 At sixteen, individuals can leave school if they wish, but due to Britain's

increased interest in continuing education and limited unskilled jobs, fewer

sixteen-year-olds seek employment directly. About a third still choose this
option, often participating in on-the-job training and part-time college
courses.
The sixth form
 The word 'form' was the usual word to describe a class of pupils in public
schools.
 It was taken over by some state schools, although many state schools simply
used the word 'class'.
 However, 'form' has been universally retained in the phrase 'sixth form,
which refers to those pupils who are studying beyond the age of sixteen
UCAS
 If you want to study full time for a first degree at a British university, you do
not apply directly to the university.
 Instead, you apply through the University Central Admissions Service
(UCAS).
 UCAS does not make any decisions about your application. It just acts as a
messenger between you and the universities.

The Open University

 It was started in 1969. It allows people who do not have the opportunity to
be students in the normal way by attending a university to study for a degree
through
 When it started, its courses were taught through television, radio and
specially written coursebooks.
 In the summer, they have to attend short residential courses of about a week
 Academic exams and qualifications
1. GCSE General Certificate of Secondary Education.
 The exams taken by most 15 to 16 year olds in England, Wales, and
Northern Ireland.
 The syllabuses and methods of examination of the various examining
boards differ
 However, there is a uniform system of marks, all being graded from A to G.
Grades A, B, and C are regarded as 'good' grades.

2. SCE Scottish Certificate of Education

 The Scottish equivalent of GCSE. These exams are set by the Scottish
Examinations Board. Grades are awarded in numbers, 1 being the best.
 3. A Levels Advanced Levels.
 Higher- level academic exams set by the same examining boards that set
GCSE exams.
 They are taken mostly by people around the age of 18 who wish to go on to
higher education.
 In fact, there are already dozens of schools in Britain which prepare their
students for the International Baccalaureate.
4. SCE 'Advanced Highers' The Scottish equivalent of A-levels.
5. Bachelor's Degree
 The general name for a first degree, most commonly a BA (Bachelor of Arts)
or BSc (Bachelor of Science).
 Most people get honours degrees, awarded in different classes. These are:
- Class I (known as 'a first');
-Class II.I ('a 2.1' or 'an upper second'); Class II.II ('a 2.2' or 'a lower
second');
-Class III ('a third")
 A student who is below one of these gets a pass degree (i.e, not an honours
degree).

6. Master's Degree
 The general name for a second (postgraduate) degree, most commonly MA
or MSc.
 At Scottish universities, however, these titles are used for first degrees
 7. Doctorate
 The highest academic qualification. This usually (but not everywhere)
carries the title PhD (Doctor of Philosophy).
 The time taken to complete a doctorate varies, but it is generally expected to
involve three years of more-or-less full-time study

Types of university
 There are no important official or legal distinctions between the various
universities in the country. But it is possible to discern a few broad
categories
1. Oxbridge
 This name denotes the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, both founded
in the medieval period.
 They are federations of semi-independent colleges, each college having its
own staff, known as 'fellows'.
 Oxbridge has the lowest student/staff ratio in Britain.
 Lectures and laboratory work are organized at university level.
 Before 1970, all Oxbridge colleges were single-sex (mostly for men). Nearly
all now admit both sexes
2. The old Scottish universities
 Scotland boasted four universities. They were Glasgow, Edinburgh,
Aberdeen, and St. Andrews.
 The last of these resembles Oxbridge in many ways, while the other three
are more like civic universities
 At all of them, the pattern of study is closer to the Continental tradition than
to the English one - there is less specialization than at Oxbridge

3. The early nineteenth-century English universities

 Durham University was founded in 1832.
 The University of London started in 1836 with just two colleges.
 The central organization is responsible for little more than exams and the
awarding of degrees
4. The older civic ("redbrick') universities
 During the nineteenth century, various institutes of higher education, usually
with a technical bias, sprang up in the new industrial towns and cities such
as Birmingham, Manchester, and Leeds.
 In the mid twentieth century, they started to accept students from all over the
country.

5. The campus universities

 Examples are East Anglia, Lancaster, Sussex, and Warwick. They have
accommodation for most of their students on site and from their beginning,
mostly in the early 1960s, attracted students from all over the country.

6. The newer civic universities

 These were originally technical colleges set up by local authorities in the
first sixty years of this century.
 In the early 1990s most of these (and also some other colleges) became
universities.
 Their most notable feature is flexibility with regard to studying
arrangements, including 'sandwich' courses (i.e studies interrupted by
 periods of time outside education). They are now all financed by central
government

Education beyond sixteen in Australia:

In Australia, education beyond sixteen typically involves completing the final years
of high school, which culminate in the attainment of the Higher School Certificate
(HSC) or equivalent in each state or territory
 University Entrance: Many students choose to pursue higher education by
applying to universities based on their HSC results. Universities offer a wide
range of undergraduate degree programs.
 Vocational Education and Training (VET): VET provides practical skills
and knowledge for specific industries or occupations.
 Apprenticeships and Traineeships: Similar to the UK, students in
Australia can also undertake apprenticeships or traineeships, which involve
on-the-job training combined with formal study.
 Workforce Entry: Some students choose to enter the workforce directly
after completing high school, either through employment or by gaining
entry-level positions.

Education beyond sixteen in Japan:

In Japan, education beyond sixteen is quite structured and typically involves
completing three years of high school, which is compulsory. After completing
compulsory education, students have several options:
 Senior High School: Most students continue their education by attending a
senior high school, where they study for three years to prepare for university
entrance exams.
 University Entrance Exams: University entrance exams are highly
competitive in Japan, and students spend their final years of high school
preparing for these exams. Admission to prestigious universities is based
primarily on exam scores.
 Vocational Education: Vocational schools offer specialized training in
various fields such as technology, healthcare, and hospitality.
 Workforce Entry: While less common than in some Western countries,
some students in Japan choose to enter the workforce directly after
 completing high school, especially if they have secured employment through
school connections or family networks.
Overall, while there are similarities in the options available for education
beyond sixteen in the UK, Australia, and Japan, each country has its own
unique system and cultural factors that influence the choices students make.