Education in the United Kingdom

Diagram illustrating the English, Welsh and Northern Irish state schooling system (does not apply to independent schools)

Education in the United Kingdom is covered in the following articles:

• Education in England
• Education in Northern Ireland
• Education in Scotland
• Education in Wales
• Grammar schools in the United Kingdom
• Independent school (United Kingdom)
• List of schools in the United Kingdom
• School governors
• British universities

School inspection organisations:

• Office for Standards in Education (OFSTED) (England)
• Estyn (Wales)
• Her Majesty's Inspectorate of Education (Scotland)
• Education and Training Inspectorate (Northern Ireland)

Overview

University College, Oxford was founded in the 13th century

The education system in the United Kingdom varies in important respects between England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. Education is devolved to the Scottish Parliament and the assemblies in Wales and Northern Ireland.

Education is compulsory for all children between the ages of five and sixteen. Most children in the UK are educated in state funded schools financed through the tax system and so parents do not pay directly for the cost of education.

England

Main article Education in England

Most schools came under state control in the Victorian era. The basis of the present state school system was instituted after the Second World War. Initially schools were separated into primary schools (infant schools age 5 to 7 and junior schools age 7 to 11), and secondary schools (split into more academic grammar schools and more vocational secondary modern schools). Under both Labour and Conservative governments of the 1960s and 1970s most secondary modern and grammar schools were reorganised as comprehensive schools.

Although the Secretary of State for Education and Skills is responsible to Parliament for education, the day to day administration and funding of state schools is the responsibility of Local Education Authorities.

Northern Ireland

Main article Education in Northern Ireland

Scotland

Main article Education in Scotland

Wales

Main article Education in Wales

Higher education

The United Kingdom includes many historic universities. These include the so-called Oxbridge universities (Oxford University and Cambridge University) which are amongst the world's oldest universities and are generally ranked at or near the top of all British universities. Other universities include the University of St Andrews, the oldest university in Scotland. Academic degrees are usually split into classes: first class (I), upper second class (II:1), lower second class (II:2) and third (III), and unclassified (below third class).

See also

• UK topics
• Culture of the United Kingdom
• Reform

External links

• Statutory assessment in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Reform
• European universities fear "Americanization"

This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the same title. If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change the link to point directly to the intended article.

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