Independent (Private) Schools

20.The meaning of the words independent and private with
reference to educational institutions has already been ex­
plained (see unit 2).

The expressions independent/private school are general ones and not necessarily connected with the English educa­tional system.

e.g. In England there are state schools and independent/

private schools. In the Soviet Union there are no in­dependent/private schools; all schools are stale.

Independent schools, unlike state schools, are fee-paying,that is, parents have to pay fees.The majority of independent schools are boarding schools,and pupils go home only for the holidays. However, there are also some independent day schools.Most independent schools are single-sex,that is, for boys or girls only, whereas most state schools are now coeducational,or mixed.(Mixed is less formal than coedu­cational. Coeducational can be abbreviated to coedin non-for­mal style.)

Independent schools are not generally divided into primary and secondary, like state schools. Many fit into the follow­ing pattern:

(1) kindergarten or pre-preparatory school — ages 5-8

(2) preparatory school (see unit 22) —ages 8-13

(3) public school or similar school

(see unit 21) —ages 13-16/18

Public school

A public school is an independent school for pupils aged 13-18 which is distinguished from other such schools by mem­bership of the Headmasters' Conference or one of two similar bodies, and therefore has a certain status. (There are about 260.) Most of them are boys' boarding schools, although some are day schools and some are for girls. A few have even become coeducational recently. Some of them are several hundred years old, but many others, including some of the thirty lead­ing public schools, were founded in the last 150 years. The most famous are Eton, Harrow, Winchester, and Rugby.

It is clear from this definition that public schools are now not public in the usual sense of the word. Formerly, however, the name was quite appropriate, as C. Е. Eckersley explains in his PATTERN OF ENGLAND: "Public schools are private foundations. Originally they depended mainly on endowments by noble founders and wealthy benefactors, and were intended to put education within the reach of anyone intelligent enough to take advantage of it, whether their parents were rich or poor. Now they depend almost entirely on the fees paid by their pupils* parents."

Note, however, that in the USA public school means a school supported by public funds, and corresponds to British English state school. (In American English state means "штат".)

An English public school education is traditionally aca­demic, with an emphasis on the classics.

22. preparatory school

A preparatory school is an independent school for children aged 8 to 33, whom it prepares for the public schools (see above). At 13 pupils take the Common Examination for En­trance to Public Schools, usually called simply the Common Entrance (exam) in conversation, which is the public schools' entrance examination. (Common is used because the examina­tion is set jointly by the main public schools, and is common to all, rather than each school having its own.)

Nearly all preparatory schools are for boys and many of them are boarding schools. The abbreviation prep school is widely used.

IN THE SOVIET UNION

23. начальная школа

Primary school is the nearest equivalent if it is a separate institution. The age groups do not completely coincide (see unit 13) but this is not too serious an objection. The most important consideration is that both primary school and «a-чальная школа denote the first school which children must attend.

However, in cases where the начальная школа is part of the средняя школа, primary department is usually a more appropriate translation.

24. средняя (общеобразовательная) школа

Secondary school can be used in cases where the начальная школа is separate", not part of the institution in question. However, where средняя школа denotes a school with all forms, including the начальная школа, the use of secondary school would be illogical, since this implies a separate school to which children go after the primary school. Here simply school is preferable.

These schools can be described as comprehensive (see unit 17), but the term comprehensive school is not on the whole to be recommended as a translation.

Common school is used by some British educationists writ­ing about Soviet schools.

25. специальная (английская, немецкая и т. д.) школа,
школа с математическим уклоном и т. д.

There are no schools of this type in England. The expres­sion special school exists, but has a different meaning (see unit 19.) and its use as a translation of the Soviet term could lead to misunderstanding. It is possible to say, for example: a special English/German/mathematics school, since these are obviously not for the handicapped, but such translations may not be dear to English people. The clearest translation is:

specialising

a school which specialisesin English/German, etc.

where they specialise

An English/German language school is another possibility, al­though not so clear.

If a general term is needed, to denote any специальная школа, a specialised schoolis probably the best translation.

Russian speakers may use the expressions an English/ German/French school for convenience among themselves, but they should bear in mind that to an English person this may suggest a school run by teachers of the country concerned, or a school in that country.

Школа-интернат

This can be translated as boarding school.Remember, how­ever, that English boarding schools are mainly private, and that at most of them pupils go home only for holidays, not at weekends. Weekly boarding schoolcan be used in cases where it is important that pupils go home at weekends. Such pupils can be called weekly boarders.

FURTHER AND HIGHER EDUCATION IN BRITAIN

27. Further educationmay be used in a general sense to cover
all post-school education. In practice, however, it has more
often denoted education after school except in universities
and colleges of education (see unit 38), that is, in technical
colleges, colleges of art, and various other institutions which
will be dealt with in due course (see units 39-49). These were
regarded as further educational institutions,in contrast to
universities and colleges of education, which were classed as
higher educational institutions,because they awarded degrees.

During recent years, however, ihe distinction between fur­ther and higher educational institutions has become less clear-cut. The reason for this is that institutions other than univer­sities and colleges of education, particularly the newly-formed polytechnics (see unit 46) now have higher educational courses, leading to a degree. In addition, the colleges of educa­tion are now tending to merge with polytechnics or other in­stitutions to become more general colleges (see unit 39). As a result only the universities are now entirely higher education­al institutions. With regard to polytechnics and other insti­tutions offering both degree and non-degree courses, the words further and higher are more appropriate to the courses than to the institutions as a whole.

As well as the terms higher/further educational institution, the following are used:

higher/further education(al) establishment institution of higher / further education

The letters НЕЕ,which stand for higher educational establish­ment, are sometimes used in written English to save space. All these terms are characteristic of formal style. In less formal situations universities and colleges is often used as a collective expression denoting all post-school institutions, since most of these are called one or the other.

e.g. Universities and colleges have shorter terms than schools.

Universities

28. British universities are independent, self-governing insti­tutions. Although they all receive considerable financial sup­port from the state (about 75 per cent of their incomes is now provided by government grants), the Dept of Education & Science has no control over their regulations, curriculum, examinations, appointment of staff, or the way in which government money is spent. This money is allocated by the DES on the advice of the University Grants Com­mittee, a body appointed by the Secretary of State (see unit 1) to act as a link between the government and the uni­versities.

The universities discuss matters of common interest and express their views on these matters through the Committee of Vice-Chancellors (see unit 76).

British universities are generally divided into the follow­ing groups:

Date: 2016-04-22; view: 1040