Английский язык. Александрова Г.А. - 84 стр.

many subjects as they want to; some take one of two, others take as many
as nine or ten.
        If you get good «O» Levels results, you can stay on at school until
you are 18, in the Sixth Form. Those who stay on at school after GCSE
usually study for two further years for «A» (Advanced) level exams in
two or there subjects.
        They can broaden their range by taking «AS» levels, which demand
the same standard of work as «A» levels but cover only half the content, or
by taking courses leading to vocational qualifications.
        Education doesn’t stop with leaving school. Further education in
particular is learning which, with its strong ties with commerce and indus-
try, is vital in the effort to keep Britain economically competitive. In 1991
the Government published plans aiming to ensure that everyone over 16 is
encouraged to continue in education or training, and to remove barriers
between academic and vocational education.
        Over 500 colleges of further education run courses on everything
from catering to business studies. Most further education courses are vo-
cational, but many colleges offer more academic courses, such as GCSE,
and «A» levels. There are 400.000 full-time further educational students
and 4 million who attend college part-time, by day or block release from
their jobs or in the evening.
        The new National Vocational Qualifications are designed to ensure
the relevance of vocational qualifications to employers. More than 2,5
million adults aged 19 or over enrol each year on further education cours-
es-which lead to qualifications or access to higher education; or that teach
a craft, a sport, or an aspect of culture.
        All Britain’s universities enjoy complete academic freedom. They
appoint their own staff and decide what and how to teach. The tradition of
excellence dates back to the 12 th and 13 th centuries, when Oxford and
Cambridge Universities were founded. Four Scottish universities were
established in the 14 th and 15 th centuries, while the rest of Britain’s 47
universities were set up in the last 200 years. First degree courses usually
last three or four years.
        The Open University is a little different, because it relies on dis-
tance-learning. Prospective students don’t require any conventional aca-
demic qualifications to enrol, but the standards of Open University de-
grees are as high as at other universities.
         England and Wales’s 34 polytechnics tend to be more Vocationally
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