Education: debates and issues

1. Opportunity, equality, etc.
_ All education systems may ultimately (adv- rút cục) be judged in terms of equality of opportunity (1). This is not the same as the debates (n-v- suy nghĩ, cân nhắc) over selective (2) versus comprehensive (3) schooling (4).
_ It is rather a matter of whether everyone has the same (equality of) opportunities for educational achievement or whether elitism (5) of one sort or another is inherent in (6) the system.
_ League tables (7) for schools and colleges may actually help unintentionally (adv- ko chủ tâm, ko có ý) to perpetuate (v- làm nhớ mãi) (8) inequalities (n- ko đồng đều), while claiming to promote the raising of standards.
_ Inevitably, league table divide the world into good andbad, success and failure, resulting in a two-tier system (9), even if that is only how the public perceives (10) it. (v- nhận thức)
_ The ability of the better-off (adj- giàu có, khá giả) (11) parents and well-endowed (12) schools to push children towards the institutions at the top of the league may in the long term, have the effect of depressing (13) opportunity for the less well-off (14) or for children from home environments that do not provide the push and motivation to excel (15).

(1) when everyone has the same chances
(2) pupils take exams for entry
(3) everyone enters without exams
(4) education received at school
(5) when you favour (v- ủng hộ, thiên vị) a small, privileged group
(6) existing as a basic part of S.T
(7) lists of schools or colleges from the best down to the worst.
(8) make S.T continue forever
(9) a system with two separate levels, one of which is better than the other.
(10) sees, considers
(11) richer
(12) receiving a lot of money in grants, gifts from rich people, etc.
(13) reducing
(14) poorer
(15) achieve an execellent standard.

2. Other debates and issues

_ Inequality is inherent (adj- vốn có, cố hữu) in the education system. (is built into)
_ Elitism is bad for the country in the long term. (giving access only to privileged groups)
_ Comprehensive education is a basic political ideal in many countries. (education where everyone gets into the same type of school without exams)
_ A system where there are two levels of schools reduces the opportunities for children from poorer families and favours those from richer families.
_ All parents want their children to excel at school. (achieve the best possible results at school)
_ Emphasis on the three Rs is perceived (considered) by parents to be the key to success.

Answer these questions for your own country:
1. Under what circumstances do school closures occur?
_ When class sizes become very small, for example in villages in the countryside where people have moved away to towns.
2. What are typical discipline problems in your country? What do teachers do?
_ Typically, children cannot concentrate, they talk during lessons, they bully one another. Teacher are not allowed to hit children, but they may put them into detention (giam cầm) or inform their parents.
3. What special needs provision is there in typical schools?
_ There may be a teacher who can teach slow learners, or special teachers may come in to help pupils with learning difficulties, but children often have to go to special centres to get help.
4. What provisions are there for lifelong education?
_ People of all ages, more and more, are going to universities in Britain, and special courses (called Access Courses) help them to do so. There are also evening classes, usually organised by local councils, which are not very expensive.