HowmanyschoolsarethereinEngland,Wales,ScotlandandNorthernIreland?
InEnglandandWalesthereare8.5millionchildrenin30,000stateschoolsofwhichabout1,000aregrantmaintained(centrallyfunded).
InScotlandthereareabout2,741stateschoolsofwhichfouraregrant-aided(fundeddirectlyfromcentralGovernment).
InNorthernIrelandthereare1,300stateschools,ofwhichfifty-threearefundeddirectlyfromcentralGovernment.
InEnglandover50percentofthreeandfouryearoldsattendnurseryschool,inWalesmorethan70percent,inScotland38percentandinNorthernIreland15percent.
Thereare0.54millionchildreninprivateschoolsintheGreatBritain.
Whatistheagerangeforcompulsoryschooling?
InEngland,WalesandScotlandcompulsoryschoolingtakesplacebetweentheagesoffiveandsixteen.InNorthernIrelandcompulsoryschoolingbeginsatagefourandendsatsixteen.
Whodeterminesthecurriculum?
In1988theNationalCurriculumwasintroducedintoschoolsinEnglandandWales,makingforabroader,morebalancedandcoherentschoolingsystem.TheCurriculumsetsoutwhatpupilsshouldstudy,whattheyshouldbetaughtandthestandardsthattheyshouldachieve.AllNationalCurriculumandassessmentmattersareoverseenbytwoindependentstatutorybodies:TheQualificationsandNationalCurriculumAuthorityinEngland
TheCurriculumandAssessmentAuthorityforWalesinWales.
Howaretheschoolsfunded?
Policyandoverallfundingforeducationisdeterminedbyfourmajorgovernmentdepartments:DepartmentforEducationandEmployment(DfEE)
WelshOfficeEducationDepartment(WOED)
ScottishOfficeEducationandIndustryDepartment(SOEID)
DepartmentofEducationforNorthernIreland(DENI)
TheydispensefundingforeducationeitherdirectlyorthroughotherbodiessuchasLocalEducationAuthorities,agenciesandfundingcouncils.
InEngland,WalesandScotland,mostschoolsarefundedbytheirLocalEducationAuthority.Grant-maintainedschoolsarefundeddirectlyfromcentralgovernment.
Howarepupilsassessed?
TheUKoperatesathreefoldsystemofassessingandreportingeducationalstandards:onewhichmonitorsthepupil,theschoolandthesystem.Theresultsoftheseassessmentsarefreelyavailabletopublicscrutinyandarecloselylinkedtosubsequentfundingatthefurtherandhighereducationlevels.
Howisthequalityofschoolingassessed?
Raisingthequalityofeducation,andconsequentlythestandardsofachievement,isoneoftheGovernment”skeyaims.Inordertoensurethatthisobjectiveisattained,theUKoperatesauniquesystemofqualityassurancewhichisdirectlylinkedtofundingatthefurtherandhighereducationlevelsandopentopublicscrutiny.
TheOfficeforStandardsinEducation(OFSTED)isanon-ministerialgovernmentdepartmentwhichinspectsandreportsonthequalityofeducationprovidedbystateschoolsaswellastheeducationalstandardsachievedinthem.
Whatarethemainroutesintoteaching?
InthelastfiveyearstherehavebeengreatchangesinteachereducationintheUKtoimproveaccessandmakeitmorerelevanttotheclassroomsituation.Thereareavarietyofroutesfortrainingtobeateacher,manyofwhicharebecomingincreasinglyschool-based.Schoolsthemselveshaveagreatdealofresponsibilityforplanningandmanagingteachertrainingcoursesandfortheselection,trainingandassessmentofstudents.
InEngland,theTeacherTrainingAgencyisresponsibleforfundinginitialteachertrainingcoursesaswellasensuringthatnationalstandardsaremetandpromotingteachingasacareer;inWales,responsibilityforthefundingofinitialteachertrainingrestswiththeHigherEducationFundingCouncilforWales;inScotlandandNorthernIrelandinitialteachertrainingcoursesarefundedbytheScottishOfficeEducationandIndustryDepartmentandtheDepartmentofEducationforNorthernIrelandrespectively;inScotland,theGeneralTeachingCounciloverseesstandardsofentrytotheprofession,managestheprobationaryperiodandgivesadviceontheeducation,trainingandqualificationsofteachers.
Whatproportionofstudentsgoontohighereducation?
Thereareeighty-nineuniversitiesintheUKandseventyotherhighereducationinstitutionsincludingcollegesforteachertraining,art,technologyandprofessionsalliedtomedicine.
IntheUKoneinthreeyoungpeopleenterhighereducation.
IntheUKthereare1.4millionfull-timeandpart-timestudentsinhighereducation.
Bytheyear2000theOpenUniversityexpectstohave200,000studentsregisteredonitsdistanceeducationcourses.
