Modern Education System in the United Kingdom - Essay Example

The United Kingdom's educating of their youth falls short of comparable educational programs within the European Union. This paper looks at current methods used to educate youth in the U.K. and compares the current programs with educational programs in other European Union member states. The United Kingdom's current state of its educational system will be explored as well as legislation that could quite possibly change the ways the United Kingdom educates its youth. Finally, the future of education in the United Kingdom will be discussed. Public Education in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom, like many other countries, has compulsory education laws. These laws mandate school attendance from age 5 to age 16. Secondary school continues on until the age of 18, but many students leave school at age 16 and move into the workforce. Although compulsory education begins at age five, many three and four year olds attend nursery schools. Currently approximately two thirds of youngsters in the United Kingdom attend nursery school. Attending nursery school socializes children at a younger age and prepares them for compulsory education at age five. The education system in the United Kingdom provides a free education to students in three stages. The first two levels are primary and secondary education which falls under local government control. The United Kingdom has a mandated a national curriculum that is used country wide to ensure that all students in the public school system receive the same standardized education. Tertiary education offers a university level education. Tertiary education falls under central government control and consists of colleges and universities that provide education and training such as vocational education and teacher's training. . Secondary education can include vocational education designed to prepare the student for national vocational certifications. Primary school in the United Kingdom is very much like primary school in other countries. Children are taught by one teacher. This teacher teaches several subjects to his/her students. At about age eleven children move on to secondary school and are taught by a number of teachers. These teachers teach specific subjects. At age sixteen compulsory education ends and students may choose to stay on or leave school. Many students choose to leave school and join the workforce. The United Kingdom does give their youth another choice. This choice is an apprenticeship program. (Steedman, 2001). Students that choose an apprenticeship as a route to a career are tasked with finding an employer that offers an apprenticeship. This can be done by looking for advertisements or through their Local Training and Enterprise Councils (TEC). Most apprenticeships are begun by being directed to a training provider (Steedman, 2001) who trains the student and then directs the student to possible employers. Other parts of the United Kingdom prepare their youth a little differently for higher education. But, in the end all have the same qualifications to move on to higher education. This includes Wales, Ireland, and Scotland. The students who choose to stay on have several options. They can attend to sixth form, choose to attend vocational training, or enter an apprenticeship programme. The apprenticeship programmes and vocational training prepare the students to obtain certification through the National Vocational Qualification Programme. Educational Shortfalls in the United Kingdom The United Kingdom's "main area of weakness is the comparatively large number of school dropouts at the age of 16"(RocSearch, 2006). The low staying on rate at age 16 causes these students to enter the work world with little or no vocational education. These students end up in low paying jobs. There are not enough students staying in school, primarily in vocational education, to train for vocational job in the United Kingdom. Businesses in the United Kingdom require a workforce that is trained and ready to work. The United Kingdom does offer all of its students the opportunity to receive vocational training. The United Kingdom's major problem is not that it invests too little on vocational education. The problem is that too few students take advantage of the opportunity to attend vocational training. The United Kingdom is tasked with figuring out different ways to sway 16 year olds to transition into vocational training rather than moving into the workforce at age 16. The United Kingdom does have apprenticeship programmes. But, apprenticeship programmes in other E.U. member states turn out higher quality graduates that are eligible for higher NVQ rating than their U.K. counterparts. Often, a student trained in the U.K. and awarded an NVQ3 is not eligible to work in the other E.U. countries because of the disparity in education. Poorer students are often encouraged by their parents to leave school and contribute their income to the family unit. These undereducated workers often find themselves in low paying jobs with no hope of progression. The United Kingdom is ranked eleventh in the European Union according to the Human Development Index provided by the United Nations. This index measures health, literacy, and education. (Human Development Report, 2006) France is ranked as higher and Germany is ranked lower. Both countries will be examined for comparison to the U.K. Table 1 EU Rank Member State Global Rank 15 Slovenia 27 16 Portugal 28 17 Cyprus 29 18 Czech Republic 30 19 Malta 32 20 Hungary 35 21 Poland 37 22 Estonia 40 23 Lithuania 41 24 Slovakia 42 25 Latvia 45 26 Bulgaria 54 27 Romania 60 It is clear from looking at Table 2 that the United Kingdom lags behind other European nations in adult literacy and numeracy. Table 2 Numeracy and Literacy Performance by Age From the International Adult Literacy Survey % of adults at IALS Level 2 or above Numeracy Literacy Age 16-25 Age 26-35 Age 36-45 Age 16-25 Age 26-35 Age 36-45 Belgium (Flanders) 93 91 83 92 88 80 Switzerland (German) 93 87 81 93 83 76 Netherlands 92 93 90 92 94 91 Sweden 95 96 93 96 95 93 Germany 96 95 94 91 88 86 Ireland 82 80 77 84 84 79 Britain 78 80 81 83 82 83 USA 74 80 82 77 80 81 Notes: OECD, Literacy, Economy and Society, p. 152 and 154. Based on IALS measurement of "quantitative literacy" and "prose literacy". Why Does This Matter The way a country invests in its human capital (the workforce) affects the economy. Like machines and other equipment used in industry, human capital needs to be functional and up to date. With the European Union came open borders, standard currency and open markets. If the United Kingdom does not provide a ready and able workforce industry in the U.K. will either move out of the country or import human capital to meet their needs. This would leave the U.K. with high unemployment rates and social degradation. France and Germany: A Comparison France and Germany are two other European Union member states. They also must prepare their youth for future entry into the workforce. They also have the need to be competitive in the European Union to keep their workforce working. France is across the English Channel from England. Not long ago the two countries were connected by the "Chunnel" which is an underground tunnel that runs from England to France. This connection between the two countries opened up the opportunity for more free trade. The Chunnel can accommodate road traffic as well as train traffic. France begins preparing its youth for the future by requiring they attend school from age 6 to age 15. Like the United Kingdom, French children often attend the equivalent of nursery school (kindergarten) before they attend primary school. After primary school these students attend Collge which is the equivalent of junior high school. At age fifteen they move on to Lyce and study to take the Baccalaureat General which is similar to sitting for the A-levels in the U.K. From there student can enter the workforce, attend university, or move on to vocational education. France has a well set up vocational program that offers vocational and technological programmes that further qualify students for positions in the workforce. In France many companies offer vocational training programmes to prepare students to work for those companies. France offers vocational training just as the United Kingdom does. The main difference between the countries is that more students take advantage of vocational training in France than they do in the United Kingdom. French students also have the opportunity to seek out an apprenticeship program. Apprenticeship programmes in France are conducted by employers rather than training providers. In Table 1, Germany is ranked lower than both France and the United Kingdom in human development. This is surprising because Germany has a very well developed educational system. Both private and public educational opportunities are available to German youth. Compulsory education in Germany is from six to sixteen. The children attend primary school until about ten years old when they transition into a comprehensive school. German students can choose from several options. Children are offered opportunities to prepare for University or the workforce. Unlike the U.K. and France, students can change their desired track to/from vocational to academic and vice versa. Students in Germany also take advantage of vocational training available to them. Most students choose to stay on past their compulsory education period and move into vocational jobs that lead to life long employment opportunities The United Kingdom, France, and Germany all have the goal of properly preparing their youth for entry into the workforce. Unlike France and Germany, The United Kingdom is hard pressed to keep 16 year olds in school for either further academic education or vocational training. When considering literacy rates, this may be a major factor in determining functional capacity of its workforce. Only about 50% of U.K. students opt to stay in school. Again, statistics indicate that the majority of students that leave school are from poor socioeconomic and minority groups. What Has the U.K. Done to Change the Current Situation The United Kingdom has taken legislative steps to begin to solve its educational shortfalls. The U.K. is attempting to change the current compulsory education requirements (5 to 16) to 5 to 18 years of age. This would ensure that between the ages of 16 to 18 all students would receive some sort of vocational training. Although staying on past 18 would benefit the student, those who opt out at age 18 would have at least two years of training. Thus, the United Kingdom as a whole would be economically better off because its workforce will be more competitive in the European Union. The U.K. has mandated a national curriculum that requires all students across the U.K. be taught the same material in a similar way. This standardization of curriculum ensures that all students are prepared to move either into university or vocational education when the time comes. The United Kingdom offers an Education Maintenance Allowance to poor students that wish to stay on and continue their education. By providing the allowance the U.K. is taking away a reason for poor students to opt out. Their families are now compensated by the U.K. for keeping their children in school. The allowance allows students to stay on for an additional three years. The students who do not take advantage of the stipend are turning down a great opportunity to further their education. The allowance is only provided to students' ages 16 through 19 that are eligible. Eligibility is determined through a means test (poor). The United Kingdom has also mandated that schools set time aside for literacy skills. This is called "the literacy hour" and is an opportunity for students to be taught literacy and numeracy skills. The literacy hour offers schools the opportunity to focus on skills that will affect students for the rest of their lives. In 1988 The United Kingdom passed the Education Reform Act that changed much of the way the U.K. educated it youth. In addition to the National Curriculum, literacy hour, and Educational Maintenance Allowance the United Kingdom has been improving the information provided to parents about educational opportunities in the United Kingdom for their children. The schools in the U.K. are rated based upon exit exams and these ratings are publicized as well as provided to the parents of school age children. The parents are offered the opportunity to choose which school their child will attend. It is hoped that this opportunity for greater choice will lead to higher literacy and numeracy rates as well as more students choosing to stay on past age 16. Of course this will not definitively solve problems for poorer socioeconomic groups because children of richer parents will invariably be able to attend private schools that better prepare students than the public school system. The goal of any educational system is to educate their workforce to support the economic goals of their country. The United Kingdom is no different. With the advent of the European Union its member states joined in economic development by having an open borders policy when it comes to trade. This is problematic for the United Kingdom and its youth. If industry in the United Kingdom can't find qualified workers in the local market they can now look past the borders and bring in qualified workers from other parts of the European Union. This leaves local vocationally unqualified workers in the U.K. either jobless or in low paying dead end jobs. Conclusion and Recommendations The United Kingdom, like any country, is tasked with educating its youth. The country needs to continue to supply a workforce that is vocationally ready to work. This takes time, money, and cooperation amongst all involved. As stated earlier, the U.K.'s primary problem is students leaving school at the end of their compulsory education. The majority of students who leave are from poor and minority populations. Many are from families who see their children as wage earners that can possibly raise the amount of money coming into the family. This is not a problem that is going to go away overnight. The problem has garnered legislative attention and new legislation is in the making that would change the compulsory education period to the age of 18. In doing so the government is attempting to raise literacy rates and lower the number of potential dropouts. Earlier efforts to raise the staying on rate did work but the students that decided to stay were overwhelmingly from high income backgrounds. The legislative attempts to reach the poorer students didn't work. There are many ways to effect change in the public school system to accomplish the goal of turning out more students with a vocational education. And, there are ways to reach the poor and minority groups with the message: "don't opt out". The continuous examination and reform of the educational system puts educators on notice that education is a government priority. Poor and minority groups could be targeted in a marketing campaign in their native language. Having the educational opportunities and benefits explained in the parents own language would increase understanding and, hopefully, participation rates. The idea is to pass along the message of how important it is to the U.K. that students stay on at school. The message needs to be communicated that staying on at school will reap more socioeconomic benefits for the family in the long run. This must be compared to the economic disadvantage they put their children at when they choose to have them opt out. Community literacy programs could be established, with volunteer teachers, in areas that have a high proportion of low income families. Programs, that allows adults to return to school for vocational training, could be instituted and funded. Children from poor or minority groups could be targeted for instruction in the benefits of staying on at school. A national media campaign could be used to target market the message about the benefits of continued education. Also, students need to be target marketed the message of what they can become if they attend vocational education. It's like planting seeds. Ideas need to be planted in young minds, dreams need to be nurtured, and vocational programs need to be adequately funded. No one dreams of sweeping streets, cooking fish and chips all day long, or emptying trash bins all day long. The dreams of young students need to be actualized with the support of family, community, schools, and government. The United Kingdom is also experiencing a teacher shortage. The lack of highly qualified teachers may affect literacy rates. The advantages to becoming a teacher in the U.K. needs to be communicated to students as well as what a student needs to do to attend a teacher's college. All future legislation should address the issue of students leaving school more prepared to work and prepared to work in fields that would provide life long employment. Although the service sector requires low paid employees, these jobs should be seen as temporary as students would continue on with their education and transition to higher paying jobs.. The problem in the U.K. is that those who leave school at sixteen move into these low paying jobs for the long term. Policy initiatives should include a solution to this problem. The United Kingdom will also need to upgrade its apprenticeship legislation to erase the shortfall in U.K. training vs. European Union training. References: . Human Development Report. (2006). Beyond scarcity: Power, poverty and the global water crisis. United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) 1 UN Plaza, New York, New York, 10017, USA Machin, Stephen and Anna Vignoles. (2006). Education Policy in the United Kingdom. Centre for the Economics of Education. London School of Economics. OECD (2005) Education at a Glance, OECD: Paris. United Kingdom Education Sector: Industry Analysis by RocSearch. (2006). M2PressWIRE, Retrieved Monday, April 23, 2007 from the Newspaper Source Database Greenhalgn,C(1999) ' Adult Vocational Training and Government Policy in French and Britain,' Oxford Review of Economic Policy, v.15,issue1,p97-113. Prais,S.J. (2001)' Developments in Education and Vocational Training in Britain:Background Note on Recent Research,' National Institute Economic Review,no 178,p73-74 McIntosh,S (2005) ' Skills in the UK' in Machin, S. and Vignoles,A.(eds) What's the good of Education/ The economics of education in the UK, Princeton University Press. Steedman, H (2001) ' Five years of the Modern Apprenticeship Initiative: An Assessment Against Continental European Models', National Institute Economic Review,no 178, p75-87. Stevens,M (1999) 'Human capital theory and UK Vocational Training Policy', Oxford Review of Economic Policy,v.15,issue1, p16-32 Read More