February 2021 - Universities

The British educational system is considered ideal, and some countries are guided by it. A striking example is Canadian and Australian education.

All educational institutions in England are divided into private and public – this is a distinctive feature of the British system. Schools are different from Russian schools: they do not follow the same program. The student has the opportunity to choose the one in which he can better prepare for admission to a particular department.

The education system in England has the following structure:

• Elementary School – primary education, from 5 to 11 years;
• Secondary School: secondary education, from 11 to 16 years;
• Further Education: post-secondary education, from 16 to 18 years;
• Higher Education: higher education from the age of 18.

An important feature of the British system is strong pre-school education. Here children acquire knowledge and learn discipline. In higher education it is possible not only to complete a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, but also to obtain other types of diplomas. For example, Sandwich courses are awarded after one year of practical training at the end of two university courses. They are awarded to students of technical specialties.

Pre-school education

Pre-school education in Great Britain is not compulsory. From the age of two to five a child can stay at home or attend Nursery. Pre-school educational institutions may be of different orientation: linguistic, and religious. In the first, education is conducted in several languages, in others children are told about religion in an accessible way. But everywhere children are taught to read, write and count. The English believe that going to a good preschool is an important part of their upbringing. The state pays only 15 hours a week – for the rest of the time, parents pay out of their own pockets.

Pre-Kindergarten Education

Preparatory education is available to children in fee-paying schools. A child may enter at age five and later transfer to secondary school. Private education is considered better, but not everyone can afford it. That is why most children go to municipal schools after kindergarten.

Elementary school education

In public schools, royal subjects receive a primary education between the ages of 5 and 11. Here the pupil has to study basic subjects:

• mathematics;
• music;
• Geography;
• English;
• art;
• industrial technology;
• history.

Education in England takes place in trimesters. English schoolchildren go to school on September 1, and the study ends on June 30. Pupils have holidays in July and August. In addition to summer holidays, there are Christmas and Easter vacations in Britain.

Secondary school education

This education is a compulsory level. It is compulsory for all British children under 16 years of age. In secondary school they learn the basics, play sports, music, and develop leadership skills. Many choose to study in private boarding schools, where the child is on full board. Upon completion of training, students take an exam, the results of which depend on whether the child is accepted in high school or not. High school in England ends with the General Certificate of Secondary Education. With this certificate you can go to college or get an official job.

Post-Secondary Education

After completing the basic education cycle, those who want to become a university student continue to study. At age 16 a person begins a two-year A-levels course. In the first year he studies 4-5, and in the next year – 3-4 disciplines, and he chooses which of them he will take. At this stage, he already determines what specialty he will get at university. For example, those who go to medical school, take biology and chemistry.

The system of higher education in England is considered one of the best in the world – this is demonstrated by the world rankings of higher education institutions and the demand for specialists who graduated from the universities of Foggy Albion. The British educational model is considered to be the foundation of the Bologna educational system.

The higher education sector in the country includes:

• classical universities and university colleges (University Colleges), in which great attention is paid to research activities.
• Polytechnics and Colleges of Higher Education, which train specialists in applied specialties.

There are three levels of training: bachelor (3 years of study, except in Scotland), master (1-2 years) and doctorate (2-3 years). The academic year consists of 3 trimesters. Classes are held both in classical lecture and seminar formats, and in the form of independent work and tutorials (work in small groups with a tutor). The progress of students is assessed by intermediate works (essays, term papers, projects) and by the results of final examinations. The system for calculating the average grade depends on the university and can be either point or percentage.

Despite the inherent conservatism of the English, they are constantly working to improve the education system by introducing innovative teaching methods and actively using modern technology. For example, influenced by market demands, many universities have introduced so-called “sandwich courses,” periods of work experience that can last up to a year and are considered part of the curriculum.

But of course, what makes British institutions of higher learning famous is their strong academic background, which incorporates the best of the country’s centuries-long history of education. Students from all over the world come here for this quality and are ready to pay a lot of money for their diploma: a year of study at an English institute costs from 10,000 to 25,000 pounds.

Understanding the importance of higher education not only in terms of reputation, but also in terms of economic benefits, the government regulates the quality of education at the state level. For this purpose, the country has a Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) which checks the “academic standards” and “academic quality” of universities. Thus, a student of any educational institution in Great Britain can be sure that he or she will receive a relevant education, and his or her diploma will be quoted in any country of the world.

The education system of England combines tradition and advanced educational technology. Its aim is not so much encyclopedic knowledge of students in any field, as all-round development of personality, focus on gaining knowledge and professional development. It is not surprising that graduates of British educational institutions are in great demand on the global job market and show excellent career development.

Education in England is one of the most expensive in the world. There is no free education for foreign citizens in England. This applies to both the university sector and private secondary and language schools.

The cost of short-term courses for children and adults varies greatly and depends on both the length of the program and the location. Of course, the most expensive programs offer the “distinguished” universities and language schools located in major cities, where the cost of accommodation itself is high. Also the number of students in the group influences the course cost. On average, the price of studying English in Great Britain starts from 1200 pounds for a 2-week course.

The price of studying in England in private boarding schools is about 20,000 British pounds for a year of training, including accommodation and meals. In some particularly prestigious schools it can reach up to 40,000. In addition to the status of the educational institution the cost affects the course itself: thus, training in high school is always cheaper than in High School.

If we talk about higher and second higher education in Foggy Albion, then we should count on the price of about 15,000 pounds for a year of study. This is certainly expensive. However, it is impossible not to mention the timing of training: the English system allows you to get a higher education in just three years (bachelor’s degree). Thus, even with the rather high cost of studying in England per year, the total cost of higher education may be lower or at the level of studying at a university in another country.

When calculating the upcoming costs of education, it is important to consider the cost of living in the country: a year of accommodation and meals for a student of one of London’s universities can be at a cost correlated with the price of the study program itself.

Studying in England – whether it is higher, secondary education or language courses – provides a lot of advantages. Even at high costs, the demand for educational services in the Foggy Albion speaks for itself. Certificates and diplomas obtained here offer excellent academic and career opportunities. If you also dream of becoming an in-demand specialist, who will be welcome in any country of the world – your choice is definitely studying in the UK!

Few would argue that a British university degree is an indicator of the highest quality of education. It opens up many avenues for life and work in any country in the world. The UK is renowned for its huge range of institutions and fields of study, from research to practice.

And British universities give you the opportunity to study faster than in other countries, and the level of training does not suffer in the least. All thanks to the high intensity: students spend a lot of time studying and doing practical work on their own. The essays, reports, research papers, group and individual projects – all this requires extreme responsibility, independence and diligence.

But in the end, all these efforts pay off: a graduate of a British university has a high chance of getting a dream job almost anywhere in the world.

But like everything in this world, education in Britain has its disadvantages. These include the difficulty of combining study and work because of the same high intensity of study. In addition, most universities do not welcome such practices. And of course, most students the main disadvantage of studying in the UK called the high cost of both teaching and living in the country.

Despite these nuances, it is a British education is considered the benchmark around the world. And parents in different countries dream to see their children as students of one of the universities of Great Britain. In conclusion, we want to say that to go to study in the UK is quite realistic, both for secondary, tertiary or postgraduate programs. The main thing is to choose the right strategy – and our experienced specialists will help with this.