Education in the United Kingdom is organised separately in each of the countries of the United Kingdom. For details, see;

• Education in England,
• Education in Northern Ireland,
• Education in Scotland,
• Education in Wales.

This article provides some description of differences between the systems. Education in England is the responsibility of Department for Education and Skills at national level and, in the case of publicly funded compulsory education, of Local Education Authorities. ... Education in Northern Ireland differs slightly from the system used elsewhere in the United Kingdom. ... Educational oversight Cabinet Secretary Scottish Government Fiona Hyslop MSP National education budget n/a (2007-08) Primary language(s) English and Scottish Gaelic National system Compulsory education 1872 Literacy (2005 est)  â€¢ Men  â€¢ Women 99% 99% 99% Enrollment  â€¢ Primary  â€¢ Secondary  â€¢ Post-secondary 1,452,240 390,2602 322,980 739,0003... Education in Wales differs in certain respects from the system used elsewhere in the United Kingdom. ...

Some comparisons

Accountability

Education in England is the responsibility of the UK Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families and the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, though the day to day administration and funding of state schools is the responsibility of Local Education Authorities. In Scotland, the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning is responsible to the Scottish Parliament for education, with day to day administration and funding of state schools being the responsibility of Local Authorities. The administrations and assemblies in Wales and Northern Ireland have responsibility for Education in their areas. The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families is a Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom. ... The Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills is a Cabinet minister in the United Kingdom. ... A Local Education Authority (LEA) is the part of a council in England or Wales that is responsible for education within that councils jurisdiction. ... This article is about the country. ... The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning is a position in the Scottish Executive cabinet responsible for the Scottish Executive Education Department. ... For the national legislative body up to 1707, see Parliament of Scotland. ... Established 1999 by the Government of Wales Act 1998 Presiding Officer Lord Elis-Thomas AM (Plaid) Since May 12, 1999 Deputy Presiding Officer Rosemary Butler AM (Lab) Leader of the House Carwyn Jones AM (Lab) Chief Executive and Clerk to the Assembly Claire Clancy Political parties 6 Welsh Labour (26... The logo of the Northern Ireland Assembly, a six flowered linen or flax plant. ...

School curriculum

Schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland follow the National Curriculum which was introduced by the UK government under the Education Reform Act 1988. Scotland does not have a proscribed national curriculum though schools are expected to follow national guidelines. Learning and Teaching Scotland has a key role in helping schools improve the curriculum they offer. The most recent curricular advice is contained in the publication 'A Curriculum for Excellence' and all schools are expected to move towards adjusting the curriculum they offer in the light of these guidelines. The National Curriculum was introduced into England, Wales and Northern Ireland, as a nationwide curriculum for primary and secondary state schools following the Education Reform Act 1988. ... The United Kingdom is a unitary state and a democratic constitutional monarchy. ... The Education Reform Act of 1988 is widely regarded as the most important single piece of education legislation in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland since the Butler Education Act 1944. ... Learning and Teaching Scotland (LTS or LT Scotland) is a non-departmental public body based in Glasgow, Scotland. ...

History

In England and Wales, prior to the 19th century, most schools were established by private benefactors and operated as educational charities. The state became involved in construction of schools in England and Wales in 1833, with the Elementary Education Act of 1870 setting the framework for universal education. Compulsory education was introduced in 1888 and the "Balfour" Education Act of 1902 brought most schools in England and Wales under Local Education Authority control. The "Butler" Education Act of 1944 changed the education system for secondary schools in England and Wales. Initially schools were separated into primary school (infant schools age 5 to 7 and junior schools age 7 to 11), and secondary schools (split into more academic grammar schools and more vocational secondary modern schools). Under both Labour and Conservative governments of the 1960's and 1970's most secondary modern and grammar schools were reorganised as comprehensive schools. Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about charitable organizations. ... Elementary Education Act 1870 commonly known as Forsters Education Act established guidelines which, on paper, granted the right to schooling to any male between the ages of 5 and 13. ... For the steel manufacturer, see Arthur Balfour, 1st Baron Riverdale. ... Education Act 1902 is an act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom affecting education in England and Wales. ... A Local Education Authority (LEA) is the part of a council in England or Wales that is responsible for education within that councils jurisdiction. ... Richard Austen Butler, Baron Butler of Saffron Walden, KG, CH, PC, DL (9 December 1902 – 8 March 1982), who invariably signed his name R. A. Butler and was familiarly known as Rab, was a British Conservative politician. ... The Education Act 1944 changed the education system for secondary schools in England and Wales. ...

In Scotland, compulsory education for barons and wealthy landowners began with the Education Act of 1496. The Education Act of 1633 ordained the establishment and maintenance of parish schools. The 1633 act was strengthened by the Education Act of 1646, which itself was reaffirmed by the Education Act of 1696. That act would regulate education until the Education (Scotland) Act 1872, when the Scottish Education Department in took over that role. For other uses, see Baron (disambiguation). ... The Education Act of 1496 was passed by the Scottish Parliament in that year at the behest of James IV. It made schooling compulsory for the first time in Scotland since it forced all nobles and freeholders to educate their eldest sons in Latin, followed by the Arts, and Scots... A parish is a type of administrative subdivision. ... The Education Act, 1696 was a law passed by the Parliament of Scotland to establish a school and a schoolmaster in every parish in Scotland. ... The Scottish Education Department (SED) was the body responsible for schooling in Scotland, founded in 1872, when education was made compulsory. ...

Operations

In England, children attend secondary education from the age of eleven, going to a comprehensive school, grammar school or an independant (fee-paying) school. All of these types of schools may be single sex or co-educational, however the vast majority of comprehensive schools are co-educational. School hours are generally between 08.30 hours and 15.30 hours, though schools set their own hours. Children go to school from Monday to Friday for three terms and have thirteen weeks of holiday which are Easter, Christmas and the summer, with a week breaking up each of the three terms (Half Term). A comprehensive school is a secondary school that does not select children on the basis of academic attainment or aptitude. ... This article is about the Christian festival. ... For other uses, see Christmas (disambiguation). ...

In Scotland, all local authority schools are comprehensive schools which the vast majority of pupils attend. Local Authorities set the dates for holidays in their own areas, though all teachers in local authority schools have the same holiday entitlement - effectively 12 weeks per year. The teachers' contract actually stipulates that teachers are expected to work 195 days per year, of which 5 working days are In-Service Training days. This means that pupils effectively get 13 weeks holidays per year. The teachers' contract also stipulates that working hours of secondary schools should be 27.5 hours per week, though teachers are expected to work a 35 hour week. As part of the McCrone agreement, teachers are entitled to work 'at a time and place of their choosing' if not required for actual teaching duties. Since the maximum pupil contact time is 22.5 hours, all teachers will have time during school hours when they may choose to leave the building for some other purpose - on the basis that they will be working the hours at some other time.

School stages

In England, Wales and Northern Ireland, primary school education is compulsory from age 5. Children most commonly enter Reception Class aged 4 in the academic year in which they will reach their 5th birthday. The remaining years are called Year 1, Year 2, etc, up to year 6. It is normal for a single teacher to teach pupils throughout the year, encompassing all subjects including an introductory course in a modern European language. Primary school education may be divided into Infant (ages 4-7) and Junior (ages 7-11) school. At the end of the Infant School, pupils sit Key Stage 1 SATs with Key Stage 2 SATs taken at the end of Year 6. The majority of local authorities set the primary to secondary transition age at 11. Secondary school students also study vocational subjects such as hairdressing and beauty, construction, woodwork and travel and tourism. Private schools, and some Grammar schools also offer subjects such as Greek and Latin. All students between the age of fourteen and sixteen in England and Wales sit the General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations. Students who do the General Certificate of Secondary Education must study English, Mathematics, Science, Physical Education, Religious Education. Schools then offer other subjects that the students can choose to do. A student automatically progresses to the next level of year and does not repeat the year even if the student has failed his or her examinations. Increasingly, gifted and talented students are entered for examinations early, e.g. Mathematics is sometimes taken a year or a few terms early and then another GCSE such as Statistics or an FSMQ is taken in the remaining time of the year. Additionally, in some schools, students who fluently speak a GCSE Course Language (French, Spanish, Italian, Russian, Polish, Panjabi, Urdu etc.) are allowed to take this GCSE early, possibly in Key Stage 3 to enable them to take an additional GCSE when entering Key Stage Four. Students of any age may choose to attend the Further Education Colleges to further their post-secondary school education. Students may choose to study for National Vocational Qualifications as an alternative to A levels. Others, however, may wish to re-sit examinations to improve school-leaving qualifications and specialist further education colleges known as Sixth Form Colleges focus on school level qualifications. “Baby” redirects here. ... Look up junior in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... “GCSE” redirects here. ... “GCSE” redirects here. ... Free-standing Mathematics Qualifications (FSMQ) are a suite of mathematical qualifications available at levels 1 to 3 in the National Qualifications Framework – Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced. ... Further education (often abbreviated FE) is post-secondary, post-compulsory education (in addition to that received at secondary school). ... National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) are vocational awards in England and Wales that are achieved through assessment and training. ... A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales or Northern Ireland where students aged 16 to 18 complete post-compulsary further education qualifications, such as A Levels. ...

In Scotland, all pupils have the right to attend nursery school from age 3 though not all parents take up this option. Pupils born between March 1st in one year through to the end of February the following year are normally placed in the same year group. Since the academic year starts in August, pupils starting primary school range in age between 4 years 6 months and 5 years 6 months. After seven years of primary education, pupils move to secondary school. Most students sit Standard Grades at the end of the fourth year of their schooling though more advanced pupils may sit some of these exams at the end of third year. Students will typically sit 7 or 8 Standard Grades in a single year. Most pupils have to complete a full 4 years of secondary education though the oldest pupils may be able to leave school half way through the fourth year at the Christmas leaving date. (The youngest pupils in any year group may have to leave at the Christmas leaving date mid-way through their fifth year.) The majority of pupils choose to stay on for 5th year and a significant number stay on for a 6th year as well if they have not achieved the qualifications necessary for entry to University or whatever other career path they may have set their sight on. Students may choose to study for Scottish Vocational Qualifications or National Qualifications such as Highers that are also available in secondary schools. Increasingly, secondary schools are forming partnerships with Further Education Colleges to deliver more vocational courses to pupils for whom the secondary curriculum is inappropriate. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A Scottish Vocational Qualification, or SVQ, is a certificate of vocational education in Scotland. ...

Teaching unions

The main teaching unions in England and Wales are the National Union of Teachers, NASUWT and the Association of Teachers and Lecturers. The main teaching unions in Scotland are the Educational Institute of Scotland and the Scottish Secondary Teachers' Association. The National Union of Teachers (NUT) is a trade union of school teachers in England and Wales. ... The National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) is a trade union for teachers in the UK. It is a member of the Trades Union Congress (TUC). ... The Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL) is a trade union in the United Kingdom representing educationalists from primary to further education. ... The Educational Institute of Scotland is the oldest teachers trade union in the world, having been founded in 1847. ...

University education

Students who attend English universities do a three year course to earn a degree, whether it be an ordinary degree or an honours degree. There are also sandwich courses in which the student may need to do a year more. The sandwich courses offer work placement which allows the students to work for a short period of time before they complete their courses. English universities specialise subjects throughout the entire degree. All universities award a Bachelor Degree to the students who have completed their undergraduate courses. The Oxbridge universities (Oxford University and Cambridge University) which are amongst the world's oldest universities are generally ranked at or near the top of all UK universities. Academic degrees are usually split into classes: first class (I), upper second class (II:1), lower second class (II:2) and third (III), and unclassified (below third class). In many universities ordinary degrees are often confined to vocational courses such as medicine and dentistry, or awarded when a student hasn't passed enough modules to be awarded the honours degree. A bachelors degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course that generally lasts three or four years. ... Oxbridge is a name used to refer to the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest in the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world. ... The University of Oxford, located in the city of Oxford in England, is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. ... The University of Cambridge (often Cambridge University), located in Cambridge, England, is the second-oldest university in the English-speaking world and has a reputation as one of the most prestigious universities in the world. ... Map of medieval European universities This is a list of the oldest extant universities in the world. ... A degree is any of a wide range of status levels conferred by institutions of higher education, such as universities, normally as the result of successfully completing a program of study. ...

Students who attend the Scottish Universities can do an ordinary degree in three years, or complete an honours degree in four years. There are also sandwich courses in which the student may need to do a year more. The sandwich courses offer work placement which allows the students to work for a short period of time before they complete their courses. Scottish universities tend not to specialise subjects until the third year when students may decide to complete an ordinary degree in a further year or embark on a two-year honours course (often referred to as the Junior Honours Year and Senior Honours Year). Most universities award a Bachelor Degree to the students who have completed their undergraduate courses though for historical reasons, the Scottish ancient universities (University of St Andrews, University of Edinburgh, University of Aberdeen and University of Glasgow (as well as the University of Dundee) award a Master of Arts (MA) degree to arts students who have completed their undergraduate courses. These MA degrees are equivalent to a Bachelor Degree. Honours degrees are usually split into classes: first class (I), upper second class (II:1), lower second class (II:2) and third (III), and unclassified (below third class). Students who apply for a Scottish University while attending a Scottish secondary school do not need to pay for university tuition fees as it is paid for on their behalf by the Student Awards Agency for Scotland. A bachelors degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course that generally lasts three or four years. ... St Marys College Bute Medical School St Leonards College[5][6] Affiliations 1994 Group Website http://www. ... The University of Edinburgh (Scottish Gaelic: ), founded in 1582,[4] is a renowned centre for teaching and research in Edinburgh, Scotland. ... The University of Aberdeen was founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland. ... Master of Theology (MTh) Dentistry Nursing Affiliations Russell Group Universitas 21 Website http://www. ... The University of Dundee is the principal university in the city and Royal burgh of Dundee, Scotland. ... A bachelors degree is usually an undergraduate academic degree awarded for a course that generally lasts three or four years. ... The Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Executive Enterprise, Transport and Lifelong Learning Department and is responsible for paying the tuition fees for Scottish higher education students and awarding student loans. ...

References

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Image File history File links Question_book-3. ...

See also

• List of schools in the United Kingdom
• School governors
• Reform
• Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) (England)
• Estyn (Wales)
• Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (Scotland)
• Education and Training Inspectorate (Northern Ireland)