Образование в Великобритании: Высшее образование

Education in Great Britain: Higher Education (2)

For seven hundred years Oxford and Cambridge universities dominated the British education. Scotland had four universities, all founded before A. D. 1600. Wales only acquired a university in the 20th century; it consisted of four university colleges located in different cities (Cardiff, Swansea, Bangor, and Aberystwith). The first English university after Oxford and Cambridge (sometimes referred to as Oxbridge) was Durham, in the North of England, founded in 1832. The University of London was founded a few years later in 1836.

During the nineteenth century institutions of higher education were founded in most of the biggest industrial towns, like Birmingham, Manchester, Leeds, Sheffield (sometimes called the Redbrick Universities). At first they did not have full university status but were known as university colleges; since 1945, however, all have become independent universities, and in recent years a number of other universities have been founded: Sussex, Essex, Warwick, and others. 
In the middle 60s there was a further new development. Some of the local technical colleges maintained by local authorities had gained special prestige. By 1967 ten of these had been given charters as universities. Many of them are in the biggest cities where there were already established universities; so now we have the University of Aston (Birmingham), Salford (close to Manchester), Strathclyde (Glasgow), Herriot-Watt University (Edinburgh), Brunei University (London).

When we add all these together we find that the number of universities in England increased within ten years from nineteen to thirty-six, and in Scotland from four to eight.

Oxford university is a federation of colleges, and it is impossible to understand its structure unless one first understands the nature and function of these colleges, which have no resemblance whatever with the institutions called "colleges" in America.

Oxford has twenty-three ordinary colleges for men, five for women. All these are parallel institutions, and none of them is connected with any particular field of study. No matter what subject a student proposes to study he may study at any of the men's colleges.

Each college has a physical existence in the shape of a dining-hall, chapel, and residential rooms (enough to accommodate about half the student membership, the rest living in lodgings in the town). It is governed by its Fellows (commonly called "dons"), of whom there are usually about twenty or thirty. The dons are also responsible for teaching the students of the college through the tutorial system. The Fellows elect the Head of the college (whose title varies from college to college).

The colleges vary very much in size and extent of grounds and buildings.

Colleges choose their own students, and a student only becomes a member of the University by having been accepted by a college. Students are chosen mainly on academic merit, but the policy of colleges in this respect varies from college to college. Some tend to be rather keen to admit a few men who are very good at rugby or some other sport, or sons of former students or of lords, or of eminent citizens, or of millionaires.

The colleges and university buildings are scattered about the town, mostly in the central area, though the scientific laboratories and the women's colleges are quite a long way out.

The university teachers are mostly Fellows of colleges, who may at the same time hold university appointments as lecturers or professors. Part of the teaching is by means of lectures and any student- may attend any university lecture. At the beginning of each term (there are three terms in the Oxford academic year) a list is published showing all the lectures being given during the term within each faculty, and every student can choose which lectures he will attend, though his own college tutor will advise him which lectures seem likely to be more useful. Attendance at lectures is not compulsory, and no records of attendance are kept.

Apart from lectures, teaching is by means of the "tutorial" system, which is a system of individual tuition organized by the colleges. Each Fellow in a college is tutor in his own subject to the undergraduates who are studying it. Each student goes to his tutors room once every week to read out an essay which he has written, and for an hour he and the tutor discuss the essay. A student does not necessarily go only to his own tutor but may be assigned to another don in his own college or in another college when he is studying some particular topic which is outside the special interest of his own tutor. 
 

Образование в Великобритании: Высшее образование (2)

В течение семисот лет Оксфордский и Кембриджский университеты были главными в системе британского образования. В Шотландии было четыре университета, и все они основаны до 1600 года. Университет в Уэльсе основан только в XX веке, в него входили четыре университетских колледжи в городах Кардифф, Свонси, Бангор и Абериствиз. Следующим после Оксфорда и Кембриджа (иногда их называют Оксбридж) называют Дюрхем на севере Англии, который был основан в 1832 году. Лондонский Университет был основан несколькими годами позже, в 1836 году.

В девятнадцатом столетии высшие учебные заведения были основаны в самых крупных индустриальных городах — Бирмингеме, Манчестере, Лидсе, Шеффилде (их еще называют университетами Редбрик). Сначала у них не было университетского статуса, но они были известны как университетские колледжи с 1945 года и все стали независимыми университетами. В последние годы основаны такие университеты как Сассекс, Эссекс, Варвик и другие. 
В середине 60-х годов университеты получили новое развитие. Некоторые из местных высших технических учебных заведений, поддерживаемых местными органами власти, приобрели особый статус. К 1967 году десяти из них были даны права университетов. Многие расположены в больших городах, где уже были университеты. Сегодня это университеты Астон (Бирмингем), Салфорд (рядом с Манчестером), Стратклид (Глазго), университет Хэрриот-Ватт (Эдинбург), университет Брунея (Лондон).

Проанализировав все это, мы видим, что число университетов в Англии выросло за десять лет с девятнадцати до тридцати шести, и в Шотландии — с четырех до восьми.

Оксфордский университет является федерацией колледжей, и нельзя понять его структуру, не поняв структуру и функцию этих колледжей, которые не имеют ничего общего с американскими «колледжами».

В Оксфорде двадцать три обычных — мужских — колледжа и пять женских. Все это — учреждения с общей программой, и ни один из них не связан с какой-то отдельной областью науки. Какой бы предмет не предложили изучать студенту, он может учиться в любом из этих колледжей.

В каждом колледже есть столовая, церковь и жилые помещения (достаточные для того, чтобы поселить половину студентов, остальные живут на квартирах в городе). Университетом управляют члены совета колледжа (преподаватели), обычно это двадцать или тридцать человек. Они также отвечают за учебу студентов колледжа по консультативной системе. Члены совета выбирают председателя колледжа (в каждом колледже этот титул называется по-разному).

Колледжи отличаются по размеру и площади земель и зданий.

Колледжи выбирают своих студентов, и студент становится членом университета только после принятия в колледж. Студенты выбираются преимущественно за академические заслуги, но политика колледжей по этому вопросу тоже разная. Некоторые колледжи стремятся принимать тех студентов, которые хорошо играют в регби или какой-то другой вид спорта, или сыновей прежних своих студентов или лордов, или выдающихся граждан, или миллионеров.

Здания колледжей и университетов разбросаны по городу, как правило, — в его центральной части, хотя научные лаборатории и женские' колледжи расположены далеко от центра.

Университетские преподаватели — это, как правило, члены совета колледжей, которые занимают в университете должности лекторов и профессоров. Часть учебы — это лекции, любой студент может посещать любую университетскую лекцию. В начале каждого семестра (в Оксфорде, например, три семестра в учебном году) публикуется расписание лекций по факультетам на семестр, и каждый студент может выбрать, какие лекции он будет посещать. Как правило, его университетский куратор может посоветовать ему, какие лекции наиболее важны. Присутствие на лекциях не обязательно, и никакой учет посещений не ведется.

Кроме лекций преподавание ведется с помощью консультационной системы — это система индивидуального обучения, организованная в колледжах. Каждый преподаватель колледжа является одновременно и куратором по своему предмету для студентов последнего курса. Каждый студент приходит к своему преподавателю один раз в неделю, чтобы прочитать работу, которую он написал, и на протяжении часа обсуждают ее с наставником. Студенту не обязательно посещать только лекции своего наставника. Он может заниматься с любым преподавателем в своем или в другом колледже, если он изучает тему, которая не входит в круг интересов его наставника. 
 

A Brief History of the Oxford University 
Oxford is a unique and historic institution. As the oldest English-speaking university in the world, it lays claim to eight centuries of continuous existence. There is no clear date of foundation, but teaching existed at 
Oxford in some form in 1096 and developed rapidly from 1167, when Henry II banned English students from attending the University of Paris. 
In 1188, the historian, Gerald of Wales, gave a public reading to the assembled Oxford dons and in 1190 the arrival of Emo of Friesland, the first known overseas student, initiated the University"s tradition of international scholarship. By 1201, the University was headed by a magister scolarum Oxonie, on whom the title of Chancellor was conferred in 1214, and in 1231 the masters were recognized as a universitas or corporation. 
In the 13th century, rioting between town and gown (students and townspeople) hastened the establishment of primitive halls of residence. 
These were succeeded by the first of Oxford"s colleges, which began as medieval "halls of residence" or endowed houses under the supervision of a 
Master. University, Balliol and Merton Colleges, established between 1249 and 1264, were the oldest. 
Less than a century later, Oxford had achieved eminence above every other seat of learning, and won the praises of popes, kings and sages by virtue of its antiquity, curriculum, doctrine and privileges. In 1355, Edward III paid tribute to the University for its invaluable contribution to learning; he also commented on the services rendered to the state by distinguished 
Oxford graduates.

Oxford early on became a centre for lively controversy, with scholars involved in religious and political disputes. John Wyclif, a 14th-century 
Master of Balliol, campaigned for a bible in the vernacular, against the wishes of the papacy. In 1530, Henry VIII forced the University to accept his divorce from Catherine of Aragon. During the Reformation in the 16th century, the Anglican churchmen Cranmer, Latimer and Ridley were tried for heresy and burnt at the stake in Oxford. The University was Royalist in the 
Civil War, and Charles I held a counter-Parliament in Convocation House. 
In the late 17th century, the Oxford philosopher John Locke, suspected of treason, was forced to flee the country. The 18th century, when Oxford was said to have forsaken port for politics, was also an era of scientific discovery and religious revival. Edmund Halley, Professor of Geometry, predicted the return of the comet that bears his name; John and Charles 
Wesley"s prayer meetings laid the foundations of the Methodist Society. 
The University assumed a leading role in the Victorian era, especially in religious controversy. From 1811 onwards The Oxford Movement sought to revitalise the Catholic aspects of the Anglican Church. One of its leaders, 
John Henry Newman, became a Roman Catholic in 1845 and was later made a 
Cardinal. In 1860 the new University Museum was the site of a famous debate between Thomas Huxley, the champion of evolution, and Bishop Wilberforce. 
From 1878, academic halls were established for women, who became members of the University in 1920. Since 1974, all but one of Oxford"s 39 colleges have changed their statutes to admit both men and women. St Hilda"s remains the only women"s college. 
In the years since the war, Oxford has added to its humanistic core a major new research capacity in the natural and applied sciences, including medicine. In so doing, it has enhanced and strengthened its traditional role as a focus for learning and a forum for intellectual debate.