
than> Accumulation of factual knowledge &
application (no emphasis on homework, attendance
but emphasis on personal guidance)
• Practical ability < Academic ability: High-quality
education (for upper class)
 4- School life
• Few nursery schools (before the age of 5): free part-
time early education (up to 12.5 hours/week)
• Schools: 5 days/week, from 9 a.m. to 3 or 4 p.m. (1,25
hours for lunch), plan for the primary school from 8am-
6pm as hub of local community (clubs, health service..)
• 3 big holidays: Christmas, Easter, Summer – 3 terms
• Class activities: formal lessons + groupwork (1 teacher for
all subjects in primary schools, different teachers for different
subjects and regular homework for secondary schools)
• Subjects: English, math, science - national test (age 7, 11)
• Different groups of different abilities (streaming) or mixed
Some figures
 Primary schools (5-11 years old)
• The 1st level of education almost always mixed
sex, usually located close to the child's home
• One teacher has responsibility for most of the
work they do
• Parents are strongly encouraged to help their
children, particularly with reading and writing
• Small amount of homework are set to all
children, even during the early years at school
(not normally have formal homework)
Secondary schools (11 - 16 year olds)
• Most secondary schools cater for both sexes
• Nearly 88 per cent of secondary school pupils
in England go to comprehensive schools.
(children of all abilities and provide a wide
range of secondary education for all or most),
some are better than others
• Grammar Schools (during 1970s) are selective
(almost from middle-class families), they offer
academically oriented general education, single
sexed schools
Project Edu system in the UK
 5- Public exams
• Public exams after compulsory schooling: Some
involve knowledge and skills specified by national
curriculum; No age limit
• Different syllabi, different subject exams (except:
English, math, science), flexibility with different
topics, no unified school-leaving certificate
• Lack of uniformity, set by independent examining
boards, each school or LEA decides boards’ exams
• Assessment: combination of coursework assignments
(total marks in many subjects) & formal sit-down exams
• Trouble with Internet: cheating, plagiarism
 General
Certificate
Secondary
Education

SCE
(Scottish) 15-16 y-o-
1 as highest students
score GCSE
(England,
Wales, N.I)

Exam A-G (Pass

Subjects? from A to C)
 A-levels
(England,
Wales)

Eligibility Scottish
for (SCE
University Advanced
entrance Highers)
Advanced
levels)

16-18 yrs
A1 & A2 old after
GSCE
 6- Education beyond 16
• Age of 16 (getting GCSE): 2 options
Option 1: Leave schools & look for unskilled jobs or
on-the-job training + part-time college courses (1/3)
Option 2: Continue studying at colleges
- Full-time education (sixth-form College/ College for
Further Education): learn to get A-levels for 2 years
(3-4 subjects) to enter University
- Vocational education for particular jobs and careers
(even adults of over 25)
- Higher education: A-levels & interviews, pay fees
(part-time jobs,…)
 Higher Education
• Around 30% of the 18 to 19 year-olds enter full-
time higher education.
• The formal entry requirements to most degree
courses are two A-levels at grade E or above.
• Some universities select students on the basis of
A-level + interview (autonomy), Baccalaureate
• High tuition fees, difficult for low-income families
(minimum £3,450 per year), loan scheme
• Oxford + Cambridge = Oxbridge
• High degree of personal supervision, low dropout
• Open University, Distance learning
• After 3 years students sit final exams and can
graduate with a Bachelors degree (Medical
students require 4 years study).
• After graduating with a good Bachelors Degree
many students spend 1 more year studying for a
Masters Degree (funded directly by the student
themselves or by industrial sponsorship)
• Top class students with good Bachelors Degrees
can apply to study at PhD level (Doctorate):
normally requires 3 years of research before
being awarded (an expensive route for students
and most courses tend to be sponsored by the
relevant industry)
 Types of universities
• Oxbridge (Oxford -1096, Cambridge 1209) – medieval time
(lowest student/staff ratio in the UK): federations of semi-
independent colleges (before 1970: single sex)
• Old Scottish universities: by 1600s, Glasgow, Edinburgh,
Aberdeen, St. Andrew, closer to Continental tradition
• Early 19thC English universities (Durham Uni, Uni of London)
• The older civic universities (“redbrick” universities, of local
materials – brick)
• Campus universities (East Anglia, Lancaster, Sussex, Warwich
have accommodation)
• The newer civic universities (originally technical colleges from
1960s, 1970s and became universities in 1990s: flexibility, now
financed by central government
 Review of British education
• Education is an important part of British life: hundreds of
schools, colleges and universities, including some of the
most famous in the world.
• Education is free and compulsory for all children between
the ages of 5 – 16 (Some children are educated at home)
• Children's education in England is normally divided into
two separate stages (Nursery Schools 3-4 years old)
- They begin with primary education at the age of five and
this usually lasts until they are eleven.
-Then they move to secondary school, there they stay
until they reach 16, 17 or 18 years of age
• All government-run schools, state schools, follow the
same National Curriculum
• At around 16 years of age students take exams in a
range of subjects: GCSE level (General Certificate of
Secondary Education)
• SCE (Scottish Certificate of education)
• Public exams set by examining board in LEA
• After GCSE, students may leave the education system
to find employment or decide to study for 2 more
years and take A Level (Advanced Level) exams (A-
levels (Advanced) = SCE ‘Highers’ (Scotland)
• A Levels are the minimum requirements for
acceptance into a British University (+ interview)
https://www.slideshare.net/marina_rv/british-education-quiz
 Extra links for reference
• https://slideplayer.com/slide/700630/ (British
Council - curriculum)
• https://slideplayr.com/slide/6086774/ (Exams)
• https://slideplayer.com/slide/10940788/
(types of schools)
• https://slideplayer.com/slide/6189064/
(Detailed project – apply Uni)
Higher education UK
• https://slideplayer.com/slide/7336585/
 Find the key words for each of the
phrases below
• National award of excellence in teaching:
• List of subjects taught at school in the whole
country:
• Schools where pupils live in:
• Edu institution offering A-Level Study:
• Schools teaching academic subjects to prepare for
University:
 PW
• National award of excellence in teaching: Teaching
Oscars (Nov, 15 categories- digital-special needs-FE
team,…, Gold-Silver-Bronze-certificate winners…)
• List of subjects taught at school in the whole
country: National curriculum (complete person)
• Schools where pupils live in: Boarding School
• Edu institution offering A-Level Study: 6th form
college
• Schools teaching academic subjects to prepare for
University: Grammar Schools >< Secondary modern
Schools
• Schools for students of mixed abilities:
• Branch of Local gov in charge of edu in the UK:
• Lack of positive attitude of the British people
towards edu:
• Ss receive higher grades than they deserve:
• Small group of powerful, rich, intelligent
people:
• Schools for upper (middle) class:
• Schools for students of mixed abilities:
comprehensive schools
• Branch of Local gov in charge of edu in the UK:
LEA (Local Education Authority)
• Lack of positive attitude of the British people
towards edu: anti-intellectualism
• Ss receive higher grades than they deserve:
grade inflation
• Small group of powerful, rich, intelligent
people: Elite
• Schools for upper (middle) class: public schools
B. 6th form college C. Grade school
 Exercise
Section A: 1-3C, 4B, 5C, 6A, 7C, 8B, 9-10C, B, A, B, A
Section B: 11, 10, 5, 1, 6, 4, 12, 9, 7, 3, 8, 2
Section C:
1. 3 Rs 7. Grants
2. Assembly 8. Spoilt brat
3. Nursery school 9. Term
4. Streaming 10. A-level
5. Compulsory subjects 11. Redbrick universities
6. Boarding school 12. Oxbridge
Home work