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Education In The United Kingdom





School inspection organisations:

Diagram illustrating the English, Welsh and Northern Irish state schooling system (does not apply to independent schools).


OVERVIEW

was founded in the 13th century]]

The education system in the United Kingdom varies in important respects between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Education is devolved to the Scottish Parliament and the assemblies in Wales and Northern Ireland.

Education is compulsory for all children between the ages of five and sixteen. Most children in the UK are educated in state funded schools financed through the tax system and so parents do not pay directly for the cost of education.

Less than ten percent of the UK school age population attend independent fee-paying schools. Many prominent independent schools, often founded hundreds of years ago, are known as Public Schools of which Eton , Harrow and Rugby are three of the better known.

Most primary and secondary schools in both the private and state sectors have compulsory school uniforms. This is a contentious point with generations of school children who would like to see them abolished, only to support their retention once they become parents, this is due to people wanting to have a 'uniform' appearance in schools and it reduces the brand logo culture from coming out in educational establishments. Due to the multicultural nature of England, some allowances have had to be made in the uniform regulations to accommodate the needs of some children's religious beliefs.


England

Main article Education In England


Most schools came under state control in the Victorian Era , a formal state school system was instituted after the Second World War . Initially schools were separated into Infant School s (normally up to age 4 or 5), Primary School s and Secondary School s (split into more academic Grammar School s and more vocational Secondary Modern School s). Under the Labour governments of the 1960s and 1970s most secondary modern and grammar schools were combined to become Comprehensive School s.

Although the Minister of Education is responsible to Parliament for education, the day to day administration and funding of state schools is the responsibility of Local Education Authorities .


Northern Ireland




Scotland

Main article Education In Scotland



Wales

Main article Education In Wales



Higher education

The United Kingdom includes many historic universities. These include the so-called Oxbridge universities ( Oxford University and Cambridge University ) which are amongst the World's Oldest Universities and are generally ranked at or near the top of all British universities. Other universities include the University Of St Andrews , the oldest university in Scotland. Academic Degree s are usually split into classes: first class (I), upper second class (II:1), lower second class (II:2) and third (III), and unclassified (below third class).


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