Bài giảng Tiếng Anh 12 - Unit 04: School education system (Reading)

y cô !                                   Tr a â n  


* Name some kinds of schools that you know.
Nursery
Kindergarten
Primary school
Lower secondary school

= Middle school

Upper secondary school

= High school

College
University


* Match the words or phrases provided with the correct 
pictures.

1.upper secondary school 3.kindergarten
2.primary school
4.college

5.lower secondary school
6.university


Unit 4 : SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM

A. READING :

•Read the facts below and decide whether the statements 
about schools in Viet Nam are true (T) or false (F). Then 
compare your answers with your partners’.
Facts about schools in Viet Nam
T
1. Children start Grade 1 when they are 6 years old.
____
2. Schooling is compulsory from the age of 6 to 16.
____
F
3. The school year generally begins in early September        
T
and ends in late May.
____
4. The students do not have any examinations when they    
finish secondary school. 
____
F
5. A school year consists of two terms.
____
T


Unit 4 : SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM
READING :
* Vocabulary :

       

bắt 
- compulsory
/ kәm’p^lsәrI / (a):buộc
≠ optional :
Ex: A few years ago, wearing a helmet when you rode your motorbike 
was optional. It was up to you. But today wearing a helmet when you 
ride your motorbike is compulsory by law. You must wear it.


Unit 4 : SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM
READING :
* Vocabulary :

                    

-- certificate
compulsory
/ kәm’p
(a): bắt buộc
                                                an official document proving that 
/ sә’t
IfIkәt^/lsәr
(n):I / giấy
chứng ≠ optional :
- core subjects (n)những môn học chính
:
you have completed a course of study or passed an 
nhận
examination.

- term / t3:m / (n) : học kỳ
- tuition fee / tjU’I әn fi: / học phí
(n)
:
- curriculum
                                                    set of subjects that children 
/ kә’rIkjUlәm / (n):
must study at school ( chương trình giảng dạy )
Ex: In  Vie t  Na m , a  s c h o o l y e a r is  d iv id e d  in t o  2  
t e rm s : t h e  firs t  t e rm  a n d  t h e  s e c o n d  t e rm .
Ex: Lan couldn’t go on her college study because she 
couldn’t afford the tuition fee of 3 million dongs a term.
Ex: Among the subjects at school I’m studying, maths, 
physics , chemistry and biology are the most important. They 
are core subjects.


Are you sure you remember well ?
S u p p y  t h e  m is s in g  le t t e rs  in  e a c h  o f t h e  
1. c_
om
_ p _ufo
l sllo_ow inr g  w o rd s :

_2._c
ye
_ r t _i _f i _c a
_e
3. _t te r _m

4. c u
_ _r r i _c _ul u
_5. tm
_ u _i t _i o
_n f_
e e


Unit 4 : SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM
Reading Text:
Schooling is compulsory for all English children
from the age of 5 to 16. The academic year in
England runs from September to July and is divided into 3
terms. Autumn Term is from the beginning of September to
mid-December. Spring Term is from the beginning of
January to mid-March and Summer Term from early April
to mid-July. Each term is separated by one-week break
called half term, usually at the end of October, midFebruary and the end of May.


There are two parallel school systems in England.
The first one is the state school system, which is free
for all students and paid for by the state. The second
category is the “ independent” or “ public” school
system, which is fee-paying. The state school system,
which educates 93 % of the pupils in England, can be
divided into two levels of education: primary
education and secondary education.
The National Curriculum is set by the
government and must be followed in all state

schools. It is made up of the following subjects:
English, Design & Technology, Geography, Maths,
Information Technology, Music, Science, Arts,
Physical Education, History, and a Modern Foreign
Language. English, Maths, and Science are core
subjects, which are compulsory in the national
examinations at certain stages of the school


See the Table below for more information
about the school education system in England.
School education system in England
Level of 
education
Pre­school

Primary
education
Secondary 
education

Grade / Year 
(from – to )

Age            
(from – to )

childcare 
environment
In an Infant or 

Primary school
1 – 3 

5 – 7 

4 – 6 

8 – 10 

7 ­ 9

11 – 14 

10 ­ 12

3 ­ 4
4 – 5

14 – 16 ( end  General Certificate 
of compulsory 
of Secondary 
education
Education ( GCSE)


Unit 4 : SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM
Task 1. Find the words in the reading which mean : 
1. Schools in which students have to pay tuition fees :
independent
or public schools

____________
2. A stage of study for children aged from 5 to 10 :
primary education
____________
3. The examination children have to take at the end of
compulsory education
the GCSE
____________
curriculum
4. A detailed plan for a course of study offered
in a school or
college
____________


Unit 4 : SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM
Task 2. Answer the following questions :
1. When do children start their compulsory education at school
?
They start their compulsory education from the age of 5.
2. How many terms are there in a school year in England?
What are they ?
There are 3 terms : Autumn Term , Spring Term and Summer 
Term.
3. What are the two school systems in England ?
They are the state school and the ‘independent’ or 
‘public’school systems.
4. When can students take the GCSE examination ?
When they finish the secondary school.

Unit 4 : SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM
Task 3. Choose the best answer to each of the following 
questions.
1. The word compulsory in line 1 paragraph 1 is closet in meaning 
to _____ .
  A. necessary    B. put in force by law C. optional D. difficult

2. The one ­ week break between two terms of a school year in 
England is called ________
    A. Autumn Term 
B.  Spring Term   
     
C. Summer Term    
D. half term

3. Which stage of study is for children aged from 11 to 16 ?
    A. pre­school 
B. primary education                             
                              C. secondary education  D. higher 
education 
4. How many subjects are there in the National Curriculum in 
England ?

   A. 12  
B. 5  
C. 6 
D. 3

5. All of the following are mentioned as core subjects in the 
national examinations in England EXCEPT __________ .
  A. Maths 
B. History C. Science D. English
6. The word “ It ” in line 3 paragraph 3 refers to ____
  A. the state school
B. the school education system
  C. the core subject 
D. the National Curriculum 
7. Which of the followings is NOT true about the school 
education system in England ?
   A. The state school system is free for all students, but the 

“public” school system is fee­paying.    
   B. The academic year in England runs from September to July 
and is divided into 2 terms.
   C. There are two parallel school systems : the state school 
system and the “ public” school system
   D. English, Maths and Science are compulsory in the national 
examinations.


Unit 4 : SCHOOL EDUCATION SYSTEM
Task 4. Study the table below about the school
education system in Viet Nam and supply the
missing information.
Level of 
education

Grade / Year 

(from – to )
Nursery school

Age            
(from – to )
3 ­ 4

Pre­school

(2) __________
Kindergarten

4 – 5

(1) _______
Primary
education

1 – 5 

6 – 10 
(4) _________

Secondary 
education

optional education

(6) ___________ 
compulsory 

education

Lower secondary
11 – 14 
(3) ___________
6 – 9 
Upper secondary
National High School 
15 – 17 
(5) _________
Graduation Exam
10 – 12 


HOMEWORK
- Learn new words by heart.
- Read the text and do the tasks
again.
- Answer the questions again.
- Prepare for the next lesson :
Unit 4: Speaking