Unit 4. School education system

I. Before you read
Read the facts below and decide whether the
statements about schools in Vietnam are true (T) or
false (F). Then compare your results with your
partners’ .

Facts about schools
1.Children start Grade 1 when they are 6 years old.
2.Schooling is compulsory from the age of 6 to 16.
3.The school year generally begins in September
and ends in late May.
4.The students do not have any examinations
when they finish secondary school.
5.A school year consists of two terms.

T

F



x


x


Vocabulary:
- academic/,ổk'demik/(adj) thuộc giảng dạy
và học tập

- academic year = school year : năm học
- parallel /'pổrlel/ (n) : song song
c

- core /k :(r)/(adj) = main : chính, chủ yếu
- compulsory /km'plsri/ (adj): bắt buộc
- category /'kổtgri/ (n) : loại, hạng.
- curriculum /k'rikjulm/ (n) : chơng trình
môn học
-tuition fees / tju:isn fi:z/ : học phí


II. While you read
Task 1. Match the words or phrases in A with their
definitions in B.
A

1. compulsory
2. term
3. curriculum
4. secondary education
5. primary education
6. state schools
7. core
8. the General

Certificate of
Secondary education
(GCSE).

B
___
5 a. A stage of study for children
aged from 5 to 10
___
4 b. A stage of study for children
aged from 11 to 16
___
1 c. Put into force by the law
___ d. Schools in which all children
6 can attend without paying
tuition fees
___ e. The examinations children sit
8 at the end of compulsory
education
___ f. A detailed plan for a course of
3 study offered in a school or
college


Task 2. Answer the questions
1. When do children in England start their compulsory education
at school?
- From the age of 5.
2. How many terms are there in a school year in England?
- 3 terms (Autumn Term, Spring Term and Summer Term).

3. What are the two school systems in England?
- The state school and the “independent” or “public” school
system.
4. Do children have to pay fees if they go to “independent” or
“public” school?
- Yes, they do.
5. How many core subjects are there in the national curriculum?
- There are 3 core subjects (English, Maths and Science).
6. When can students take the GCSE examination?
- When they finish the secondary school.


Read the text once more and fill in the diagram with correct
information taken from the reading text.
ENGLAND
SCHOOLING
__
Academic
(1) ___year
year
__(2)___term
Autumn term

__(5)___school
93%ofofthe
thepupils
pupils
State school 93%
__(7)__
Primary school

__(4)___term
Summer term

__(3)___term
Spring term

__(6)___school
feepaying
paying
Public school fee

Secondary
__(8)___school
school
GCSE

GCE “A” Level  University


III. After you read
Tell the others one of the most difficult school
subjects you are studying and what you would
like your friends and your teacher to do to
help you learn that subject more effectively.
Ex: I find history very difficult. It’s too long to
remember all the historical events. I would
learn it better if the teacher could help with a
short description of each event.



Prepare speaking lesson



Where do children from 1 year old
to 3 years old learn?


Where do children from 4 years
old to 5 years old learn?


X

2
Lucky
number!


Where do children from 6 years
old to 11 years old learn?


:2
You’ve just lost
half of your
points!

You are unlucky!


Where do children from 12 years
old to 15 years old learn?


Where do children from 16 years
old to 18 years old learn?


Where do you want to learn
after upper secondary school?