Higher Education (Cont.)
Q. What’s the difference between time range required for degrees in British higher education system and the time range in Chinese higher education system?
• It is also known as the Street of Shame, reflecting the birth of scandals which take place.
Chapter 5 Education, Media and
Holidays
英 语 国 家 概 况
CONTENT
I
Education
II
Media
III Holidays and Festivals
I
Education
Educational Policy Educational System
Educational Policy
3 to 5 years
Famous Universities (Cont.)
• Oxford University and Cambridge University are sometimes referred to collectively as Oxbridge.
Oxford Crest
Cambridge Crest
• Late 18th and early 19th century
Reasons: 1. The British economy began to industrialize; 2. The democratic franchise民主选举权 was
extended; (politics) 3. Literacy levels rose because of mass education.
▪primary ▪secondary ▪further education ▪higher education
Elementary and Secondary Education
• Two parallel school systems:
▪State system—local authority maintained 93%
The Guardian
• Known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper
• Founded in 1821, it is known for its left-ofcentre political stance
❖ “sixth form” (2 years)
▪ A-levels (General Certificate of Education—Advanced)
—for universities admittances
▪ GNVQs (General National Vocational Qualifications)
▪ Better funded ▪ Better teachers ▪ Better facilities ▪ Better chance to enter famous universities
Eton
• The royal family thinks the school is just the place for Wills. In this selfcontained world, titles confer no privileges, and the prince is probably not the only boy with a bodyguard. Foreign leaders’ children and scions (子孙) of Greek shipping magnates bring them along too. "William is as near to normal at Eton as someone in his position won't to be. Many people there are richer than he is. There are many people whose family relationships are even more complex than his."
Prince William Eton
Higher Education
• Recruitment base on:
– Grades of A-levels – School references – Interview
• Mostly funded by central government grants ▪ Except Buckingham University BPP University College
Newspapers (Cont.)
Two categories
• The “quality press” or “broadsheets”
– “Big Three”
• The Times—in-depth article, well-educated audience
• The Guardian—left wing • The Daily Telegraph
▪Compulsory in state school ▪Optional in independent school
Elementary and Secondary Education
State System
• state system—11-year compulsory education
– 5-11: primary schools (co-educational/ mixed schools)
Higher Education (Cont.)
❖ Buckingham University is the privately-financed university in UK, where students can finish 3 years’ courses in two years, and its curriculum changes flexibly according to market demands
Turing The structure of DNA, by Francis Crick and James D. Watson
II
Media
Newspapers Television and Broadcast
Functions of the Media
• information about political and social issues;
Many of the most important scientific discoveries and revolutions were made by Cambridge alumni [校友]. These include:
The laws of motion, by Sir Isaac Newton The discovery of the electron, by J. J. Thomson The unification of electromagnetism, by James Clerk Maxwell The discovery of hydrogen, by Henry Cavendish Evolution by natural selection, by Charles Darwin The Turing machine, the basis of modern computers, by Alan
• Compulsory education for all children between the ages of 5 and 16
• Comprehensive schools introduced in the 1960s
• National Curriculum introduced in 1988 • Four stages:
The Daily Telegraph
• Founded in 1855 • it is a daily morning
broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the UK and internationally • center-right and conservative stance
The Observer
• published every Sunday
• first appeared in 1791
• the world’s oldest Sunday newspaper
The Times
• began publishing in 1785, the United Kingdom’s oldest daily newspaper
•(Free to all children between the ages of 5—16)
▪Independent system—Public schools 7%
•(Parents pay for their children's education)
• National curriculum:
King’s College
Famous Universities (Cont.)
The Mathematical Bridge (at Queens’ College, Cambridge University )