The System of Education in Britain

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The system of education in Britain The basic features of the British educational system are the same as they are anywhere else in Europe: full-time education is compulsory up to middle teenage years; the academic year begins at the end of summer; compulsory education is free of charge, but parents may spend money on educating their children privately if they want to. However, there is quite a lot which distinguishes education in Britain from the way it works in other countries. Historical background The British government attached little importance to education until the end of the nineteenth century. It was one of the last governments in Europe to organize education foe everybody. Britain was leading the world in industry and commerce, so, it was felt, education must somehow be taking care of itself. Today, however, education is one of the most frequent subjects for public debate in the country. Schools and other educational institutions (such as universities) existed in Britain long before the government began to take an interest in education. When it finally did, it did not sweep these institutions away, nor did it always take them over. In typically British fashion, it sometimes incorporated them into the system and sometimes left them outside it. Most importantly, the government left alone the small group of schools which had been used in the nineteenth century to educate the sons of the upper and upper-middle classes. Their aim was to prepare young men to take up position in the higher ranks of the army, in business, the legal profession, the civil service and politics. When the pupils from these schools finished their education, they formed the ruling elite, retaining the distinctive habits and vocabulary which they had learnt at school. They formed a closed group, to a great extend separate from the rest of society. Entry into
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