School leavers

Since 1988, most sixteen-year-old have taken the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) or the Scottish Certificate of Education (SCE) in five, ten or even eleven subjects. Pupils going on to higher education or professional training usually take “A” level examination in two or three subjects. These require two more years of study after GCSE, either in the sixth form of a secondary school, or in a separate sixth-form college. Other pupils may choose vocational subjects such as catering, tourism, secretarial or building skills. The courses in these subjects are run at colleges of further education.

School-leavers with jobs sometimes take part-time vocational courses, on day-release from work. School-leavers without jobs get no money from the government unless they join a youth training scheme, which provides a living allowance during two years of work experience.

Higher Education There are forty seven universities in Britain and thirty polytechnics plus 350 colleges and institutes of higher education.

Universities accept mainly on the basis of their “A” level results, and they may interview them as well. Courses of study normally take three years of full time study, although a number of subjects take longer, including medicine, architecture and foreign languages (where courses include a year abroad). They lead in most cases to a Bachelor’s degree in Arts or Science. There are various postgraduate degrees, including Master of Philosophy and Doctor of Philosophy, the last two being awarded for research in Arts or Sciences.