The educative process the United Kingdom is one of the modern examples of education system. There are many non-UK residents who dream of studying in the country. For a foreigner who is new to the British education system, there might be a need for a brief rundown of the way knowledge is imparted in the UK.
According to the British Council, there are around 36,300 schools in the UK, around 83% of which are located in England and Wales. Nearly ten million students attend primary and secondary schools across the country. The educative process in the UK is governed by different education authorities in each of the country that makes up the UK.
According to UK laws, children must receive full-time education until they reach age 16. The Education and Skills Act of 2008, however, mandates that students must receive full-time education until they reach 18. The law becomes fully effective in 2015.
The National Curriculum, introduced in 1992, split the main educative process in the UK into four key stages. The first stage is for 5 to 7 year olds and the second is for 7 to 11 year olds. Third stage is for 11 to 14 year olds while the fourth is for 14 to 16 year olds. Key stages 1 and 2 are usually completed at primary school while key stages 3 and 4 are perfected at secondary school.
The educative process does not in secondary school. Currently, when students complete full-time education, they can attend sixth form colleges or other further education institutions.
When students reach age 18, they could proceed to higher education. It takes around three to four years to complete an undergraduate degree in the UK. After that, a student may proceed to graduate studies by taking a master’s then a doctor’s education.
