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There are more than forty universities in Britain, of which 36 are in England, 8 in Scotland, 2 in Northern Ireland and 1 in Wales. The two oldest universities in England are Oxford and Cambridge. These date from the Middle Ages. Oxford is the oldest of these two universities, it is more philosophical, classical, theological. The history of Oxford began in 1249, that of Cambridge in 1348. Among the English universities Oxford and Cambridge have a special eminence, and they are different from the others.
Two universities, Oxford and Cambridge, Oxbridge, as they are sometimes jointly called, for seven hundred years dominated British education, and today they dominate more than ever. The students of Oxbridge make up one of the most elite in the world. Many great man studied here. Among them Bacon, the philosopher, Milton, the poet, Cromwell, the soldier, and Newton, the scientist. Many prominent Conservative and Labour leaders and ministers, members of the Royal family studied here too.
Today Oxford and Cambridge have less than one – tenth of all British university students (less than 1%) of Britain’s population. Only a small per cent of the candidates are chosen – mainly on the results of the written examinations.
Oxford and Cambridge preserve the antique way of life in the midst of the twentieth century. Oxbridge is only in session half the year. Both Oxford and Cambridge how consists of self-governing colleges where students live. The students have lectures and tutorials: each student has a tutor who tells him to write papers on the subject he is studying. Tutors are responsible for the students progress.
England has no other universities, apart from Oxford and Cambridge, until the nineteenth century. The universities which were founded between 1850 and 1930, including London University, are known as redbrick universities (they are called so because that was the favourable building material of the time). They are London, Durham, Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Bristol etc. The University of London is the largest of them. The division between Oxford and Redbrick universities is sharp. It is essentially a class one. A large per cent of Oxford undergraduates come from public schools. Redbrick universities were built to provide a liberal education for the poorer boys and to give technological training. Oxford and Cambridge graduates scorned them.
The universities which are founded after the Second World War are called “the new universities”. They are in Staffordshire, Kent, Essex, Lancaster, Sussex, York. Some of them quickly became popular because of their modern approach to university courses.
AU B.U. are private institutions. Every university is independent, autonomous are responsible only to its own governing council. Although they all receive financial support from the state, the Department of Education and Science has no control over their regulations, curriculum, examinations, appointment of staff, or the way they spend money. The number and type of faculties differ from university to university. Each university decides each year how many students it supposes to admit. The admission to the university is by examinations or selection (interviews). The students receive grants. They have to pay fees and living costs but every student may receive from the local authority of the place where he lives a personal grant which is enough to pay lodgings and food-unless his parents are rich. Most students take jobs in the summer for about six weeks, but they do not normally do outside work during the academic session.
Students who pass examinations at the end of three or four years of study get Bachelor’s degree. The first postgraduate degree is normally that of Marber conferred for a thesis based on at least one year’s fulltime work. Universities are centres of research and many postgraduates are engaged in research for higher degree, usually Doctorates.
The British government does not think to build more new universities. There is a tendency to expand the older ones. The most interesting innovation is Open University, that was founded in 1964 by the Labour Government for those people who, for same reason, had not had a chance to enter any of the other Universities, especially those above normal students’ age.
It takes both men and women at the age of 21 and over. No normal academic qualifications are necessary for entry to these courses, but the standards of its degrees are the same as those of other universities. It’s a non-residential university. In teaching the university uses a combination of TV and radio broadcasts, correspondent courses and summer schools. Students meet with a tutor once a month.
Ex. 3. Find the English equivalents.
Иметь свое высокое положение, иметь общее название, доминировать, по результатам письменных экзаменов, самоуправляемые заведения, быть ответственным перед кем-либо, классовые различия, техническое образование, оплачивать проживание, тенденция к увеличению.
Ex. 4. Give the situations in which these words are used.
Ex. 5. Correct the statements. Say if it is true or false.
AU British Universities are private institutions.
The admission to the university is by examinations or selection.
The Department of Education and Science controls appointment of staff.
The number and the type of faculties is the same at all British Universities.
Students never work in summer, the work during the academic year.
The first postgraduate degree is that of Master.
Universities are centres of research.
Ex. 6. Complete the sentences.
The oldest Universities in Britain are ….
There is a sharp division between ….
New Universities became popular because ….
Every University is independent, and responsible only to ….
Students who pass exams after three or four years of studies get ….
There is a tendency to expand ….
Ex. 7. Answer the questions.
How many Universities are there in Great Britain?
What are the oldest British Universities?
What Redbrick universities can you name?
Why did the new universities quickly become popular?
AU British Universities are private institutions, aren’t they?
What university degrees do you know?
Are universities centres of research?
Ex. 8. Make up a short summary of the text according to the plan.
The title of the text ….
The text is devoted to ….
It consists of ….
The first passage deals with ….
The main idea of the text is ….
Ex. 9. Retell the text: a) as it is;
b) comparing with the system of higher education in
Belarus.
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