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Educational system in Russia
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Russians have always shown a great concern for education. The right to education is stated in the constitution of the Russian Federation. It's ensured by compulsory secondary schools, vocational schools and higher education establishment. It is also ensured by the development of extramural and evening courses and the system of state scholarship and grants.
Education in Russia is compulsory up to the 9th form inclusive. The stages of compulsory schooling in Russia are: primary education for ages 6-7 to 9-10 inclusive; and junior school for ages 10-11 to 12-13 inclusive, and senior school for ages 13-14 to 14-15 inclusive. If a pupil of secondary school wishes to go on in higher education, he or she must stay at school for two more years. Primary and secondary school together comprise 11 years of study. Every school has a "core curriculum" of academic subjects.
After finishing the 9th form one can go on to a vocational school which offer programmes of academic subjects and a programme of training in a technical field, or a profession.
The evaluation of the performance of students is designed in such a way that the progress in mastering the subjects in the curricula is monitored closely and
objectively. The number of tests and examinations during every academic year is strictly formulated by the head of the institutions. Student performance on test is evaluated as "passed" or "failed" and on examinations as "excellent", "good" "satisfactory" or "unsatisfactory". Students who accumulate a number of arrears in
their new academic year would be dismissed from their higher educational institutions. The final state examinations are also very important part of the higher educational assessment process in Russia.
Both at schools and universities, a 5-grade scale is used:
"5" = " excellent”, "4" = “ good”, "3" = “ satisfactory ”, "2" = “ unsatisfactory / failing”.
"5" is the best mark, "2" is the worst. This system is not compulsory and in rare cases, for example, a 10-grade scale can be used.
A test which is passed at the end of 9th and 11th form is called the United State Exam. It consists of three parts:
1) Part A contains tasks where the student has to pick out the correct answer out of several,
2) in Part B the correct answer should be written in one word, and no variants are given,
3)and in Part C the student has to write the full solution (as in mathematics) or a composition (as in literature).
The answers are written on special blanks, digitally scanned, with parts A and B being checked automatically by the computer software.
What's good for students of 11th form is that now they do not have to pass both their final school exams and entrance exams at a university. The score of several, usually three (e.g. to enter a Linguistics department, student has to pass Russian, English, and social science exams), subjects is summed up, this total score is the basis of accepting a student at a university. Students now also have a chance to apply at several universities and choose one after they get to know if their score is enough to enter this or that university.
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After finishing the 11th form of a secondary school, a lyceum or a gymnasium one can go into higher education. All applicants must take competitive exam. Higher education institution, that is institutes or universities, offer a 5-years programme of academic subjects for undergraduates in a variety of fields, as well as a graduate course and writes a thesis, he or she receives a candidate degree or a doctoral degree. Higher educational establishments are headed by Rectors. Protectors are in charge of academic and scientific work. An institute or a university has a number of faculties, each specialising councils which confer candidate and doctoral degrees.
The system of higher and secondary education in Russia is going trough a transitional period. The main objectives of the reforms are: to decentralize the higher education system, to develop a new financial mechanism, to give more academic freedom to faculties and students. All secondary schools, institutes and universities until recently have been funded by the state. Now there is quite a number of private fee-paying primary and secondary schools, some universities have fee-paying departments.
Task 20. Answer the questions to the text:
- Is secondary education compulsory in our country?
- What age are Russian children when they begin their primary education?
- How many years do pupils attend school in Russia?
- What do you personally think of the advantages and disadvantages of the United State Exam?
- Are there fee-paying schools and other educational institutions in Russia? Do you happen to know such institutions in your town?
- Sometimes people have to move from place to place, from school to school. It’s usually not easy to change your place of living or studies. People feel uncomfortable in their new environment and try to get used to it as soon as they can.
- This text is about a school-boy who had to change his school. Put these jumbled passages of the text in the correct chronological order. Think of some logical links between the passages.
| A.I thought that I had got used to the new school but I was wrong. Yesterday some boys and girls from my class went to a disco. I wanted to go with them but they said they didn’t want me to go because I was new and didn’t know anybody there. I really hate this school and I wish I could go back to my old school and my old friends! |
| B.Going to the new school is very exciting. What kind of new friends am I going to make there? |
| C. I think I’m happy here now. I know all my classmates well now and know that you cannot make friends with everybody. Maybe it’s better to have some close friends who you can trust and to get upset if somebody doesn’t like you. |
| D. I’ve got used to the new uniform. Maybe it’s not so bad after all! I’ve made some new friends who are very strong, so other boys don’t bully me any more. |
| E. I really like my new school and some of my classmates. However, there are a few things that I don’t like. I have to wear a horrible uniform with the most terrible tie. Some classmates aren’t very nice and are bullying me. I don’t know what to do. |
· After reading this text, try to give some advice to a person who has to move to some other place or change school. Say what you personally think: what should we do to feel better and more comfortable in our new environment as soon as possible?
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Unit 7. Travelling.
Lesson 13. Means of Travelling
Pre-reading
Task 1. Answer the questions:
1) What do you think, what is this text about?
2) What means of travelling do you know?
3) How would you like to travel? Why?
Task 2. While reading this text find any advantages and disadvantages of different means of travelling and make your own conclusion according to your research: Which is the best way to travel? Prove your opinion.
Task 3. Read the following text:
Millions of people all over the world spend their holidays travelling. They travel to see other countries and continents, modern cities and the ruins of ancient towns, they travel to enjoy picturesque places, or just for a change of scene. It is always interesting to discover new things, different ways of life, to meet different people, to try different food, to listen to different musical rhythms.
Those who live in the country like to travel to a big city and spend their time visiting museums and art galleries, looking at shop windows and dining at exotic restaurants. City dwellers usually like a quiet holiday by the sea or in the mountains, with nothing to do but walk and bathe and laze in the sun.
Most travellers and holiday-makers take a camera with them and take pictures of everything that interests them – the sights of a city, old churches and castles, views of mountains, lakes, valleys, plains, waterfalls, forests; different kinds of trees, flowers and plants; animals and birds. Later, perhaps years later, they will be reminded by the photos of the happy time they had.
There are many ways of travelling - by train, by plain, by ship, on foot. Of course, travelling by air is the fastest and the most convenient way, but it is the most expensive too.
Travelling by train is slower than by plane, but it has its advantages. You can see much more interesting places of the country you are travelling through. Modern trains have very comfortable seats. There are also sleeping cars and dining cars which make even the longest journey enjoyable. Speed, comfort and safety are the main advantages of trains and planes. That is why many people prefer them to all other means.
Travelling by sea is popular mostly for pleasure trips. On board large ships and small river boats people can visit foreign countries and different places of interest within their own country. It is very pleasant to see the rise and fall of the waves, to feel the fresh sea wind blowing and hear the cry of the seagulls.
Many people like to travel by car. It is interesting too, because you can stop when and where you like, you do not have to buy tickets or carry your suitcases.
A very popular method of travelling is hiking. It is travelling on foot. Walking tours are very healthful. Hitch-hiking is a very popular method of travelling among young people. But it is more popular abroad than in our country.
All means of travelling have their advantages and disadvantages. And people choose one according to their plans and destinations. If we are fond of travelling, we see and learn a lot of things that we can never see or learn at home, though we may read about them in books and newspapers, and see pictures of them on TV. The best way to study geography and foreign languages is to travel, and the best way to get to know and understand people is to meet them in their own homes.
Vocabulary
Task 4. A. Give Russian equivalents to the English words and study the word combinations:
- to spend one’s holiday travelling
- the ruins of ancient towns
- a picturesque place
- for a change of scene
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- to discover
- to listen to different musical rhythms
- to spend one’s time doing smth
- city dweller
- to bathe and laze in the sun
- a holiday-maker
- to take pictures
- sights of a city
- to be reminded by the photos
- sleeping and dining cars
- convenient
- an advantage (a disadvantage)
- pleasure trips
- on board a ship
- healthful
- to get to know people
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