Secondary education

According to the National Curriculum, the statutory subjects that all pupils must study at this stage are art and design, citizenship, design and technology, English, geography, history, information and communication technology, mathematics, modern foreign languages, music, physical education and science. The teaching of careers education, sex education and religious education is also statutory.

2.1. Types of secondary schools

In UK two types of secondary education can be distinguished – selective and non-selective (comprehensive).

Within the non-selective (comprehensive) system, at the age of 11 children may go directly to a secondary comprehensive school.

Secondary comprehensive schools are state schools for children from the age of 11 to at least 16 that do not select children on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude. In the United Kingdom comprehensive schools were introduced in the late 1940s to the early 1970s. Some 90% of British pupils are educated at comprehensive schools.

Since this school teaches a comprehensive range of subjects across the academic and vocational spectrum it is commonly understood that the school will need to be of a large size and to take children from a wide ability range.

Within the selective system pupils may choose between grammar schools, technical schools and secondary modern schools.

Grammar schools are secondary schools attended by pupils aged 11 to 18 to which entry is controlled by means of an academically selective process which sometimes consists of a written examination (the eleven plus). Grammar schools give pupils a very high level of academic instruction. After leaving a grammar school, as with any other secondary school, a student may go into further education.

Secondary technical schools. These were a type of secondary schools in the United Kingdom that existed in the mid-20^th century. Their aim was to teach mechanical, scientific and engineering skills to serve industry and science. For various reasons few were ever built, and their main interest is on a theoretical level.

Technical schools were a modest success, given their limited resources and lack of government attention. Their curriculum was well shaped for dealing with real world employment, and had a solid practical edge. The schools had good links with industry and commerce. Nowadays there are just a few technical schools in England and Wales.

Secondary modern schools were formed in the UK after World War II and are intended for children who would be going into a trade and thus concentrate on the basics plus practical skills (cooking, woodwork, metalwork, etc.)*.

Date: 2014-12-29; view: 1635