Before You Read. I. Study the cultural notes on British post-school education:

I. Study the cultural notes on British post-school education:

sixth-form college – приготовительный колледж (среднее учебное заведение для молодежи старше 16 лет; государственное или частное; готовит к поступлению в университет по расширенной программе шестого класса; существует самостоятельно или при единой школе);

further education college – колледж дальнейшего образования (дневной или вечерний; платный; возраст учащихся не ограничен; основная цель – повышение квалификации);

Bachelor – бакалавр (обычно обладатель первой из присваиваемых высшим учебным заведением степеней; соответствует диплому об окончании вуза в России);

Bachelor of Arts (ВA) – бакалавр искусств (обладатель степени бакалавра по одной из гуманитарных или математических наук в университетах);

Bachelor of Science (BSc) – бакалавр наук (обладатель первой ученой степени в университетах, за исключением Оксфордского, где он является обладателем ученой степени выше степени бакалавра);

Master's Degree –ученая степень магистра (вторая ученая степень в новых университетах, присуждается университетом лицам, успешно завершившим по крайней мере год учебы и исследовательской работы после окончания университета);

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) – доктор философии (низшая ученая степень доктора; присуждается после защиты диссертации специалистам в области философских и некоторых других наук);

Doctor of Science (DSc) – доктор наук (высшая ученая степень доктора);

mature student – студент-переросток (поступивший в университет в возрасте старше 25 лет после окончания колледжа для взрослых или курсов заочного или вечернего обучения);

the Open University – Открытый университет, Универ­ситет для всех (функционирует с 1971 г., вступительных экзаменов нет, по окончании 5-летнего курса выдает соответствующий диплом);

student loans – займы студентам (метод оплаты за обучение путем получения банковской ссуды и последующего возврата по окончании университета и начала трудовой деятельности);

tutoring – наставничество (университетская система обучения путем прикрепления студентов к отдельным консультантам – тьюторам);

II. Scan the text and render it into Russian using the vocabulary given below and the cultural notes.

Education in Britain after the age of 16

Compulsory education in Britain ends at 16. At 16 young people may finish studying and look for work. However, all 16- and 17-year-olds are guaranteed a place in full-time education or training should they wish to continue studying. Education after 16 takes place in sixth forms attached to secondary schools, sixth form colleges, further education colleges, universities and other higher education institutions.

Those wishing to continue to study have two main options. First, they may study a further two years for "A" levels, which are the usual entry requirement for university.

“A” levels may be studied either at a sixth-form within a school, or a separate sixth-form college. Second, students wishing to gain a range of professional qualifications needed for a particular profession may go to a college of further education for vocational training where they can fol­low a course in typing, engineering, town planning, cook­ing, or hairdressing, full-time or part-time. Further educa­tion colleges have strong ties with commerce and industry.

The percentage of British people gaining a university degree is relatively low at about 20 per cent of the population. The majority of people who chose to study beyond the age of sixteen attend colleges of further education.

In addition to those students who go directly from school to university or college an increasing number of mature students enter university or college after some years of working. The principle that mature students should have the opportunity to further and higher education is felt strongly in Britain, and was the main reason for the appearance of the British Open University in 1971.

There are over 90 universities, including the Open University; they enjoy complete academic freedom. The universities of Oxford and Cambridge date from the 12^th and 13^th centuries, and the Scottish universities of St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh from the 14^th and 15^th centuries. All the other universities were founded in the 19^th and 20^th centuries.

Full-time university degrees usually last three or four years in England and Wales (four years in Scotland). Medical and veterinary courses usually take 5 years.

Degree titles vary according to the practice of each university. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland the most common titles for a first degree are Bachelor of Arts (ВA) or Bachelor of Science (BSc) and for a second degree Master of Arts (MA), Master of Science (MCs), and Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). A Master’s degree usually takes one year if it is a taught course or two years if it is by research. A PhD can only be by research and typically takes three to four years full-time. One third of full-time postgraduates in British universities are overseas students.

The Open University is a non-residential university offering degrees and other courses for adult students of all ages. It is notable for the fact that it takes students without prior qualifications, and for its variety of teaching methods, including correspondence tuition, face-to-face tutoring, and the use of TV and radio. Not surprisingly the Open University is the largest university in Britain [1].