Secondary education in Russia and England

If we compare the educational systems of Russia and Great Britain, we will see that they have something common

Russia: First of all, the system of education in Russia also consists of three stages: primary, secondary and higher education. Children under 6 can attend nursery schools and kindergartens. Primary school begins for the children aged 6. They study in it for 4 years. The subjects they study are: Russian, Maths, History, PE, Literature, Music, Handicraft, Art and a foreign language.

The pupils move to a secondary school at the age of 10. Some new subjects are added to those they study in the primary school, such as: Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Computer Science, Social Studies, World Culture and others. After finishing the 9th form the pupils take Basic level exam for the Certificate of Basic Education.

Education in state schools is free of charge and in private schools parents have to pay fees. Types of schools in Russia: There is a great variety of secondary schools in our country: comprehensive schools and schools where much attention is paid either to foreign languages or different branches of science. We can also mention gymnasiums and lyceums.

Extra- class activities pupils take part in sports competitions, concerts, festivals. They issue wall newspapers, go on excursions and to exhibitions, travel to other cities and countries, etc. Pupils can attend various clubs according to their interests; they can also go to swimming pools, sports, musical, art schools to develop their abilities.

At present the system of education in Russia is being reformed. A lot of changes have been introduced, including Russian State Examination for school -leavers. It has been declared that Russian and Mathematics exams will become obligatory all over the country for children after 9 th grade. After secondary school children can apply to a university. You can check for education programmes or create a personal account and contact chosen university directly.

Secondary Education in the UK Secondary education in the UK normally starts for most students at the age of 11 years old. Though not common, in some parts of the UK there are middle schools which run up to 12 or 13 years old.

For international students coming into the UK for secondary education, it is common to either enter at the age of 11 or wait until the age of 13 and have one year in school before starting the two-year GCSE program which will run from 14 to 16 years old.

From the age of 11-14, students will study a broad range of subjects such as Music, Math, Science, English, etc. When reaching 14, students usually enter into their first year of a 2-year process known as your GCSE (or SCE for those who are in Scotland). GCSEs are a set of exams that test your knowledge.

Most schools follow the same method when it comes to GCSEs and you will take the following core subjects: English Maths Sciences (either combined or separate Biology, Chemistry and Physics) Students typically then select an additional 4 or 5 subjects to take in the GCSEs, and they can be subjects like French, German, Business Studies, Design and Technology, Music, and many more.

At state schools students typically take 5 to 10 GCSEs, depending on the student's ability and drive. For independent schools, which are usually a lot more results driven, it is not uncommon for students to take as many as 11 or 12, focusing more on academic subjects compared to the arts.

GCSEs take a total of 2 years and mark the end of compulsory education for students in the UK. Once they have completed their GCSEs students have the choice to either move into further education (with a path to higher education) or can leave school and look for work.

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