Education in Great Britain

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16 are an important age for school-leaves because they have to make key decisions as to their future lives and careers. There is a number of choices for them.

7.Life at School.

The school year is divided into terms, three months each, named after seasons: autumn term, winter term and spring term.

The autumn term starts on the first Tuesday morning in September. In July schools break up for eight weeks.

Life at school is more or less similar everywhere. Each group of 30 pupils is the responsibility of a form tutor. Each school day is divided into periods of 40-50 minutes, time for various lessons with 10-20 minutes breaks between them. It might be interesting for you to see the “Bell Times” at Lawnswood school in Leads.

Bell Times

8.40 a.m. – School begins

8.45 a.m. – Registration

8.50 a.m. – Assembly bell

9.00 a.m. – Pupils move to lessons

9.05 a.m. – Lesson 1

9.45 a.m. - Lesson 2

10.25 a.m. – Lesson 3

11.25 a.m. – Lesson 3

11.05 a.m. – Break

11.25 a.m. – Pupils move to lessons

11.30 a.m. – Lesson 4

12.10 p.m. – Lesson 5

12.50 p.m. – Lunch time

1.40 p.m. – Afternoon school begins

1.45 p.m. – Registration

1.50 p.m. – Lesson 6

2.30 p. m. Lesson 7

3.10 p.m. – End of normal lessons

3.10 p.m. – Start of additional lessons, clubs, societies, team practice, detentions.

On important occasions such as end of term or national holiday, called in English schools speech-days pupils are gathered in the assembly or hall.

Most of the pupil’s time is spent in a classroom equipped with desks and a blackboard nowadays often called chalkboard because normally it is brown or green. The desks are arranged in rows, the space between the rows is called an aisle.

In addition to classrooms there are laboratories for Physics, Chemistry and Biology. Technical rooms are for Woodwork, Metalwork, Technical Drawing. There are rooms for computer studies. Many young people use them for school exercise. They are now able to write their own games as well. The Physical Education lessons are conducted at the gymnasium, games-hall or at the playground in front of the school building. There are also language laboratories and house craft rooms. Every school has a library and a school canteen. In student common room boys and girls can relax during the breaks and lunchtime the Staff common room is for teachers. In case of illness a schoolchild may go to the sick room.

Pupils at many secondary schools Britain have to wear a school uniform. This usually means a white blouse for girls (perhaps with a tie), with a dark-colored skirt and pullover. Boys wear a shirt and tie, dark trousers and dark-colored pullovers. Pupils also wear blazers-a kind of jacket-with the school badge on the pocket. They often have to wear some kind of hat on the way to and from school-caps for boys and berets or some other kind of hat for girls shoes are usually black or brown. And no high heels!

Young people in Britain often don’t like their school uniform, especially the hats and shoes. Sometimes they do not wear the right clothes. Schools will often give them a warning the first time that this happens but then will punish them if they continue not to wear the correct uniform. Senior student don’t have to wear their school uniform.

It sounds logical to say that the school’s function is to train a pupil’s mind and his character should be formed at home. Teachers would be pleased if the problem could be solved so easily. But children don’t leave their characters at home when their minds go to school. Many of them have personality problems of one kind or another.

The pupils who violate various school regulations may be punished in the following ways: for lateness, truancy they may be reported to the Headmaster or named in school assembly. They may be detained in school after ordinary hours.

Corporal punishment has recently been banned in state schools. But in most public schools it is still allowed. Caning is the usual punishment for serious misbehavior in class, damage and vandalism. Many teachers remark that standards of discipline have fallen since corporal punishment was banned by the government.

Реферат опубликован: 12/01/2010