V Международный конкурс научно-исследовательских и творческих работ учащихся
Старт в науке
Российская и Британская система образования. Сходство и различие.
Автор работы награжден дипломом победителя II степени
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Introduction
The relevance of the topic:
At the present time we can observe a great change in the socio-economic situation in the country. Requirements to the level of professional training of personnel are changing and raise issues of professional orientation of the youth.
At the present stage of development of our country one of the most important tasks is to train specialists that meet the requirements of the economy market.
The quality of training depends on the successful professional self-identification not only of graduates of higher and secondary vocational education, but also secondary school students. According to the laboratory of socio-professional identity of youth ISMO RAO, 50% of high school students do not relate the choice of a profession with real opportunities, and 46% are focused in the career choice on the opinions of parents, relatives; 67% do not have ideas about the nature of their chosen profession.
The question of determining their future profession in recent years is under our attention, because at the beginning of the 9th grade one needs to understand what to do: to go to a College or a University, which specialization should have to be chosen, what kind of education to obtain. Schools conduct career guidance for finding answers on the students’ questions.
The problem: choosing a career is very widespread problem among young people. Work plays an important role in every person’s life and has a big impact on its condition. Making a right decision reduces the frequency of physical and mental problems related to health and enhances the satisfaction of human life.
One must admit that the importance of this question cannot be overemphasized. Finding, choosing and learning occupations is central and in this sense crucial problem for everyone.
In order to improve the ability of young people on the labor market, dozens of new-market related courses have been devised and introduced.
In 1998, experts have counted about 7,000 jobs in our country. Every year labor market updates. Approximately 500 new occupations are appearing on the “stage”. However, many professions exist on the market from 5 to 15 years and then either die, or change beyond recognition.
Hypothesis:It is assumed that to improve the quality of the future the higher education, vocational training and simplify the process of choosing is to unite the two educational systems – Russian and British. This will allow us to use the best features of two different organizations of training as the creation of basic aspects of the new unified system of public education.
Aims:
1. To attract public attention to the problem of choice of a professional education.
2. To expand students’ knowledge in the purview of education.
3. To compare and analyse the advantages and disadvantages of Russian and British systems of education and professional guidance.
The tasks:
1. To collect and examine information about the system of education in England and Russia.
2. To offer the students of secondary schools to take part in a survey about further education.
3. To systematize all received materials.
4. To identify positive and negative aspects of professional education in England and Russia.
Comparative analysis of Russian and British education
Education is an important part of modern life. Being educated means to know a lot of necessary things for life, which is why every decent person studies at school. Originally Russian education starts from the early age. Every child starts going to school from the age of seven and till 16. Mandatory education in Russia is presented by three types of schools: primary, secondary and high. At the 9th grade children face a very important period in their life. They have to choose whether to continue school education, or to leave for other types of educational institutions, such as college, specialized schools and else. If the pupil decides to continue studying in high school, which lasts for two years, he can enter the university after school graduation. School education in Russia is divided into 3 stages. The first stage - primary school(grades 1-4), the second - middle school(grades 5-9), and the third which is called high school(10-11 grades).
After the 9th form students get the General Certificate of Secondary Education and may leave school and go to College or technical school, or continue studying.
Those who decide to stay after the 11th form must take the Unified State Examination(USE) which includes 4 subjects: two are obligatory - Russian language and mathematics, and two additional. And then they choose what University to enter.
Education in Britain is compulsory and free for all children.
Primary education begins at the age of 5 in England, Wales and Scotland, and 4 in Northern Ireland. It includes three age ranges: nursery for children under 5 years, infants from 5 to 7, and juniors from 7 to 11 years old.
Compulsory secondary education begins when children are 11 or 12 and lasts for 5 years: one form to each year. Secondary schools are generally much larger than primary ones. Pupils in England and Wales begin studying a range of subjects stipulated under the National Curriculum. Religious education is available in all schools, although parents have the right to withdraw their children from such classes.
About 5 per cent of schoolchildren attend fee-paying private or public schools. Most of these schools are boarding ones, where children live as well as study. The most famous British public schools are Eton, Harrow and Winchester.
The large majority of British schools teach both boys and girls together. But grammar schools, which give state secondary education of a very high standard, teach boys and girls separately.
The school year in England and Wales starts in September and ends in July. In Scotland it runs from August to June and in Northern Ireland from September to June and has three terms. At 7 and 11 years old, and then at 14 and 16 at secondary school, pupils take examinations in the core subjects (English, Mathematics and Science).
The main school examination, the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) is taken at the age of 16. If pupils are successful, they can make their choice: they may either go to a Further Education College or a Polytechnic or they may continue their education in the sixth form. Those who stay at school after GCSE, study for 2 more years for "A' (Advanced) Level Exams in two or three subjects which is necessary to enter one of British universities. Universities usually select students basing on their A-level results and an interview. After three years of study a university graduate gets the Degree of a Bachelor of Arts, Science or Engineering. Many students then continue their studies for a Master's Degree and then a Doctor's Degree (PhD).
A-Level/USE
A-Level in the UK is a training programme that lasts 2 years and leads to obtaining a high school diploma, which gives you the opportunity to go to University.
The program includes 45 items. Such as economics, chemistry, physics, biology, etc. Students choose from 3 to 6 subjects appropriate to their future specialization.
The academic program consists of two parts, a year for each part. After the first year, students receive the degree of As-Level, and after the second - A2-levels. And after the program, students take exams to receive a diploma A-Level.
After the exams that are graded from A to E. A is the highest mark, E is the lowest. There is also a score of A+ for the most successful and talented students.
The Unified State Exam is an exam in Russia, conducted for graduates of school. At the same time is the entrance examination for universities. It includes such subjects as Russian language, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, etc. Two of them, Russian language and mathematics are compulsory, and two more subjects are chosen by student.
After passing the exam the student receives a high school diploma and on the basis of points decides which University he will enter.
USE and A-Level have many differences and, in general, are very different from each other.
The exam for the majority of Humanities consists of three parts. In easy parts there are few response options, only one of which is correct. In the second part of the assignment there are no answer choice, you have to write your own. And the last part contains a special, creative activity. For example, creative assignment in Russian language exam is to write work on the text where you describe one of the problem which presented by the author of the text, to comment author’s position and express your opinion on the problem. The entire exam lasts 3 hours.
A-Level English, unlike the Russian exam contains no questions with response options. Examination is in the form of essays. Topics can be different. For example, a letter to the editor of the newspaper on a given topic, or analyzing the linguistic characteristics of the classical text. The essay must be no less than 300 words. Student is given 1.5 hour to complete the assignment. The same rules are for all humanitarian subjects. The history exam, for example, includes essays on two topics, each has a couple of questions that need answering. For example, the History of tropical Africa or the History of South-East Asia.
Speaking of history, it is worth noting that in Russia more attention is paid to the history of Russia itself, whereas in the UK the priority is given to the world’s history.
Universities
The UK is renowned for the quality of higher education. The most prestigious universities in this country are Cambridge and Oxford.
Cambridge University is the largest University in the UK and one of the oldest in the country (only older than Oxford). Was founded in 1209, and in 1214 was composed of University rules. In fact, it is an Association of 31 colleges, where each College has its own library, its dormitory for students, etc. There are common units of the University, available for students of each College.
Oxford University is one of the oldest universities in the world and the oldest in England. The exact date of Foundation is unknown; the training was conducted to 1096. In 1249 the oldest College of the University (University College) was founded. Now there are 38 colleges. Nowadays it’s one of the best and prestigious universities in the world.
Higher education in Russia is lagging behind the British but has one great advantage - it is free.
Rightfully the most prestigious and best University of Russia is Moscow State University(Lomonosov's). It is the largest and one of the oldest universities of Russia. Was founded in 1755, at the suggestion of the Russian scientist, Mikhail Lomonosov. It is interesting that in the early years the language of instruction was Latin, and only in 1767 lectures were read in Russian. In 1940, at its 185th anniversary, the University was named after Lomonosov. And in 1953 had completed construction of the Main building of MSU, which is now one of Moscow landmarks. Now it is the best University in Russia and throughout the former Soviet Union.
It may also be noted Bauman Moscow State Technical University. Founded in 1830, throughout history has repeatedly changed its name. First was called the Moscow craft school. It is very prestigious in Russia and according to QS World University Rankings: BRICS survey in 2017 took 291 position in the world’s Top 300 universities.
Vocational studying
In the UK vocational studying is conducted in schools, colleges and universities. The country has many years of experience of career-oriented activities.
The person who has completed a professional course has a high level of professional competence and he is able to perform work independently and responsibly.
In English schools students have possibility to practice on small versions of enterprises. There students choose which kind of work they want to try, they might be engaged in marketing or sell the products. This kind of practice gives students an experience with small business, teaches responsibility, self-confidence and how to take initiative.
Career guidance in England is developing, depending on the economic and social situation in the country, and it is a continuous process, that starts in school and continues until admission to the University.
In Russia vocational guidance does not get enough attention. Competition in the labor market is high. Students rarely ask questions about their future profession, and often think about Universities they should choose. The profession is chosen according to parents’ advice. The future career depends on parents’ opportunities and income level.
Career choices of graduates are guided by two aspects: salary and prestige. It often happens that popular professions such as teacher, doctor, plumber, electrician and many others are underpaid and underappreciated.
A huge problem is that after getting a diploma graduates can’t find a job on a specialty. A young professional has to find a compromise between desire to work according his or her degree and possibility to get a decent salary.
Prices for studying
Three of the most popular universities in Russia are Moscow state University - Lomonosov's, Moscow State Technical University, and St. Petersburg State University.
The tuition fee at MSU in 2017/2018 academic year for full-time education is up to 325.000 RUB per year. For part-time tuition is 199.000 RUB the Second higher education costs 215.000 RUB.
The cost of studying in University depends on the chosen faculty and ranges from 161.000 at the Faculty of engineering, business and management to 188.000 at the Faculty of Informatics and control systems.
The cost of education at Saint Petersburg state University greatly varies from areas of training. From 86.000 rubles at Ecology and environmental management to 150,000 in Linguistics.
As of August 2017, there were 109 universities and university colleges in England out of around 130 in the United Kingdom. This includes private universities but does not include other Higher Education Institutions that have not been given the right to call themselves "university" or "university college" by the Privy Council or Companies House (e.g. colleges of higher education), or colleges of the University of London.
In the 2018 table, the top 5 universities were the University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, University of St Andrews, Imperial College London and Durham University.
The annual tuition fee at Cambridge is from 10,000 to 24,000 pounds(from 790.000 to 1.896.000 rubles). The cost is heavily dependent on faculty. The most reasonable prices are for the faculties of literature, history and geography. They are around £ 10,000(790.000 RUB) per year. Average price of 12.000-17.000 pounds(948.000-1.343.000 rubles) have faculties of technical and engineering specialties. Moreover, the most expensive, 17.000-24.000(1.343.000-1.896.000 rubles), have medical faculties and business schools.
The cost of studying in Oxford depends on the citizenship of the student. Students of Great Britain and citizens of other EU countries pay for the year of about 9,000 pounds(711.000 rubles). For foreign students the cost is much higher, ranging from 15,000 to 22,000 pounds(from 1.185.000 to 1.738.000 rubles), depending on the faculty.
Study at London University for foreign students is from 10,000 to 18,000 pounds(from 790.000 to 1.422.000 rubles). The figure varies greatly from faculty to faculty. The University offers numerous scholarships and grants that partly or fully cover the cost of training.
The State-funded places
The number of budget places in Russian universities varies widely, depending on the direction, and even from University to University. In general, there is a tendency to reduction of budget places.
For example, the economy is one of the most popular destinations among Russian students. In economic universities, there are in average 100-200 state-funded places. Russian State Social University in the same year had only 13 state-funded places. In the sphere of economy, there has been the largest reduction of budget places. For example, in RSSU in the past, 2016 25 budget places, and in 2015 all 40.
At the same time, in the direction of computer science and IT technologies we can observe the increase of specific university places, on average 100-150, although again sometimes more and sometimes less. If in 2016 the Moscow Polytech had 59 budget places, in 2017, there were already 115.
Despite the fact that higher education in the UK has traditionally been paid and very expensive, however, there is an opportunity to study free of charge.
The main difference in contrast to Russia is that law does not guarantee free education for foreigners. However, one can deal with circumstances in several ways. The solution is - training in one of the international student exchange programs.
In the universities of Great Britain, there are very few budget places and entrance competition is very high. The competition is great, because British universities are widely valued as the best in the world. For admission to the budget in the British University, you should be very proficient in English, to get a very high score on entrance examinations and preferably to be a winner of several international scientific Olympiads.
Gap year
Most students in the UK take a year out (a gap year). This practice is popular in the UK and other English-speaking countries.
Graduates take a gap year, to relax from the studying routine and examinations and get the chance to feel independent. Usually gappies work, travel and do volunteer jobs or altogether.
People travel to different countries to learn the traditions and customs of other cultures. Often, gap year is a good chance to study a foreign language, in any country, where you can find language schools. They also participate in various volunteer programs: for example, work at the animal shelter, building schools and hospitals in remote areas or teaching English. Gap year can help young adults develop skills, which are attractive to employers and universities, such as independence, initiative and social skills. It is the first step to build up your career, to know what you are interested in, to find new friends all over the world.
In Russia, taking a gap year is not a common practice. Although Russian school-leavers have the possibility to take the year out, as the results of the exam are valid for 4 years after graduating. The majority of students enter a university immediately after the exams. They consider a gap year as a waste of time. For young men the situation is difficult because at the age of 18 they may be taken to the Army that is why a lot of them enter the institute or university just not to become soldiers.
The young do not have any desire to be independent because they are not mature enough to live on their own. It is undeniable that a year out is a great idea. Without testing yourself, it is hard to make a right decision and not to be disappointed in the future. Sometimes people choose a career to their liking, they enter a university and after some time they realise that the occupation they chose is not what they want, so they get poor marks and have to leave the university. To sum up, taking a year to sort yourself out is a right way to avoid mistakes while choosing your future occupation.
The First job and salary
Recent graduates have some difficulties with employment in Russia. Most Russian companies require experienced employees. They ask for 3 or more years of practice.
Despite this, there are still employers that do not require work experience from applicants. Frequently, young graduates are taken on manager position: sales, purchasing, working with customers, etc. Next in popularity for graduates is the work of an assistant or assistants, as well as the operator or manager. Rarely, without any experience young people have a chance to take a job as IT specialists, lawyers, and doctors.
Salaries in Russia are highly dependent on specialty and region and it’s around 30 thousand rubles in average. For Moscow this sum is higher and equals to 60 thousand rubles. Salary of recent graduates is slightly lower and equals to 50 thousand rubles in Moscow and 20 thousand rubles in the rest of Russia. However, this is only average numbers, if you try hard you can easily find a job with a higher salary.
In the UK the employment situation of the students is much better. The vast majority of British students find a job within a year after graduating from high school.
Despite the huge competition, there are no serious problems for graduates to find a decent job. Various classes are offered every semester session on employment for students, as well as various psychological workshops. For example, how to stand out in the interview, or how to develop leadership skills.
Graduates of medical faculties: dentists, surgeons are more successful in this battle for the better place under the Sun. Specialists in IT sphere, as well as lawyers and financiers have good chances too.
Salaries for graduates again vary widely, they depend both on region and on areas of activity. Graduate without work experience can count on 20.000 pounds(1.580.000 rubles) a year. Workers in the field of IT and Finance will receive more than 30.000 pounds (2.370.000 rubles) a year. Also wages in the capital region significantly exceeded to 30.000 pounds (2.370.000 rubles).
Conclusion
According to the data obtained from the survey that we conducted among students of 9-11 forms, we can conclude that most of the students have an idea of their future career. However, their goals are too ambitious, because 69% of respondents are going to enter to a University. This information tells us about the increase in the number of good specialists in Russia. But this is only one side of the coin.
School projects on the subject of vocational training in total, occupy only 9% from all the lessons aimed at gaining knowledge about the various professions. So we can conclude that the question of the vocational guidance is not paid enough attention in Russian schools. More than one-fifth of all high school students believe that the school hasn’t shown them any assistance in the question of career guidance. This means that 23% of teenagers are not ready to obtain the further education.
Founded weakness of the Russian educational system needs to be seen by the Ministry of education and science of the Russian Federation (MES RF). In the future we plan to continue working on the subject of career guidance.
|
British education |
Russian education |
|
|
Pluses |
The exam doesn’t include mandatory subjects to pass.
Getting a university degree is very prestigious.
Development of vocational studying depends on the socio-economic situation in the country.
Undergraduated students can find a job within a year after graduating from high school. |
Prices for studying in universities are not as high as in the UK.
Universities have a lot of budget places.
Graduates can find a job with a higher salary. |
|
Minuses |
Studying in universities is very expensive.
Universities offer very few state-funded places and entrance competition is very high.
British law does not guarantee free education for foreigners. |
The form of exam is ineffective.
There are too many low status universities.
System of vocational studying is limited. The Government doesn’t pay enough attention on vocational studying.
Graduates can't easily find a job after school. |
Appendix
Survey for students of 9-11 forms
How do you feel about career planning?
Confident
Bored
Not-so-ready
I know exactly what I want
I don't have enough information
I haven't really started planning yet
Other
Have you decided career areas you are interested in?
YES, I have one strong career goal
YES, I can name 2 or 3 possible career areas that might interest me
NOT YET, but I am starting to think about careers
NO, I do not know yet what type of career I want
What do you plan to do after high school?
Attend a four-year college
Attend an university
Go to the Army
Work in a part-time job while attending college or university
Work full-time
Work or volunteer for a year before attending school/training
Which of the following have you been doing? Check as many as apply.
Talking with friends/parents about careers
Talking with teachers and/or counselors about careers
Doing career interest checklists/assessments
Listening to guest speakers about careers at my school
Field trips to companies and workplaces
Looking at websites, videos or books about careers
Summer job(s), after-school job(s), volunteer work
Clubs or activities related to career interests
Classroom projects related to career interests
None of the above
Other
If you have had a job, internship, or volunteer position, what do you think you learned from your experience? Check as many as apply.
Career options (what type of careers I might like)
Career-specific skills (such as childcare, cooking skills)
Academic skills (such as how to use writing, reading or math)
Basic foundation skills (such as working with others or professionalism)
Higher-level professional skills (such as project management or leadership)
Not applicable (have not had a job, internship or volunteer experience)
Other
My school has helped me develop the skills and knowledge I will need for college level classes.
Yes
No
What is your current grade?
11th Grade
10th Grade
9th Grade
How do students feel about planning their future career
Have students decided what career they are interested in
What do they plan to do after school
What did they do to find out more about careers
What did they learn from experience
Do students think that school helped them to get the skills for college/university
Bibliography:
Website “London life” http://london-life.ru/srednyaya-zarplata-v-anglii/
Website of Cambridge University https://www.undergraduate.study.cam.ac.uk/apply/stati..
Website of company which helps enter to universities of Russia http://postyplenie.ru/results_of_admission/2012/cost/..
Website of company which helps enter to foreign universities https://www.unipage.net/ru/university_of_london
Website of company which helps students find college, university or school
http://b-bright.ru/vysshee-obrazovanie/zhizn-v-veliko..
Website of MSU https://www.msu.ru/press/federalpress/samye_vostrebov..
Website of MBA consult http://blog.mbaconsult.ru/blog/tests/kak-rossiyskiy-e..