officially stated as follows: "...to give all children an education suited to their particular abilities." Do you think English educationists

have objective criteria to measure these abilities? 5. What's your opinion of the fact that administration of publicly provided schools

is not centralized? What do you think of schools' freedom to choose textbooks, include various subjects into the curriculum, specify

the material for learning, appoint and dismiss teachers? 6. What subjects are usually included in a primary school curriculum? What

is the aim of primary education? What methods are used in primary schools? 7. What types of secondary schools are there in Britain?

8. Why do you think most children in grammar schools are from rich families? 9. How can you account for the fact that the

percentage of those attending comprehensive schools is becoming a bit lower nowadays? 10. How can you account for the fact that

independent schools (especially public schools) which are not very numerous are the most significant? 11. What is your opinion of

the specialist preparation in the sixth form?

6.Give a brief talk on the main features of schooling in England and Wales. Use the Topical Vocabulary.

7.You are supposed to give a description of an imaginary primary or secondary school which is organized according to the English pattern. Don't

forget to give your imaginary school a name, as English schools have names not numbers. The names are often geographical (taken from the name

of the town, district, village or street in which the school is situated). Sometimes schools are named after a well-known person, e. g. Cedar Grove

School, Mary Hampden Junior School.

The following questions can be helpful:

1. What kind of school is it? What system of educational provision is in use locally for children aged 5 — 18?

2. What is the size of the school? (number of children of either sex, number of staff of either sex, age range of children, social

background of the school's catchment area if this is clear-cut)

3. What buildings and amenities does the school possess? (How many classrooms are there? Is there a hall, a library, specialist

rooms or areas, a staff room, playing fields? Are the buildings modern? Are there accommodation problems?)

4. How is teaching organized? (Streaming? Mixed ability grouping? Are classes generally taught as a single unit or is group

work or individual work the norm? What about the physical organization of the classroom — do the children sit at desks, in groups at

tables, randomly? Is the timetable fixed or flexible?)

5. What subjects are included into the curriculum? What is taught at the various age levels within the school? (Are specific

subjects taught, or is teaching arranged in more general areas like, for example, Aesthetics, Physical skills, Communication?)

6. What forms of reward and punishment are normally used?

7. What testing is done in the school and what forms of records are kept? (Are staff meetings held to discuss children's progress or

is this done informally? How are children and parents informed of progress?)