EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN GREAT BRITAIN

Great Britain

Geographical position: The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is situated on the British Isles. They lie to the north-west of Europe. The British Isles consist of two large islands, Great Britain and Ireland, and about 5,000 small islands. The British Isles are separated from the continent by the narrow strait of water which is called the English Channel. Great Britain is washed by seas from all sides. The British Isles are surrounded by the shallow waters of the Irish Sea and the North Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the North Channel and the Atlantic Ocean. That’s why the climate and the nature of Great Britain are very specific. It is not very cold in winter and never very hot in summer. There is no ice on the lakes and rivers in winter. It rains very often in all seasons and on the average Britain has 204 rainy days a year. The weather changes very often. Besides, Britain is famous for its fogs. Sometimes fogs are so thick that it is impossible to see anything within 2 or 3 meters. The United Kingdom is very small comparing with the biggest countries in the world such as Russia, China or the USA. It occupies only 0.2 per cent of the world’s surface and its total area is about 244,000 square kilometers. The population of the UK is over 60 million. About 80 % of the population is urban so most of the people live in large towns.

The nature of the British Isles is picturesque. Everyone who comes to England says that it looks like one great beautiful well-kept park. There are beautiful gardens, fields, meadows, many rivers, lakes and woods in Great Britain. The longest river is the Severn in England, but the most famous is the Thames (it is called “Father of London”) because it gave rise to the capital of the country – London. The most famous lake is Loch Ness in Scotland which is said to have a water monster. You will not find high mountains or large plains in Britain. Everything occupies very little place. The highest mountain, Ben Nevis, is in Scotland. The best-known wood in Sherwood Forest where Robin Hood once lived, the legendary outlaw who robbed the rich and gave their money to the poor.

The United Kingdom consists of four countries: England, Wales, Scotland and the Northern Ireland. Many foreigners say “English” and “England” when they mean “British” and “Britain”. This is very annoying for the 5 million Scotsmen, 2,8 million Welsh and 1,5 million Irishmen who are not certainly English but are all British.

England: England is the largest, the richest, the most fertile and most populated part of the UK. England is mostly a lowland country with plenty of rivers and lakes.

The capital of England is London, the Patron Saint is St. George, the symbol of the country is a red rose. It comes from the history of the country. This symbol goes back to the War of the Roses, which was the war within the country. In the 15th century two Houses were struggling for the English throne — the Lancastrians and theYorkists. Red rose was the emblem of the Lancastrians and the white rose was that of the Yorkists. Their rival ended when King Henry VII, the Lancastrian, married Princess Elizabeth, the daughter of the Yorkists. Since that time the red rose has become the national emblem of England. An oak is also depicted as the national symbol of the country.

One cannot but admire the most picturesque and charming small towns and villages of England. But there are other large industrial cities, such as Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester and other famous and interesting cities as York, Chester, Oxford and Cambridge. There is a lot of interesting to see in England: e.g. Stonehenge (dates back to the 2000 BC). The huge stones placed in circles were, perhaps an ancient observatory. Who brought those stones? How did they do it? These questions haven’t been answered yet.

Not far from Stonehenge Salisbury Cathedral. It is a splendid example of an English Gothic Cathedral; inside there is one of four copies of Magna Charta and the oldest clock in England.

In Chester there is a famous museum which contains over 5000 ancient and modern toys.

Oxford and Cambridge are the oldest university towns in Great Britain. The University of Oxford was established in 1214 and Cambridge University was founded in 1284. Now there are 32 colleges in Oxford and 27 in Cambridge.

Stratford-on-Avon is the town where William Shakespeare was born on April 23, 1564. Thousands of people visit the Shakespeare Memorial Theatre in Stratford-on-Avon where Shakespeare’s plays are staged.

And, of course, London with its numerous places if interest: Buckingham Palace (the residence of the Queen of England), St. Paul’s Cathedral, London Bridge and the Tower of London, Trafalgar Square, the British Museum, the National gallery, Regent’s Park, Hyde Park, Piccadilly Circus, Westminster Abbey (a very beautiful and old church where almost every English monarch has been crowned. The Abbey is also known for its Poet’s Corner. There are graves of great English poets and writers. Another famous place of interest is the Houses of Parliament (or Westminster Palace). It is the seat of the British government and it is one of the most beautiful buildings in London. In one of its towers there is the famous Big Ben, the largest clock of England. It strikes every quarter of an hour. Big Ben is the symbol of London.

Scotland:Scotland is divided geographically and socially into twoareas–the Highlands (towards the northandwest) and the Lowlands (the south and east).The Highlands of Scotland are among the oldest mountains in the world. Scotland is the land of mountains lost in clouds, with narrow valleys and plains, famous lochs and no end of large and small islands off the coast. Scotland’s lochs are deep and full of large fish. The biggest fish is the famous Scottish salmon. They are difficult to catch and very strong.

The capital of Scotland is Edinburg, the Patron Saint is St. Andrew (the Saint’s Day is 30 November). For many centuries the purple thistle has been Scotland's national emblem. There is a legend that explains why it became the Scottish emblem. According to that legend, ancient Scandinavians (the Norsemen) wanted to plunder the land of Scotland and settle there. So, they landed on the east coast of Scotland. The Scots gathered their army to defend the land. They assembled behind the river Tay and made a camp to have rest after a long march. The Scots were sleeping and did not expect the enemies. When the Norsemen decided to attack the Scots, they took their shoes off not to make noise. But one of the Norsemen stepped on a thistle. That sudden and sharp pain made him scream. So the Scots heard this "alarm" and put the Norsemen to fight. That is how the thistle became the emblem of Scotland.

Edinburg is a very beautiful city with a lot of historic sights. Edinburg is well-known for its castles. Edinburg Castle is a famous fortress which was used to keep off the enemy. Glasgow is the industrial capital of Scotland. The typical products of Scotland are timber, whisky and salmon. Golf is the national sport and it seems to have originated in this country. Scotland is a country of myths and mysteries; every castle has its ghost. Glamis Castle is said to have nine ghosts. And, of course, everybody knows about the Loch Ness Monster. “Nessie” is said to be about six metres long, with a long, thin neck. The first report of the monster in Loch Ness was in 565 A. D. Since 1934 thousands of people claimed that they had seen the monster. Scientists have investigated the Loch and taken pictures but no scientific explanation of the mystery has been given.

Every Scottish clan has its own tartan (the softest wool) and the national dress of the Highlands is made out of this tartan. Scotland has its own typical musical instrument, the pipes (sometimes called the bagpipes), its own national dances and songs. It is important to remember that people who live in Scotland are “Scots” or “Scottish”. “Scotch” refers to a famous whisky! Scotch whisky derives its name from the Gaelic word meaning “the water of life”. It is made from water and barley. Many writers have used the Highlands as the setting for poems, plays and novels. Perhaps the most famous is the historical novelist Sir Walter Scott.

Wales: Wales is a lovely small highland country with old great mountains, with highest peaks of Great Britain, gentle valleys, rivers, waterfalls and quiet lakes. Many English people move to Wales when they retire.

The capital of Wales is Cardiff, the Patron Saint is St. David (Saint’s Day 1 March). Wales has got two national symbols. These are the daffodil and the leek. They are both connected to the Patron Saint of Wales. According to the legend, during a battle against the Saxons, St. David advised his soldiers to wear leeks in their hats so that they could easily be distinguished from their enemies. Another link between the leek and St. David is the belief that he had to live on bread and wild leek for several years. However, today each year on St. David's Day the leek is worn in the cap badges of every soldier in every Welsh regiment. But outside the army, many other Welsh people have substituted the leek by the daffodil, perhaps because it looks more attractive and certainly smells a lot better. The daffodil is also associated with St. David's Day, due to the fact that it breaks into blossom on that day. Interesting to note that one of the many Welsh names for a daffodil is "Peter's leek".

The Welsh are the only nation on the British Isles that has preserved its original language – Welsh, a Celtic language is very different from English. In the 1960s the Welsh language was given equal status with English as an official language and is used in the law courts. About 20 % people speak Welsh, some TV programs are broadcast in Welsh and children learn it at school. The Welsh people are also famous for their singing. A lot of Welsh people play musical instruments, too. Wales has a very strong folk culture. No one has a deeper love of its home and his family than the Welshman and there is no other part of Great Britain where national traditions are so cherished.

Northern Ireland:Northern Ireland, also known as Ulster, is the second largest country of the British Isles. In 1921 the island of Ireland was divided into Northern Ireland and the republic of Ireland or the Irish Free State (Eire). Almost all the area of Northern Ireland is a plain of volcanic origin with low hills and peaks of rocks in the north-west. The rivers are short but deep.

The capital of Northern Ireland is Belfast, the Patron Saint is St. Patrick, the symbol of the country is a shamrock. It is also connected to St. Patrick, Patron Saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick is most famous for bringing Christianity to Ireland. The legend tells how he used the shamrock, a kind of a white clover with three leaves to explain the Holy Trinity. Apparently, he used it to show how the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit could all exist as separate elements of the same entity.

The red hand is also a symbol of Northern Ireland. The Red Hand is in its flag. According to the myth, there was time when the heir to the throne of Ireland was undecided. And they decided to hold a boat-race and the winner (the first who would reach the shore of Ulster) would be the king. One competitor so much desired the country that when he saw that he was loosing the race, he cut his hand, threw it to the shore and won. The hand is most likely red because it was covered with blood.

Numerous legends are connected with St. Patrick – the Patron Saint of Ireland. The best known legend says that he cleared Ireland of snakes. He cheated the king of snakes making him get into the box and threw the box into the sea. The other snakes jumped into the water after the king and were drowned.

The Irish population is divided into two groups: the Protestants and the Catholics. The Protestants are of British origin. They are descendants of British settlers who came to Ireland in the XV and XVII centuries, during and after the Reformation. The Catholics are mostly natives of Ireland. The Protestants were the majority and dominated the Catholics with strong discrimination. In 1968 the Catholics began the movement for equal civil rights. The fighting between the two groups of the population continue to this day.

Northern Ireland has a strong cultural tradition: songs, dances, literature and festivals. It has its own Art Council, and there are orchestras, theatres, ballet and opera companies.

Each country of the UK is divided into counties. England: 46 counties; Scotland: 33 counties; Wales: 13 counties; Northern Ireland: 6 counties.

Economy: Great Britain is not very rich in mineral resources though there is oil in the North Sea, coal in Wales and in the north of England, tin and other non-ferrous metals in the south. Nevertheless Great Britain is highly developed industrial country. The economy of Great Britain is one of the strongest in Europe. It is known as one of the world’s largest producers and exporters of machinery, electronics, textile, aircraft and navigation equipment, foods and beverages, chemicals, ceramics, rubber and plastic goods. One of the chief industries of the country is shipbuilding. Nowadays Great Britain is a leading trading power and financial centre of Europe.

Government: the UK is a constitutional monarchy. In law, Head of the State is Queen. In practice, Queen reigns, but does not rule. The Queen has very little power. The country is ruled by the elected government with the Prime Minister at the head. The British Parliament consists of two chambers: the House of Lords and the House Commons. But what does the Queen do? She has to put her signature on new laws, even if she doesn’t like them. Every autumn she opens Parliament, but the speech she makes from the throne, is written by the Prime Minister. The Queen is a symbol of Britain’s long history and tradition and her most important function is ceremonial. She represents Britain when she meets other heads of state. Once a week she has a meeting with the Prime Minister. As head of the Commonwealth, she meets and entertains prime ministers of the member states. Every year she speaks on TV on Christmas day. She opens new hospitals, bridges and museums. After disasters she sends messages to the families of the victims.

The national symbols: the flag of Britain, commonly known as the Union Jack, represents the emblems of three countries united under one Sovereign – the kingdoms of England and Wales, of Scotland and of Ireland. The emblems that appear on the Union Flag are the crosses of three patron saints:

- the red cross of St. George, for England, on a white ground;

- the white diagonal cross of St. Andrew, for Scotland, on the blue ground;

- the red diagonal cross of St. Patrick, for Ireland, on a white ground.

Wales is not represented in the Union Flag because when the first version of the flag appeared, Wales was already united with England. The national flag of Wales, a red dragon on a field of white and green, dates from the 15^th century.

The Royal Crest – a lion bearing the Royal crown – is used to denote articles of personal property belonging to the Queen. The lion, “the king of beasts” has been used as a symbol of national strength and of the British monarchy for many centuries.

The British National anthem originated in a patriotic song first performed in 1745. On official occasions it is usual to sing the first verse only, the words of which are as follows:

“God save our gracious Queen!

Long live our noble Queen!

God save the Queen!

Send her victorious,

Happy and glorious.

Long to reign over us,

God save the Queen!”

EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM IN GREAT BRITAIN

Education in Great Britain dates back from medieval times. The oldest school is Westminster College, founded in 1179. There are two basic systems of education in the UK: one covering England, Wales and Northern Ireland and the other one covering Scotland. There are three stages of education in Great Britain: primary education, secondary education and higher education.

Date: 2015-12-11; view: 1635