Facts about Education in the UK

British education is admired and respected all across the globe. Centuries of experience and innovative approaches to teaching make the UK stand out from other English-speaking countries. That is probably why Britain is known as the second most popular country for international students. Here are some facts that will help you to see what makes education in the UK one of the best in the world.

Facts for International Students

1. As the UK is considered to be the heart of the English-speaking world, there is a perfect English language support provided to international students to help them complete their courses successfully.
2. In comparison to other countries, getting a degree in the UK usually takes less time allowing you to save money. Generally, it takes 3 years to complete Bachelor’s degree and Master’s degree course usually takes a year to complete.
3. Students in the UK have a great possibility to become a part of the working world while they study. It is allowed to work up to 20 hours per week during an academic year and full-time during vacations.
4. The UK provides international students with a lot of opportunities and benefits, including discounts on stationery, books, entertainment, and travel. So education in the UK is not just about the high level of teaching, it is about fun and entertainment as well.
5. There is a great number of scholarships in the UK available both for local and international students, as well as postgraduate and undergraduate ones.
6. International students who stay in the UK for more than 6 months can enjoy the benefit of free subsidized healthcare provided by the National Health Service.
7. The UK provides students with the ability to choose from four culturally and geographically diverse countries. These are England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.

Interesting Facts about Schools

1. The first in the UK and the oldest continuously operating school in the world, The King’s School in Canterbury, was founded in 597 AD. There have been various sorts of schools in England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales for many centuries. Nevertheless, until the Education Act of 1944, secondary education in the UK was not free.
2. One of the most interesting facts about schools in the UK is that some of them open and close several times during their history. For example, there is a local school situated on Caldey Island that saw a number of openings and closures during its long history because of rises and falls in the number of children on the island.
3. The Nottingham Academy that was created from the merger of three schools is considered to be the biggest one in the UK, as well as the biggest one in Europe. The population of the Nottingham Academy is 3,600 pupils, about 200 teachers and more than 100 administrators and assistants. Nevertheless, it is not the biggest school in the world. There is a City Montessori school in Lucknow, in India that has a population of more than 32,000 pupils.
4. The smallest school in the UK has a population of fewer than half-dozen of children. The school is Holy Island Church of England First School. It proves that any place where people gather to learn together can be called a school.
5. The best school in the UK, the school with the greatest exam results, is Chelmsford county high school. Nevertheless, it is hard to judge the quality of the school as any school can be rated in accordance with different features, such as best classrooms, best teachers or best lunches. Perhaps, you can say that the best school is Springfield Elementary or Bikini Bottom Elementary. Just because these schools are not real, does not mean they are bad.
6. There are many students who will say that their school is the worst. Those students do not have a clue about Victorian schools that existed in the UK. How about classrooms divided by curtains and 100 students in a class? Or how about no chance to look at the window and to daydream for a couple of minutes because windows are built high up in the walls? Your school is not as bad as you think it is.

Fun Facts about Universities

1. Researchers at Warwick Manufacturing Group at the University of Warwick showed the world how to go green in the weirdest way. They designed and developed a car that was made of potatoes, steered by carrots and used chocolate instead of gasoline. Yes, it was exactly the edible F3 racing car that showed that education in the UK can be really funny and genius.
2. The University of York has a population of more than 15, 000 students. Also, the university has quite a massive population of ducks. There are approximately 14 ducks for every 1/4 of an acre on the campus. If you think it is cute, do not jump to conclusions. Some ducks are quite aggressive and there is one red and a yellow head duck named ‘Beer Monster’ because of its rude behavior.
3. One of the best examples of the fight against the system belongs to Lord Byron who studied at Cambridge University in the 19th century. He dreamed of a pet dog and there was one he tried to keep during his study but unfortunately, he was made to get rid of it. So instead of a pet dog, Lord Byron decided to pet a bear. There was no legal argument against petting a bear.
4. The UK’s oldest student newspaper started in 1887 by the author of Treasure Island and The Strange Case of Jekyll and Hyde, Robert Louis Stevenson, who studied at the University of Edinburgh.
5. There is a university in the UK where you will be able to find a patch of grass full of tombstones that stand right next to the admin block. Previously, there was a church where Coventry University is now situated, so the patch is classed as sanctified ground and that is why tombstones cannot be removed.