Systems and Structures of Compulsory Education in the U.K - Assignment Example

Systems and Structures of Compulsory Education in the U.K. Table of Contents 1: Demonstrate understanding of the tiering of the school system …………………………...…..2 2: Demonstrate understanding of the different types of schools found in Britain ………………..6 3: Demonstrate understanding of the key stages of the National Curriculum ……………………9 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………..13 Systems and Structures of Compulsory Education in the U.K. Learning Outcome 1: Demonstrate understanding of the tiering of the school system and its relationship with external statutory bodies and how these organizations influence and impact upon education delivery Introduction The flourishing of British education is not a work of a single entity. Through the years, there has been a relevant collaboration of different organizations and statutory bodies so that a strong educational standard is maintained. According to Fosket (1992), the role of external relations would “address the issues of the school’s relationship to its outside audiences” (p. 3). Being an institution of education and training for society’s use, it is important to constantly connect with the current situation and elaborate its need for solutions, appreciate and conserve whatever good things the community has to offer. The external statutory bodies, even though not directly related to it, carry education by means of emotional support (parents and guardians) and financial support (scholarship programs from the business sector). External relations also play an important role in the realization of some changes in the curriculum; an example would be the unsuccessful transition of Key Stage 1 to Key Stage 2. Messer (1992), as cited in Fosket (1992), discussed that the supposed to be “smooth transition” of a key stage to another was not carried out well because schools disregarded the individual planning of the teacher and preferred a corporate planning. In carrying out the plan effectively, Hanford, Reader, and Fullick (1992) as cited in Fosket (1992), proposed that there should be a linkage of the schools to the community, having the parents, media, and the employers as regulators so that the education being offered to the students is holistic. According to Hanford as cited in Fosket (1992), “liaison between the school and the parents of the pupils is based on a well-founded tradition” (p. 105). Saying that parents are just for the home holds an obsolete idea since the Education Act of 1994 strongly indicated the “legal duty of the parents to ensure their children’s education.” The use of media in schools has greatly affected the teaching techniques of the teachers. Thus, having the media in line with other regulatory bodies is just coherent. Media can be used to “raise awareness,” and “create a positive image of the school” (Reader as cited in Fosket, 1992, p. 118). Fullick as cited in Fosket (1992) concerns more on future employment, where the economic trends affect the choice of students of their career paths. Funding is also a major issue in the education sector. Knowing that no organisation could survive without proper financial help, privately owned businesses also finance certain schools and even directly helping the students by giving them scholarship grants. This situation implies that even institutions not related to giving education also matter in terms of support. An existing challenge faced by both government and external statutory bodies of is the tiering of the school system. The tiering of the UK school system has lowered the education’s principle of equality since it can be a form of stratification among students. The report says that the two-tier system creates a “poverty trap for disadvantaged.” Chitty (1989) contends that the tiering of the school system is a reflection of the society as a whole; where the top tier represents the advantages and well-funded private schools, the second tier resembles that of the middle or working class, and the third tier belongs to the marginalized poor (p. 159). The said system has raised the number of teenagers, mostly at the age of 16, to quit school. Children in the deprived areas have the largest number of this case. Similarly, the three-tier system also has disappointed certain sectors in the “school change” scheme of the government (Anon., 2010). The two-tier system is also a different matter, but the end result would be just as destructive as the three-tier system and the main target for such tier is for academies to grow and consequently “reforming state education” (Taylor, 2005). The threat is said to affect the students’ educational opportunity because the growth of the academies would mean the creation of a two-tier system. In this case, the students are threatened to become stratified by means of social class; another failure of the education sector of providing efficient education. If this happens, the external statutory bodies are to be called upon, since they are partly responsible for the delivery of equal education. Not only that they give opportunities for the underprivileged, but also could serve as a bridge between the social classes in education. This contributing quality of the external statutory bodies helps in aiding the elimination of discrimination within the educational body. For instance, scholarships granted by the business sector and other privately owned institutions are important in giving opportunities for the less fortunate students. Through this, the student is able to have equal accessibility of education to the students above his financial capability. If external statutory bodies should be excluded, there could be no chance of providing equal education for all. Conclusion The external statutory bodies are essential in realizing the true goal of the education department. Upon the tiering of the school system, the delivery of education is threatened through classifying the students according to financial capability, but the role of external statutory bodies is to reconcile these social differences. Furthermore, external relations are also important in keeping education realistic. Learning Outcome 2: Demonstrate understanding of the different types of schools found in Britain, their target groups and historic origins. Introduction The schools in Britain have undergone different stages of transitions since its first establishment. Dating from the medieval period until the present-day education system, the schools have provided a venue for sound learning, and although it started off as an exclusive opportunity of the rich and royalties, the goal of schools is to properly address the cognitive, artistic and practical needs of the students. Following the trend of the educational systems during the ancient to colonial times, children of wealthy families and royalties were the ones to enjoy the benefits of education. At that time, schools were non-existent and learners had to be taught in their homes with their private tutors (Giddens, 2006, p. 687). Generally, children are taught courteousness for social events, practical activities for girls such as sewing and basic fighting skills for boys like fencing. The students were basically “handpicked from affluent neighborhoods;” a practice not unusual during those years, since the concept of education is only for the rich and the ruling class, and the commoners are left behind because their task is only to follow what the ruling monarch’s orders. It was not until St. Augustine arrived in England that the earliest schools of some public purpose were established. According to Gillard (2011), there are two types of schools of which St. Augustine established: the grammar school and the song school. Grammar schools taught Latin, which was considered the language of the clergy in Ancient Britain. Priests were the students of such schools because they ought to preach the Latin-based Bible. From the word itself, song schools were established to teach its students how to sing mass songs. It is recognizable that both schools were organized mainly for religious purposes, which was quite ironic because churches did not exist in England after the Roman settlement; having found that the two most important organizations did not exist in 597 A.D. England, St. Augustine had to build both. Not only did he build schools for religion but also to other forms of disciplines in the Sciences and Liberal arts; this emphasized that Augustine’s educational influence was of “Hellenistic and Roman schools of rhetoric” (Gillard, 2011, n.pag.); however his concentration was dedicated to his religious obligations. This had been the image of British education prior to industrial age; as it provided different social changes that education has to cope. The advancements and the need of more skillful and analytic workforce pushed the establishment of formal schools. Fortunately, education is already available for everyone. The educational system in the ancient to colonial times is a far cry from what it is now because education was just for the upper class, with their private tutors to teach them at home (Giddens, 2006, p. 687). Changes which took place in the educational system reveal a simple to complex realization of change. The post Roman settlement left a non-institutionalized Britain leaving no space for formal education until the arrival of St. Augustine. The most famous type of school in England are the boarding schools which were built around the Middle Ages. These are public schools attended by children of influential people and generally expensive, but a student can avail scholarship grant if he or she can reach the required grade and has a disadvantaged financial background. The British education adapted the two major categories called the local education authority maintained schools and the independent schools. The latter is funded by the Local Education Authority and has six subcategories: foundation schools, community schools, voluntary controlled schools and voluntary aided schools. Upon the separation of the Church and the Government, voluntary controlled schools remained a joint influence of the two major sectors in the society; otherwise known as the religious or faith schools. It is called as such because the ones running the institution would be a certain religious sector. However, the school is still ought to follow the national curriculum. Voluntary schools are sometimes run by a religious sect but often times governed by charity organizations (Kendal, Knapp, & Knapp, 1996, p. 195). These institutions are funded by the government, and are therefore, free. Independent schools are the contrary. The governing body of independent schools comprises of private individuals or organizations, in which tuition fees are agreed upon and is charged to the parents. Conclusion History has molded and developed the schools found in Britain. Now that education is available for everyone, schools are not anymore avenues for exclusive learning of the upper class but a place for the start of liberation from illiteracy and poverty. Although much of the early curricula are left in the past, the influence of the past and the changing needs of the British society undermine the establishment of the newer types of schools. Learning Outcome 3: Demonstrate understanding of the key stages of the National Curriculum, attainment levels and Year Groups. Introduction As the education becomes more accessible, a growing importance of organizing the level of learner’s capacity is obvious. In the United Kingdom, Key Levels tell what grade do students belong in an academic year. The national curriculum organizes the expected learning outcomes of each key stage, and if the student successfully performs this, then he is already entitled to gain a stage higher. The National Curriculum itself is a product of several modifications in order to address the needs of learners in each Key Stage. Subjects are arranged according to the level of difficulty corresponding each key stage. The National Curriculum is a comprehensive list of subjects with their corresponding learning outcomes that a teacher is obliged to teach and consequently learned by the students effectively. According to Bartlett, Burton, and Peim (2002), the national curriculum is a “vitally important piece of legislation in terms of kinds of experiences pupils could expect from schooling” (p. 101). Thus, it is equally important to set prerequisites in order for the learners to create a meaningful connection of their past experiences to the present learning activities. It is vital for any student to learn the basics before jumping into the next level; although educational institutions are allowed to revise some parts of the curriculum in order to meet the individual aims of their schools. In U.K. education, foundation stage may be called as the nursery counterpart in other educational systems, wherein the student is prepared for a more formal and objective type of lessons. Upon fulfilling all the requirements of the foundation stage, the student is now allowed to enroll in the first Key stage and consequently become the part of Year 1. The different year groups represent the age bracket of which the student belongs. Children, as they reach the age of 5, are typically in the fist key stage (although sometimes, ages may vary in each key stage). The national curriculum advises the use of the three core subjects namely, Mathematics, Science, and English. In Key stage 1 however, the focus is not just in the three subjects. Disciplines in the arts, physical education, and religious education are also given emphasis since there is still a need of developing other types of skills (Department for Education, n.d.). Since most children belong to the 5-6 age bracket, games would be helpful in initiating the lessons. Furthermore, if the teacher wants to be more objective, she may integrate colorful pictures in introducing or discussing the lesson. Such as in the case of the basic Mathematical operations, the teacher may use pictures of objects which are most likely familiar to the pupil. In Key Stage 2, integration of other subjects to realize a topic is encouraged. For instance, the reading and the sciences are combined through a story, whose focus is on the proper care of the environment. Foundation subjects with a higher degree of difficulty compared to key stage 1 is used in this level; but already including two foreign languages: Spanish in Year 5 and French in Year 6. In the late years of key stage 2, the students are taught and encouraged how to become independent in terms of practical and leadership skills. As an exemplification, language teaching can be best taught in using Drama. Bird (2011) used this teaching technique using a mime and the students will have to narrate what they have seen using the most appropriate and creative vocabulary as possible (p. 290). He believes that the use of drama produces “stress and tension” which encourages “linguistic spontaneity and maximise memorisation” (Bird, 2011, p. 291). Year 6 in Key stage 2 marks the end of the intermediate education, and about a step towards the secondary education. The secondary curriculum’s role is to produce learners who are versatile in coping with the changes of the modern world. With subjects relevant to the needs of the modern times, the students are expected to become “successful learners, confident individuals, and responsible citizens” (National Curriculum, n.d.). By then, the students are mostly 11-12 years old, and subjects are more complicated that fits into the interpersonal nature of adolescents. Subjects such as Art and Design, Design in Technology, and Citizenship help the students to become socially aware of the trends and issues concerning national identity and effectively become “active citizens of the world.” The final key stage of compulsory education is key stage 4 where years 10 to 13 belong. Unlike key stage 3, subjects in key stage 4 are more condensed where basic subjects with a greater level of difficulty are emphasized (National Curriculum, n.d.). The final stage of compulsory education and the secondary curriculum as a whole equips the learners with the essential skills and ethics to cope with the challenges of vocational or tertiary life, and the real world. Conclusion It is important to keep track of the learner’s abilities and the corresponding possible outcomes, through the different stages conceptualised by the education sector. The U.K. curriculum is devised to meet the growing international standards. Subjects in each key stage are logically arranged to meet the demands of the changing world. The aim of the national curriculum is to produce world-class and socially aware learners, and this aim cannot be fully realised if there should be a mismatch of expected learning outcomes in the key stages. Consequently, the national curriculum’s subjects are parallel to the learning capability of the students which can be a strong factor of attaining the aim. BIBLIOGRAPHY Anonymous, 2010. Purbeck schools’ three-tier system scrapped. BBC News. Retrieved 12 Jan 2010 from http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-dorset-10729845 Bartlett, S., Burton, D.M., Peim, N., 2002. Introduction to education studies. California: SAGE Publications. Bird, A., 2011. The use of drama in language teaching. ELT Journal, 65 (1), pp. 290-296. Chitty, C. 1989. Towards a new education system: the victory of the new right? London: Routledge. Department for Education, n.d. The national curriculum. Retrieved 17 Jan 2011 from http://www.education.gov.uk/performancetables/ks3_04/k3.shtml Fosket, N., 1992. Managing external relations in schools: a practical guide. New York: Routledge. Giddens, A., 2006. Sociology. Cambridge: Polity Press. Gillard, D., 2011. Education in England: a brief history. England: Derek Gillard Retrieved 03 Jan 2011 from http://www.educationengland.org.uk/history/index.html Kendall, J., Knapp, M., & Knapp, M.R.J., 1996. The voluntary sector in the United Kingdom. Oxford: Manchester University Press. National Curriculum, n.d. The national curriculum. Retrieved 17 Jan 2011 from http://curriculum.qcda.gov.uk/index.aspx Taylor, M., 2005. Academies will create two-tier school system. guardian.co.uk. Retrieved 17 Jan 2011 from http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2005/feb/19/schools.newschools Read More