HIGHER EDUCATION IN RUSSIAAs has been mentioned above, there is a considerable enthusiasm for post-school education in Britain. A major aim of the government has been to increase the number of students who enter into higher education. The driving force for this has been mainly economic. It is assumed that the more people who study at degree level, the more likely the country is to succeed economically. A large proportion of young people – about a third in England and Wales and almost half in Scotland – continue in education at a more advanced level beyond the age of 18. The higher education sector provides a variety of courses up to degree and postgraduate degree level, and carries out research. It increasingly caters for older students; over 50% of students in 1999 were aged 25 and over and many studied part-time. Nearly every university offers access and foundation courses before enrolment on a course of higher education of prospective students who do not have the standard entry qualifications. Higher education in Britain is traditionally associated with universities, though education of University standard is also given in other institutions such as colleges and institutes of higher education,which have the power to award their own degrees.
Oxford and Cambridge are composed of semi-independent colleges, each college having its own staff, known as 'Fellows'. Most colleges have their own dining hall, library and chapel and contain enough accommodation for at least half of their students. The Fellows teach the students, either one-to-one or in very small groups (called 'tutorials' inOxford and 'supervisions' in Cambridge), the tutorial method bringing the tutor into close and personal contact with the student. Before 1970 all Oxbridge colleges were single-sex (mostly for men). Now, the majority admits both sexes. Among other older universities there should be mentioned four Scottish universities, such as St Andrews (1411), Glasgow (1450), Aberdeen (1494), and Edinburgh (1583). The first of these, being the oldest one, resembles Oxbridge inmany ways, while the other three follow the pattern of more modern universities in that the students live at home or find their own rooms in town. At all of them teaching is organised along the lines of the continental tradition – there is less specialisation than at Oxbridge. The second group of universities comprises various institutions of higher education, usually with a technical bias, that by 1900 had sprang up in the new industrial towns and cities such as Birmingham, Manchester, Sheffield and Leeds. These got to be known as civic or 'redbrick' universities. (Their buildings were made of local material, often brick, in contrast to the stone of older universities, hence the name, 'redbrick'). These universities catered mostly for local people. At first they prepared students for London University degree, but later they were given the right to award their own degrees, and so became universities themselves. In the mid-20th century they started to accept students from all over the country. The third group consists of new universities founded after the Second World War and later in the 1960s, which saw considerable expansion in new universities. These are purpose-built institutions located in the countryside but close to towns. Examples are East Anglia, Sussex and Warwick. From their beginning they attracted students from all over the country, and provided accommodation for most of their students on site (hence their name, 'campus' universities). They tend to emphasise relatively 'new' academic disciplines such as social sciences and make greater use than other universities of teaching in small groups, often known as 'seminars'. Among this group there are also universities often called 'newer civic' universities. These were originally technical colleges set up by local authorities in the first half of this century. Their upgrading to university status took place in two waves. The first wave occurred in the mid-1960s, when ten of them were promoted in this way. Another thirty became 'polytechnics',in the early 1970s, which meant that along with their former courses they were allowed to teach degree courses (the degrees being awarded by a national body). Polytechnics were originally expected to offer a broader-based, more practical and vocational education than the universities. Their most notable feature was flexibility with regard to studying arrangements. Polytechnics were designed for specific tasks and had close links with local commerce and industry; attracted many part-time students on short courses; and provided 'access' programmes for those students without standard entry qualifications. Polytechnics had a wide range of arts and science courses so that a student might study for a degree, certificate or diploma on a full-time or part-time basis, including 'sandwich' courses, i.e. studies interrupted by periods of time outside education. In the early 1990s most of the polytechnics became universities. So there are now 89 universities and a further 19 colleges and institutes of higher education in the UK. The country has moved rapidly from a rather elitist system to one which is much more open, if not yet a mass system of higher education. The above-mentioned changes have had a profound effect upon the nature of university education. Once there was a clear distinction between academic education and vocational education, the latter (with the exception of the training for the professions, such as law and medicine) taking place in polytechnics. Now that distinction has disappeared and universities offer a wide range of courses from highly academic ones to very vocational practical ones (such as degrees in hotel and catering or leisure and tourism). The range of ability is, of course, much wider, and there is a growing sense of a hierarchy of prestige (and resources) within the system.
This kind of selection procedure means that not everyone in Britain with A-level qualifications will be offered the chance of a university education. Critics argue that this creates an elitist system with the academic minority in society whilst supporters of the system argue that this enables Britain to get high-quality graduates who have specialised skills. The current system will be modified by the late 90s and into the next century, since secondary system is moving towards a broader-based education to replace the specialised 'A' level approach. The reasons for this lie in Britain's need to have a highly skilled and educated workforce, not just an elite few, to meet the needs of the technological era. The independence of Britain's educational institutions is most noticeable in universities. They make their own choices of who to accept on their courses and normally do this on the basis of a student's A-level results and an interview. Those with better exam grades are more likely to be accepted. Virtually all degree courses last three years, however there are some four-year courses and medical and veterinary courses last five or six years. The British University year is divided into three terms, roughly eight to ten weeks each. The terms are crowded with activity and the vacations between the terms – amonth at Christmas, a month at Easter, and three or four months in summer – are mainly periods of intellectual digestion and private study. The courses are also 'full-time' which really means full-time: the students are not supposed to take a job during term time. Unless their parents are rich, they receive a state grant of money, which covers most of their expenses including the cost of accommodation. Grants and loans are intended to create opportunities for equality in education. A grants system was set up to support students through university. Grants are paid by the local education authority on the basis of parental income. In the late 80s the (Conservative) government decided to stop increases in these grants, which were previously linked to inflation. Instead, students were able to borrow money in the form of a low-interest loan, which then had to be paid back after their course had finished. Critics argue that students from less affluent families had to think twice before entering the course, and that this worsened the trend which saw a 33% drop in working-class student numbers in the 1980s. Students studying for the first degree are called undergraduates. At the end of the third year of study undergraduates sit for their examinations and take the bachelor's degree. Those engaged in the study of arts subjects such as history, languages, economics or law take Bachelor of Arts (BA). Students studying pure or applied sciences such as medicine, dentistry, technology or agriculture get Bachelor of Science (BSc). When they have been awarded the degree, they are known as graduates. Most people get honours degrees,awarded in different classes. These are: Class I (known as 'a first'), Class II, I (or 'an upper second), Class II, II 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). Students who obtain their Bachelor degree can apply to take a further degree course, usually involving a mixture of exam courses and research. There are two different types of post-graduate courses –the Master's Degree (MA or MSc),which takes one or two years, and the higher degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD),which takes two or three years. Funding for post-graduate courses is very limited, and even students with first class degrees may be unable to get a grant. Consequently many post-graduates have heavy bank loans or are working to pay their way to a higher degree. The university system also provides a national network of extramural or 'Continuing Education' Departments which offer academic courses for adults who wish to study – often for the sheer pleasure of study – after they have left school or higher education. One development in education in which Britain can claim to lead the world is the Open University. It was founded in 1969 in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire and is so called because it is open to all — this university does not require any formal academic qualifications to study for a degree, and many people who do not have an opportunity to be 'ordinary' students enrol. The university is non-residential and courses are mainly taught by specially written course books and by programmes on state radio and television. There are, however, short summer courses of about a week that the students have to attend and special part-time study centres where they can meet their tutors when they have problems. As mentioned above, the British higher education system was added to in the 1970s which saw the creation of colleges and institutes of higher education, often by merging existing colleges or by establishing new institutions. They now offer a wide range of degree, certificate and diploma courses in both science and the arts, and in some cases have specifically taken over the role of training teachers for the schools. There are also a variety of other British higher institutions, which offer higher education. Some, like the Royal College of Art, the Cornfield Institute of Technology and various Business Schools, 'have university status, while others, such as agricultural, drama and arts colleges like the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts (RADA) and the Royal College of Music provide comparable courses. All these institutions usually have a strong vocational aspect to their programmes, which fills a specialised role in higher education.
Questions: 1. What educational institutions provide higher education in Britain 2. What do you call the qualifications you get at university? 3. How can English Universities be classified? 4. What is the first group of English universities? 5. How are Oxford and Cambridge Universities organised? 6. What is the second group of English universities? 7. What universities does the third group consist of? What is typical of them? 8. How many universities and colleges of higher education are there in Britain now? 9. Is there any distinction between academic education and vocational education? 10. How do universities select students? 11. How many terms is the academic year divided into? 12. How do students pay for there education? 13. What students are called undergraduates? 14. What degrees are students awarded? 15. What are the types of post-graduate courses? 16. What is Open University? HIGHER EDUCATION IN RUSSIA 1. Read and translate international words: Qualification [`kwolifikei∫n], qualified ['kwolifaid], speciality [,spe∫i`æliti], specialist, special, specialize, engineer [,end i'niә], style, method ['meθәd], distance, system, foundation, course [ko:s], instruction, mathematics [maθi'mætiks], physics ['fiziks], chemistry ['kemistri], history, economics, to concentrate ['konsәntreit], process ['prәuses], progress ['prәugres], industry, standart, laboratory [lә’borәtәri], information technology [tәk’nolod i], computer engineering. 2. Read and remember: Bachelor ['bæt∫әlә] - бакалавр, higher [haiә] education – высшее образование, highly-qualified – высоко квалифицированный, field [fi:ld] – область, important [im'po:tant] - важный, provide [prә'vaid] - обеспечивать, development [di'velәpmәnt] - развитие, enough [i’nΛf] - достаточно, through [θru:] – через, посредством, thorough ['θΛrә] - всесторонний, quality ['kwoliti] – качество, natural ['næt∫rәl] - естественный, science ['saiәns] - наука, scientist ['saiәntist] - ученый, require [ri'kwaiә] - требовать, curricula [kә'rikjulә] - расписание, foreign ['forin] - иностранный, major ['meid ә]- главный, future ['fju:t∫ә] - будущее, further ['fә:ðә] - дальнейший, research [ri'sә:t∫]– исследование, know [nou] - знать, knowledge [`nolid ]– знание., whole [houl] – весь, целый, satellite [`sætәlait] – спутник, success [sәk’ses] – успех. 3. Read and translate the text: Higher education plays an important part in the life of any country as it provides the country with highly-qualified specialists for future development and progress. It trains people to become teachers, engineers, doctors and other professional workers. In all the industrial countries standards of living are steadily changing; this means that the kind of education, which was good enough thirty years ago, is not necessary good for them today. Our world changes very rapidly. And this means that styles of teaching, quality of learning materials and organization of the university itself have to be continuously improved. Knowledge and information which comes through the mass media must also be taken into consideration. This information explosion has affected every field of study, especially the natural and applied sciences. The increase of information requires new methods and new approaches to students' training and instruction. Entrance to any University is by passing different exams or by the results of Unified State Standard. The head of a university is Rector. Usually there are several faculties in a university. Each faculty has a number of specialized departments and is headed by dean. The course of studies lasts 5-6 years. The academic year in this country's higher schools begins on the 1st of September and is divided into two terms (semesters). The academic year usually lasts 9 months. Students take exams at the end of each semester. If the results of the examinations are good students get scholarship. Twice a year students have vacations — two weeks in winter and two months in summer. The first and second year students obtain thorough instructions in the fundamental sciences of mathematics, physics, chemistry and drawing as well as computer engineering and a number of others. The curricula also includes such subjects as foreign languages, history and economics. The system of teaching combines lectures for the whole department, tuition in small groups and individual consultations with teaching staff. It is interesting but difficult to study at University, especially for the first-year students as they do not know yet how to organize their work and time At the third year students get specialized knowledge and begin to concentrate on their special "major" subject and take many courses in this subject. Specialized study and courses will help students to become specialists and prepare them for their future work. After four years students will get a bachelor's degree. Then the students may go on with their studies and in a year or two of further study and research get a master's degree. A very good tradition of Universities is that theory is accompanied by practical training. Students begin to work at the University's well-equipped laboratories and in senior years at various plants, workshops, design offices and research institutes of this country. Before graduating from the university students must write and defend a diploma paper on the chosen specialty. Higher education in this country is free of charge. But a lot of students sponsored by enterprises or pay fees, especially part-time students. At present a new system of education is introduced in this country — a distance education system. This computer system of learning helps working professionals to continue their education while remaining at their jobs. This system enables people to get knowledge and a good foundation in the sciences basic to his or her field of study. Distance learning has developed over years from satellite video courses to modern videoconferencing through personal computers. The role of computers in education is increasing rapidly. Computers are now essential in many areas of life – modern banking, information technology, medicine, engineering, education and many others. There are many subjects which may be better taught using computers. Elementary mathematics, elementary language learning, any subject that requires a student to memorize basic facts through repetition is good to computer learning. Computers can provide an endless number of simple questions, and the student answers these questions and the facts are learned. Education is a process through which you preserve culture, develop knowledge and skills, form values, and exchange information. Education is the way to success! 4. Continue the sentences and translate: 1. Higher education provides … 2. Information explosion has affected … 3. The increase of information requires … 4. The head of a department is … 5. You can enter university by … 6. The academic year lasts … 7. Students get grants if … 8. The first and second year students obtain … 9. It is difficult to study at University for the first-year students because … 10. At the third year students get … 11. Theory is accompanied …. at … 12. After graduating students defend … 13. A distance education system is … 14. Computers are now essential in … 15. … are subjects that are good to computer learning. 5. Answer the questions: 1. Why does higher education play an important part in our life? Whom does it train? 2. Is education of thirty years old good for us? Why not? 3. Our world changes very rapidly, doesn’t it? What does it mean? 4. How did mass media affect every field of study? 5. Who is the head of University/faculty/department? 6. How long does the course of studies run? 7. What is the way of entering to the University? 8. How many terms are in every academic year? 9. How can a student get a scholarship? 10. When do students get vocations? In your opinion, is it enough? Why? 11. How do first (third/forth)-year students study? 12. At what places do students have practice? 13. What do students do before graduation from the University? 14. Do all students study free? Why not? 15. Whom does a distance education system help? Must these people attend University or not? What are the means (средства) of this system? 16. The role of computers in education is increasing rapidly, isn’t it? Where are computers essential now (your own examples)? 17. Can we learn all subjects with the help of the computer? In what way does a computer help learning facts? 18. Do you agree that education is the way to success? Why? 6. Give Russian equivalents and learn by heart: To provide students with higher education, thorough development and progress, to train foreign specialists, quality of teaching and learning material, necessary enough, to improve qualification, special knowledge of natural sciences, to provide distance education through satellites, to require new methods and approaches, highly-qualified scientists, twice a year, to divide into two terms, to concentrate on major subject, the quality of research, take into consideration important courses, well-equipped laboratories, to pay fees, to remain free of charge, to increase rapidly, to memorize basic facts through repetition, to answer endless questions, to require elementary language learning, to preserve culture and skills, the way to success. 7. Give English equivalents and learn by heart: Расписание, обучение (2), преподавательский состав, прикладные науки, индивидуальные курсы, специалист, степень бакалавра и магистра, практика, фабрика, мастерская, исследовательский институт, инженер, промышленная страна, теория, предприятие, область изучения, важный во многих областях, современные информационные технологии, обеспечивать вопросы и ответы, ценность.
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