8. Culture: The educational system in the United Kingdom / El sistema educativo en el Reino Unido

The educational system in the United Kingdom

Compulsory¹ education in the United Kingdom is from the age of 5 to 16. Compulsory education is divided into primary and secondary education. Primary education is up to 11 and secondary education from 12 to 16. Primary education is taught² in two different types of schools depending on the age of the pupils³: Infant school (from 5 to 7) and Junior school (from 8 to11). Combined Infant and Junior Schools are quite usual.

After finishing secondary education you get your GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) or your VCSE (Vocational Certificate of Secondary Education) if you have chosen to learn a job, it is similar to our ciclos formativos.

After getting your GCSE, in order to have access to university you must study two more years. These two extra years are called “sixth form” and after them students must pass their A-levels⁴ to go to university.

The educational organisation is fairly similar to the Spanish system, but it has many differences regarding the subjects⁵ taught and the way they are taught. In general,most subjects are based on practice in a higher degree⁶ and the teachers are far more strict⁷, for example many students will never know their teacher´s first name as they say Mr or Ms followed by his/her surname.

Glossary:

(1) Compulsory: obligatorio

(2) taught: participio del verbo teach – enseñar (enseñado)

(3) pupils: alumnos

(4) A-levels: equivalente a Selectividad

(5) subject: asignatura

(6) degree: grado

(7) strict: estricto

Imagen de wikimedia de Ian Capper en wimimedia

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