Chapter 8 British Holidays and festivals Time Allocation: 2 periods Focal Points: Christmas, Christian trinity, Easter and Halloween Introduction Holiday is a day set apart for religious ob servance or for the commemoration of some extraordinary event or distinguished person, or for some other public occasion Holidays are characterized by a partial or total cessation of work and normal business are gene rally accompanied by public and private ceremonies, including feasting(or fasting), parades and carnivals, or displays of flags and speechmaking The word holiday, in fact, is derived from "holy day. Subsequently, non-religious holidays commemorating historical occasions or distinguished persons outnumbered holy days, although many ancient religious rituals and customs have been carried over into modern times and incorporated into both non-religious and religious observations Thus, knowing a little bit about a countrys holidays and their origins is a good way of understanding this country's way of life and people's way of thinking Holid ays usually reflect a country's religious, historical, social and cultural diversity (P. 93, Paragraph 1) United Kingdom is a Christian country. Yet, its public holidays include not only religious ones, but also non-religious ones. The main holidays are as follows United Kingdom Public Holidays Name Date Meaning New Year 's January Celebration of the new year Good Friday March or April Christian religious holiday Easter Monday March or April Christian religious holiday Labor Day First Monday in May Celebration in honor of workers Late May Bank Last Monday in May Traditional bank holiday Holiday The day after Whit Monday Christian religious holiday Pentecost Second Monday in Queens Birthday Celebration of birthday of Queen Elizabeth If June
1 Chapter 8 British Holidays and Festivals Time Allocation: 2 periods Focal Points: Christmas, Christian trinity, Easter and Halloween. I. Introduction Holiday is a day set apart for religious ob’servance or for the commemoration of some extraordinary event or distinguished person, or for some other public occasion. Holidays are characterized by a partial or total cessation of work and normal business activities and are generally accompanied by public and private ceremonies, including feasting (or fasting), parades and carnivals, or displays of flags and speechmaking. The word holiday, in fact, is derived from “holy day.” Subsequently, non-religious holidays commemorating historical occasions or distinguished persons outnumbered holy days, although many ancient religious rituals and customs have been carried over into modern times and incorporated into both non-religious and religious observations. Thus, knowing a little bit about a country’s holidays and their origins is a good way of understanding this country’s way of life and people’s way of thinking. Holidays usually reflect a country’s religious, historical, social and cultural diversity. (P. 93, Paragraph 1) United Kingdom is a Christian country. Yet, its public holidays include not only religious ones, but also non-religious ones. The main holidays are as follows. United Kingdom Public Holidays Name Date Meaning New Year’s January 1 Celebration of the new year Good Friday March or April Christian religious holiday Easter Monday March or April Christian religious holiday Labor Day First Monday in May Celebration in honor of workers Late May Bank Holiday Last Monday in May Traditional bank holiday Whit Monday The day after Pentecost Christian religious holiday Queen’s Birthday Second Monday in June Celebration of birthday of Queen Elizabeth II
Summer Bank ast monday in Traditional bank holiday(except Scotland) Holiday Augu Christmas December 25 Celebration of christmas Traditional holiday where gentry give presents to servan Boxing Day December 26 and others Source: Europa Intemational Holidays: Holidays, Festval, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary 2nd edition II. Religious Holidays 1. christmas Christmas, the annual Christian holiday, commemorates the birthday of Jesus Christ. Most members of the roman catholic Church and followers of protestantism celebrate Christmas on December 25, and many celebrate on the evening of December 24 as well. Members of the Eastern Orthodox Church usually delay their most important seasonal ceremonies until January 6, when they celebrate Epiphany, (主显节) a commemoration of the baptism of Jesus The most important holiday on the Christian calendar is Easter, which commemorates the Crucifixion and Resur'rection of Jesus. Nevertheless, many peop le particularly in the United States and Canada, consider Christmas to be the most significant annual Christian event. In add ition to being a religious holiday, Christmas is a widely observed non-relig ious festival. For most people who celebrate Christmas, the holiday season is characterized by gatherings among family and friends, feasting, d gift givin Chs hus, the meaning of Christmas can be the commemoration of the birth of Jesus ist as well as the celebration of the winter solstice However, different people and different countries may have different ways of celebration. In the United Kingdom, people celebrate Christmas in their own way, which is more or less different from the celebration of the United States. The special features of the british celebration are 1)The Christmas Pantomime(P94, Paragraph 3) 2)The Christmas Message given by the Queen(P94, Paragraph 4) 3)The celebration of Boxing Day(P94, Paragraph 5) Religious customs of Christmas celebrations in England center on recounting the story of Christ's birth. Most people who celebrate Christmas also participate in such ecular customs as watching Christmas plays, feasting, singing, and helping the poor Before Christmas Day, children write wish lists to Father Christmas, who is the British version of Santa Claus. They then throw these letters into the fire. Children believe that if a draft(wii)draws the letter up through the chimney their wishes will be fulfilled. Children open their gifts on Christmas afternoon, following a meal of
2 Summer Bank Holiday Last Monday in August Traditional bank holiday (except Scotland) Christmas December 25 Celebration of Christmas Boxing Day December 26 Traditional holiday where gentry give presents to servants and others Source: Europa International Holidays; Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary, 2nd edition II. Religious Holidays 1. Christmas Christmas, the annual Christian holiday, commemorates the birthday of Jesus Christ. Most members of the Roman Catholic Church and followers of Protestantism celebrate Christmas on December 25, and many celebrate on the evening of December 24 as well. Members of the Eastern Orthodox Church usually delay their most important seasonal ceremonies until January 6, when they celebrate E’piphany, (主显节) a commemoration of the baptism of Jesus. The most important holiday on the Christian calendar is Easter, which commemorates the Crucifixion and Resur’rection of Jesus. Nevertheless, many people, particularly in the United States and Canada, consider Christmas to be the most significant annual Christian event. In addition to being a religious holiday, Christmas is a widely observed non-religious festival. For most people who celebrate Christmas, the holiday season is characterized by gatherings among family and friends, feasting, and gift giving. Thus, the meaning of Christmas can be the commemoration of the birth of Jesus Christ as well as the celebration of the Winter Solstice. However, different people and different countries may have different ways of celebration. In the United Kingdom, people celebrate Christmas in their own way, which is more or less different from the celebration of the United States. The special features of the British celebration are: 1) The Christmas Pantomime (P94, Paragraph 3) 2) The Christmas Message given by the Queen (P94, Paragraph 4) 3) The celebration of Boxing Day (P94, Paragraph 5) Religious customs of Christmas celebrations in England center on recounting the story of Christ’s birth. Most people who celebrate Christmas also participate in such secular customs as watching Christmas plays, feasting, singing, and helping the poor. Before Christmas Day, children write wish lists to Father Christmas, who is the British version of Santa Claus. They then throw these letters into the fire. Children believe that if a draft (气流) draws the letter up through the chimney, their wishes will be fulfilled. Children open their gifts on Christmas afternoon, following a meal of
goose or roast beef and a dessert of plum(4 f)pudding The day after Christmas is also a national holiday in England, known as Boxing Day or Saint Stephen's Day(see Saint Stephen). Long ago, Eng lish gentry gave small gifts known as Christmas boxes to their servants on the day after Christmas. English custom still sets aside Boxing Day for tipping the delivery person and others who make charitable contributions to churches and to the needy on boxing day Easter is an annual festival commemorating the resurrection(i)of Jesus Christ, and the principal feast (t E) of the Christian year. It is celebrated on a Sunday on varying dates between March 22 and april 25 and is therefore called a movable feast Accord ing to the new testament Christ was crucified on the eve of passover and shortly afterward rose from the dead. In consequence, the Easter festival commemorated Christ's resurrection. In time. a serious d ifference over the date of the Easter festival arose among Christians. Those of Jewish origin celebrated the resurrection immed iately following the Passover festival, which, accord ing to their Babylonian(巴比伦的) lunar calendar, fell on the evening of the full moon(thel4th day in the month of Nisan, the first month of the year ); By their reckoning, Easter from year to year, fell on different days of the week During the celebration of Easter, people give each other chocolate or candy Easter Eggs, which are often very large, elaborate and expens III. National Holidays he Queen's Birthday is on the second Saturday in June. The main celebration is Queen,s inspection of her troops IV. Holidays in the 4 Nations 1. England-Bonfire night Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated on November 5 with bonfires and fireworks. The festival marks the day in 1605 that Guy Fawkes and other conspirators planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London, England. Today, in mock rebellion children make effigies of Guy Fawkes and parade down the street, chanting and asking passersby for money to spend on fireworks. The effigies are burned in bonfires later that night
3 goose or roast beef and a dessert of plum (李子) pudding. The day after Christmas is also a national holiday in England, known as Boxing Day or Saint Stephen’s Day (see Saint Stephen). Long ago, English gentry gave small gifts known as Christmas boxes to their servants on the day after Christmas. English custom still sets aside Boxing Day for tipping the delivery person and others who have performed personal services throughout the year. Many people in England also make charitable contributions to churches and to the needy on Boxing Day. 2. Easter Easter is an annual festival commemorating the resu’rrection (复活) of Jesus Christ, and the principal feast (节日) of the Christian year. It is celebrated on a Sunday on varying dates between March 22 and April 25 and is therefore called a movable feast. According to the New Testament, Christ was crucified on the eve of Passover and shortly afterward rose from the dead. In consequence, the Easter festival commemorated Christ's resurrection. In time, a serious difference over the date of the Easter festival arose among Christians. Those of Jewish origin celebrated the resurrection immediately following the Passover festival, which, according to their Babylonian (巴比伦的) lunar calendar, fell on the evening of the full moon (the 14th day in the month of Nisan, the first month of the year); By their reckoning, Easter, from year to year, fell on different days of the week. During the celebration of Easter, people give each other chocolate or candy Easter Eggs, which are often very large, elaborate and expensive. III. National Holidays The Queen’s Birthday is on the second Saturday in June. The main celebration is Queen’s inspection of her troops. IV. Holidays in the 4 Nations 1. England—Bonfire Night Guy Fawkes Day is celebrated on November 5 with bonfires and fireworks. The festival marks the day in 1605 that Guy Fawkes and other conspirators planned to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London, England. Today, in mock rebellion, children make effigies of Guy Fawkes and parade down the street, chanting and asking passersby for money to spend on fireworks. The effigies are burned in bonfires later that night
Background to the bourgeois revolution In 1640, a great event which was to shock the world took place. It was the bourgeois revolution in Britain. The revolution completed the transition from a feudal society to a capitalist society, and from then on, Britain became an ad vanced capitalist country Before the beginning of the House of Tudor, the Wars of the roses had greatly weakened the feudal noble class. And the development of capitalism in Britain made the new lords and the bourgeois richer than ever. But they felt this wasnt enough They wanted to get rid of the controls to get more power in the government The Stuarts had been Kings of Scotland since the 14 th century. When Elizabeth died childless, James VI of Scotland, descended from a sister of henry VIll (Elizabeth's nephew ) was the heir to the English throne. He thus became king of both countries as James vi of Scotland and james i of england. Then england and Scotland were brought together under one king. And this was the real beginning of the unification of the two countries Two years after James I came to England, he was the target of an assassination plot a group of English Catholics planned to kill him by blowing up the House of ords when he opened the parliament on 5, November 1605. The plot was called Gunpowder Plot". The plot originated from the long-standing grievance(E), since English Roman Catholics had been subjected to severe penal (f ian) laws during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. When James I came to the throne, many English Roman Catholic believers expected that some relief be given by the new king. But James I didn t give any promise and made no change. So, Robert Catesby, a member of the Catholic gentry proposed to right the wrongs by blowing up the Parliament house and the king as a prel iminary to a revolution. They hired Guy Fawkes to be the principal agent in the conspiracy. Guy Fawkes was a courageous and skillful ad venturer and an expert in mine(b E). But at the last moment, Fawkes was caught in the cellars of the parliament when he was preparing the explosives. He was found with matches in hi hand and a barrel of gunpowder at his side. The whole of parliament was frightened and the plotters were arrested or executed. Now, November 5th is still called Guy Fawkes Day. On this day a figure representing Guy Fawkes(effigy H &)is burnt amid brilliant fireworks James i believed that kings should be responsible only to God and not to any rliament. In his view, the kings will was the only law. He thought that all reforms dangerous, so he was against any reforms demanded by the puritans. From F he took the doctrine of the " divine(神圣的) right of kings”. He was determined to make the English church under his control. As a result, he cruelly
4 Background to the Bourgeois Revolution In 1640, a great event which was to shock the world took place. It was the bourgeois revolution in Britain. The revolution completed the transition from a feudal society to a capitalist society, and from then on, Britain became an advanced capitalist country. Before the beginning of the House of Tudor, the Wars of the Roses had greatly weakened the feudal noble class. And the development of capitalism in Britain made the new lords and the bourgeois richer than ever. But they felt this wasn’t enough. They wanted to get rid of the controls, to get more power in the government. The Stuarts had been Kings of Scotland since the 14th century. When Elizabeth died childless, James VI of Scotland, descended from a sister of Henry VIII (Elizabeth’s nephew), was the heir to the English throne. He thus became king of both countries as James VI of Scotland and James I of England. Then England and Scotland were brought together under one king. And this was the real beginning of the unification of the two countries. Two years after James I came to England, he was the target of an assassination plot. A group of English Catholics planned to kill him by blowing up the House of Lords when he opened the parliament on 5, November 1605. The plot was called “Gunpowder Plot”. The plot originated from the long-standing grievance (委屈), since English Roman Catholics had been subjected to severe penal (刑罚的) laws during the reign of Queen Elizabeth. When James I came to the throne, many English Roman Catholic believers expected that some relief be given by the new king. But James I didn’t give any promise and made no change. So, Robert Catesby, a member of the Catholic gentry proposed to right the wrongs by blowing up the Parliament house and the king as a preliminary to a revolution. They hired Guy Fawkes to be the principal agent in the conspiracy. Guy Fawkes was a courageous and skillful adventurer and an expert in mine (地雷). But at the last moment, Fawkes was caught in the cellars of the parliament when he was preparing the explosives. He was found with matches in his hand and a barrel of gunpowder at his side. The whole of parliament was frightened, and the plotters were arrested or executed. Now, November 5th is still called Guy Fawkes Day. On this day a figure representing Guy Fawkes (effigy 肖像) is burnt amid brilliant fireworks. James I believed that kings should be responsible only to God and not to any parliament. In his view, the king’s will was the only law. He thought that all reforms were dangerous, so he was against any reforms demanded by the puritans. From France, he took the doctrine of the “divine (神圣的) right of kings”. He was determined to make the English church under his control. As a result, he cruelly
persecuted puritans and Catholics. He left most government business in the hand of his favorites. Because of his rad ical actions, the English public soon grew to resent his despotism, and class contradictions became tense in all respects But on the other hand, James I was quite learned and full of vigor. He managed to continue his reign with little help from parliament until his death in 1625 When Charles I. the son of james I. took the crown in 1625. he went even farther than his father. (1) In order to strengthen his rule, he put most government business in the hands of his favorites. (2) He tried to impose taxes and collect more money from people, showing no respect for parliament's proposals (3) He killed many people who were against him. Charles I rule of the time was very cruel. In order to control the church, (4) he chose William Laud, who had Catholic sympathies, as his archbishop because his wife was a Catholic. As a result, thousands of Protestants were persecuted and many of them were forced to leave the country Because of his cruelty, people were against him. Parliament refused to give the king money and tried to make Charles I follow their wishes by keeping him short of money. Charles I was forced to get money by increasing custom duties. Yet, the House of Commons said that this was illegal. Parliament passed"the Petition of Right", forbidd ing the king to ask for money in any form without consent of parliament. Thus, the quarrels grew worse than ever between the king and parliament From 1629 to 1640, Charles I dismissed the parliament twice. Then in augus 1642, Civil War began between the parliament and the King. The kings supporters came mainly from the west and north most of them were Catholics and feudal lords They were called by their enemies"Cavaliers", which means "proud, upper-class On the other hand, the supporters of parliament were mostly Londoners and the people in the southeast of England. Because the common people of London kept their hair very short, they were called"Roundheads As a result of the civil war, the parliament led by Oliver Cromwell defeated the Kings army in 1649. Charles I was captured and sentenced to death as a traitor, tyrant murderer and enemy of the country. Then he was beheaded in front of his palace of Whitehall, London on January 30, 1649, and was buried at Windsor beside Henry VIII 2. Northern Ireland-the battle of the boyne The Battle of the Boyne is an important engagement of the Glorious Revolution England (1688-1689 ). It was fought on the banks of the boyne River in Ireland on July 12, 1690. The battle was waged between troops of the exiled James Il, former king of England, and the forces of the Netherlands ruler Will iam of Orange. William
5 persecuted puritans and Catholics. He left most government business in the hand of his favorites. Because of his radical actions, the English public soon grew to resent his despotism, and class contradictions became tense in all respects. But on the other hand, James I was quite learned and full of vigor. He managed to continue his reign with little help from parliament until his death in 1625. When Charles I, the son of James I, took the crown in 1625, he went even farther than his father. (1) In order to strengthen his rule, he put most government business in the hands of his favorites. (2) He tried to impose taxes and collect more money from people, showing no respect for parliament’s proposals. (3) He killed many people who were against him. Charles I rule of the time was very cruel. In order to control the church, (4) he chose William Laud, who had Catholic sympathies, as his archbishop, because his wife was a Catholic. As a result, thousands of Protestants were persecuted, and many of them were forced to leave the country. Because of his cruelty, people were against him. Parliament refused to give the king money and tried to make Charles I follow their wishes by keeping him short of money. Charles I was forced to get money by increasing custom duties. Yet, the House of Commons said that this was illegal. Parliament passed “the Petition of Right”, forbidding the king to ask for money in any form without consent of parliament. Thus, the quarrels grew worse than ever between the king and parliament. From 1629 to 1640, Charles I dismissed the parliament twice. Then in August, 1642, Civil War began between the parliament and the King. The king’s supporters came mainly from the west and north. Most of them were Catholics and feudal lords. They were called by their enemies “Cavaliers”, which means “proud, upper-class horseman”. On the other hand, the supporters of parliament were mostly Londoners and the people in the southeast of England. Because the common people of London kept their hair very short, they were called “Roundheads”. As a result of the civil war, the parliament led by Oliver Cromwell defeated the King’s army in 1649. Charles I was captured and sentenced to death as a traitor, tyrant, murderer and enemy of the country. Then he was beheaded in front of his palace of Whitehall, London on January 30, 1649, and was buried at Windsor beside Henry VIII. 2. Northern Ireland—the Battle of the Boyne The Battle of the Boyne is an important engagement of the Glorious Revolution in England (1688-1689). It was fought on the banks of the Boyne River in Ireland on July 12, 1690. The battle was waged between troops of the exiled James II, former king of England, and the forces of the Netherlands ruler William of Orange. William
of Orange had been proclaimed William Ill, king of England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1689. To prevent James from regaining the throne, William led an army of about 35.000 men to Ireland and defeated James. As a result. James returned to exile in France. The Protestant order of Orangemen was established in Ireland in 1795. It was named after William of Orange. Then his victory on the Boyne was commemorated nnually in Northern Ireland 3. Scotland-Halloween Halloween is the holiday observed on the evening of October 31 in most areas of North America and in some areas of Western Europe. The holiday is symbolically associated with death and the supernatural. halloween falls on the eve of All Saints Day, a holy day in the roman Catholic and Anglican churches Originally, All Saints'Day was a pagan festival of the dead. It was established by the Catholic Church in the 9th century to honor Christian saints. All Souls Day, a holy day established by the Catholic Church in the 10th century, is also closely linked to Halloween. All Souls'Day, on November 2, is observed to help purify the spirits of the dead Most Halloween festivities are based on folk beliefs concerning supernatural sp associated with supernatural beings such as witches, werewolves (RA), and ghosts Images thought to symbolize bad omens (E yE)such as black cats, bats, and spiders-are also commonly featured in Halloween decorations Dressing in costume is one of the most popular Halloween customs, especially among children. Trad itional costumes usually represent witches, ghosts, and other supernatural beings. However, costumes inspired by contemporary popular culture such as politicians or movie characters, have become increasingly common in recent years. Adults often favor costumes with satirical or humorous overtones(弦外之音) Trick-or-treating is another Halloween tradition, in which costumed children go from house to house asking for candy or treats (i) from their neighbors. According to this custom, children greet each homeowner with the cry"Trick or Treat, suggesting that some sort of prank (U fRLl)will be played unless treats are prov ided Since the early 20th century, however, the threat of tricks has been largely ceremonial Beginning in the 1970s, the practice of trick-or-treating went into a sharp decline after unsubstantiated rumors spread about homeowners distributing poisoned Halloween candy to children. Many parents also became concerned about their children wandering through the neighborhood after dark. Today, many parents accompany children when they go trick-or-treating 6
6 of Orange had been proclaimed William III, king of England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1689. To prevent James from regaining the throne, William led an army of about 35,000 men to Ireland and defeated James. As a result, James returned to exile in France. The Protestant order of Orangemen was established in Ireland in 1795. It was named after William of Orange. Then his victory on the Boyne was commemorated annually in Northern Ireland. 3. Scotland—Halloween Halloween is the holiday observed on the evening of October 31 in most areas of North America and in some areas of Western Europe. The holiday is symbolically associated with death and the supernatural. Halloween falls on the eve of All Saints’ Day, a holy day in the Roman Catholic and Anglican churches. Originally, All Saints’ Day was a pagan festival of the dead. It was established by the Catholic Church in the 9th century to honor Christian saints. All Souls’ Day, a holy day established by the Catholic Church in the 10th century, is also closely linked to Halloween. All Souls’ Day, on November 2, is observed to help purify the spirits of the dead. Most Halloween festivities are based on folk beliefs concerning supernatural forces and spirits of the dead. Halloween decorations typically feature imagery associated with supernatural beings such as witches, werewolves (狼人), and ghosts. Images thought to symbolize bad omens (征兆)—such as black cats, bats, and spiders—are also commonly featured in Halloween decorations. Dressing in costume is one of the most popular Halloween customs, especially among children. Traditional costumes usually represent witches, ghosts, and other supernatural beings. However, costumes inspired by contemporary popular culture, such as politicians or movie characters, have become increasingly common in recent years. Adults often favor costumes with satirical or humorous overtones (弦外之音). Trick-or-treating is another Halloween tradition, in which costumed children go from house to house asking for candy or treats (款待) from their neighbors. According to this custom, children greet each homeowner with the cry “Trick or Treat,” suggesting that some sort of prank (恶作剧) will be played unless treats are provided. Since the early 20th century, however, the threat of tricks has been largely ceremonial. Beginning in the 1970s, the practice of trick-or-treating went into a sharp decline after unsubstantiated rumors spread about homeowners distributing poisoned Halloween candy to children. Many parents also became concerned about their children wandering through the neighborhood after dark. Today, many parents accompany children when they go trick-or-treating
4. Wales--Eisteddfod Eisteddfod(Welsh, a sitting of learned men)is the national music and literary festival held each summer in Wales to promote Welsh language, literature, music, and customs. The weeklong ceremony is a revival of the ancient Welsh custom of assembling bards for competition among themselves, for the regulation of poetry and musIc, and for the licensing(许可) of duly(恰当地) qualified cand idates to the position of recognized bards. The assembly, now occurs on the second day(tuesday) of the festival to confer degrees of four grades on the modern equivalent of the Welsh bard
7 4. Wales--Eisteddfod Eisteddfod (Welsh, “a sitting of learned men”) is the national music and literary festival held each summer in Wales to promote Welsh language, literature, music, and customs. The weeklong ceremony is a revival of the ancient Welsh custom of assembling bards for competition among themselves, for the regulation of poetry and music, and for the licensing (许可) of duly (恰当地) qualified candidates to the position of recognized bards. The assembly, now occurs on the second day (Tuesday) of the festival to confer degrees of four grades on the modern equivalent of the Welsh bards
Chapter y British education System Time Allocation: 2 periods Focal Points: the purpose of the British education system, grammar school, public school, Old Universities, Open University L. Introduction British society is increasingly middle class in numbers and outlook, an maintaining a high standard of living is a top priority. Material possessions, such the family home, car, appliances, and clothes, are important, and many families take vacations abroad. The well-being of children is highly regarded, and British middle-class families often make substantial investments in order to provide the best education and life-enriching opportunities for their children British people believe that proper education is indispensable(必不可少)to qualified citizens. This has become the common British belief. So British education aims to develop the abilities of individuals. In other words, the purpose of school is to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to become active members of society. (P106, paragraph 1) Britain has instituted compulsory schooling for many years. Parents are required by the law to ensure that their children receive efficient full-time education between the ages of 5 to 16. Thus we say that now all children have a minimum of 1l years compulsory full-time education. The parents are responsible for it. If a child fails to attend school, a school attendance officer(负责学龄儿童入学事物的教育官员)wll come to his house to find out why and if there is no good reason, the parents may be prosecuted. (P110, paragraph 1-2) Generally speaking, children would first study in primary schools. When they reach the age of ll, they go on their education in second schools. The school year begins in Sept and is divided into three terms, with holidays at Christmas, Easter(i 活节3月21日或者该日后月园后的第一个星期日) and in summer. The summer holidays are the longest, lasting throughout August and part of September Education in Britain is not as highly centralized as it is in many other countries The central Department of Education and Science in Whitehall guides, gives advice and inspects. This means it sends its inspectors round to schools to see that they are efficient. But the planning and organization of education in England and Wales is in the hands of the 163 Local Education Authorities(LeAs for short All children are free to enter state-run schools. They need not pay any fees and
8 Chapter 9 British Education System Time Allocation: 2 periods Focal Points: the purpose of the British education system, grammar school, public school, Old Universities, Open University. I. Introduction British society is increasingly middle class in numbers and outlook, and maintaining a high standard of living is a top priority. Material possessions, such as the family home, car, appliances, and clothes, are important, and many families take vacations abroad. The well-being of children is highly regarded, and British middle-class families often make substantial investments in order to provide the best education and life-enriching opportunities for their children. British people believe that proper education is indispensable ( 必不可少) to qualified citizens. This has become the common British belief. So British education aims to develop the abilities of individuals. In other words, the purpose of school is to provide children with literacy and the other basic skills they will need to become active members of society. (P106, paragraph 1) Britain has instituted compulsory schooling for many years. Parents are required by the law to ensure that their children receive efficient full-time education between the ages of 5 to 16. Thus we say that now all children have a minimum of 11 years compulsory full-time education. The parents are responsible for it. If a child fails to attend school, a School Attendance Officer (负责学龄儿童入学事物的教育官员) will come to his house to find out why and if there is no good reason, the parents may be prosecuted. (P110, paragraph 1-2) Generally speaking, children would first study in primary schools. When they reach the age of 11, they go on their education in second schools. The school year begins in Sept. and is divided into three terms, with holidays at Christmas, Easter (复 活节 3 月 21 日或者该日后月园后的第一个星期日) and in summer. The summer holidays are the longest, lasting throughout August and part of September. Education in Britain is not as highly centralized as it is in many other countries. The central Department of Education and Science in Whitehall guides, gives advice and inspects. This means it sends its inspectors round to schools to see that they are efficient. But the planning and organization of education in England and Wales is in the hands of the 163 Local Education Authorities (LEAs for short). All children are free to enter state-run schools. They need not pay any fees and
can get textbooks and stationery free of charge. Certificates for the pupils after the secondary schools are not awarded by schools but by the examining boards. There are six examining boards in England. These six boards conduct public examinations for all schools. The public examinations are mainly the gCse(the General Certificate of Secondary education中学毕业证书) exams and the gce(the General Certificate of Education水平测试) exams. The gCe is intended for pupils who want to go on their education in Universities and Colleges, while the gCse is designed for those pupils who are less academically able. The gCe has two levels: "O" level and"A"level Students who win the gCe at"A"level can apply for admission to universities. These public examinations decide what kind of certificates pupils are to get and who can enter universities Any child may leave school at 16 without attempting any of the public examinations. But an increasing number of boys and girls are taking either the exam a pupil may also take GeC in some subjects and cse in others Schools supported by public funds are of two main kinds in England county schools and voluntary schools. County schools are financed and maintained by local government. Voluntary schools, mostly established by religious denominations (%), are managed by voluntary organizations with the financial help of local governments When we talked about British Government we know that the British Government is made up of three tiers: the central government, the county government and the district government. Or we may say the central government and the local government As far as the education is concerned, the tasks of the central govemment and the local governments are clearly distinguished. The central government makes general education policies and provides financial support for universities. Yet the loc governments are mainly responsible for providing primary and secondary education for school ages. But in 1989, the government introduced a National Curriculum. Now, all the teachers are told what to teach and their schools are now ranked according to how well they perform this task. (P. 109 paragraph 3-4 One of the characteristics of the schools in the uk is that all school children must receive religious instruction and attend daily worship at school. To protect freedom of belief, the government allows local education authorities and schools to determine the content of their religious instruction accord ing to the demand of the local commun ity The purpose is to cultivate the moral sense of pupils. (P. 108, paragraph 1) II. Primary and Secondary Education Britain conducts compulsory education for all children. It begins at the age of five rally, children spend two years in infants' schools, four years in primary schools and five or more(seven)years in second ary schools. For primary schools, Britain has
9 can get textbooks and stationery free of charge. Certificates for the pupils after the secondary schools are not awarded by schools but by the examining boards. There are six examining boards in England. These six boards conduct public examinations for all schools. The public examinations are mainly the GCSE (the General Certificate of Secondary Education 中学毕业证书) exams and the GCE (the General Certificate of Education 水平测试) exams. The GCE is intended for pupils who want to go on their education in Universities and Colleges, while the GCSE is designed for those pupils who are less academically able. The GCE has two levels: “O” level and “A” level. Students who win the GCE at “A” level can apply for admission to universities. These public examinations decide what kind of certificates pupils are to get and who can enter universities. Any child may leave school at 16 without attempting any of the public examinations. But an increasing number of boys and girls are taking either the exam. A pupil may also take GEC in some subjects and CSE in others. Schools supported by public funds are of two main kinds in England: county schools and voluntary schools. County schools are financed and maintained by local government. Voluntary schools, mostly established by religious denominations (派别), are managed by voluntary organizations with the financial help of local governments. When we talked about British Government, we know that the British Government is made up of three tiers: the central government, the county government and the district government. Or we may say the central government and the local government. As far as the education is concerned, the tasks of the central government and the local governments are clearly distinguished. The central government makes general education policies and provides financial support for universities. Yet the local governments are mainly responsible for providing primary and secondary education for school ages. But in 1989, the government introduced a National Curriculum. Now, all the teachers are told what to teach and their schools are now ranked according to how well they perform this task. (P.109 paragraph 3-4) One of the characteristics of the schools in the UK is that all school children must receive religious instruction and attend daily worship at school. To protect freedom of belief, the government allows local education authorities and schools to determine the content of their religious instruction according to the demand of the local community. The purpose is to cultivate the moral sense of pupils. (P.108, paragraph 1) II. Primary and Secondary Education Britain conducts compulsory education for all children. It begins at the age of five. Generally, children spend two years in infants’ schools, four years in primary schools, and five or more (seven) years in secondary schools. For primary schools, Britain has
two kinds: the state-owned and private-owned. (P 110, paragraph 2) The children from state-owned primary schools will go on their secondary ducation in Grammar Schools, Secondary Modern Schools or the Comprehensive Secondary Schools. The private-owned primary schools in England are called preparatory schools. Children from private-owned primary schools, or to be exact the prep schools will mainly go on their education in Public Schools (private schools England ) The prep schools are not like the private-owned schools in other countries a prep school normally runs five grades. The owner of a prep school is known as the headmaster who employs teachers to teach the pupils. After about 5 years of study at the prep school, the pupils reach the age of 13. Then they take a common entrance examination for admission to public schools with which prep schools are connected The most famous public schools enroll the best pupils In the UK, all children throughout the country must study the following subjects English, Mathematics, Science, Religious education, History, Geography, Technology Music, Art, Physical education and a foreign language.(P109, paragraph 3) As far as the secondary education is concerned there are several different kinds of secondary schools: the grammar schools, the secondary modern schools, the comprehensive secondary schools and public schools 1. The grammar Schools The grammar schools are well known in Britain. They are like the key schools China. We know in Britain children usually spend 6 years on primary education When they graduate from primary schools, they are usually eleven years old According to the educational system for grammar schools, these children should take part in an examination called"eleven-plus”(选拔优秀小学生毕业考试). Those children who do well in the exam will enter the grammar schools. those who do not so well will go to the secondary modern schools Since grammar schools are like the key schools in our country, most children want to pass the exam so that they can study in grammar schools, or we may say so that they would be more promising in entering the universities in the future. So comparing with the secondary modern schools, the grammar schools are to train students academically. Moreover, the grammar schools are better equipped with better teachers. Most pupils from grammar schools have a good chance to enter institutions of higher learning. Many students can get the General Certificate of Education (GCe) at"A"(Advanced)level. If a student cannot pass the exam, he can continue his stud in the school until he is 18.(P. 111, paragraph 5) But of course, not all the pupils can get good marks in the examination o eleven-plus". So many pupils have to enter secondary modern schools 2. The secondary modern School
10 two kinds: the state-owned and private-owned. (P.110, paragraph 2) The children from state-owned primary schools will go on their secondary education in Grammar Schools, Secondary Modern Schools or the Comprehensive Secondary Schools. The private-owned primary schools in England are called preparatory schools. Children from private-owned primary schools, or to be exact the prep schools will mainly go on their education in Public Schools (private schools in England). The prep schools are not like the private-owned schools in other countries. A prep school normally runs five grades. The owner of a prep school is known as the headmaster who employs teachers to teach the pupils. After about 5 years of study at the prep school, the pupils reach the age of 13. Then they take a common entrance examination for admission to public schools with which prep schools are connected. The most famous public schools enroll the best pupils. In the UK, all children throughout the country must study the following subjects: English,Mathematics, Science, Religious education, History, Geography, Technology, Music, Art, Physical education and a foreign language. (P109, paragraph 3) As far as the secondary education is concerned, there are several different kinds of secondary schools: the grammar schools, the secondary modern schools, the comprehensive secondary schools and public schools. 1. The Grammar Schools The grammar schools are well known in Britain. They are like the key schools in China. We know in Britain children usually spend 6 years on primary education. When they graduate from primary schools, they are usually eleven years old. According to the educational system for grammar schools, these children should take part in an examination called “eleven-plus” (选拔优秀小学生毕业考试). Those children who do well in the exam will enter the grammar schools. Those who do not so well will go to the secondary modern schools. Since grammar schools are like the key schools in our country, most children want to pass the exam so that they can study in grammar schools, or we may say so that they would be more promising in entering the universities in the future. So comparing with the secondary modern schools, the grammar schools are to train students academically. Moreover, the grammar schools are better equipped with better teachers. Most pupils from grammar schools have a good chance to enter institutions of higher learning. Many students can get the General Certificate of Education (GCE) at “A” (Advanced) level. If a student cannot pass the exam, he can continue his study in the school until he is 18. (P.111, paragraph 5) But of course, not all the pupils can get good marks in the examination of “eleven-plus”. So many pupils have to enter secondary modern schools. 2. The Secondary Modern Schools