A tradition of learning

British schools, colleges and universities are known worldwide for their high quality education.

The UK's education system is built upon centuries of tradition and government support. In 2006, then Chancellor Gordon Brown announced that spending on schools and colleges would increase from £8.6 billion (about Dh62.16 billion) in 2008 to £10 billion (about Dh72.2 billion) by 2010 – further enhancing the quality of education.

"The first public schools (independent schools) began around AD700 and were built to educate the gentlemanly elite and only a very small number of girls' schools existed before the 19th century," says Gemma Holmes of Gabbitas, an independent UK-based schools consultancy. However, the 1800s saw an increased provision of girls' schools, both day and boarding and several notable girls-only public schools were set up at this time, including Goldolphin, Wycombe Abbey, Sherbourne and Roedean. Unlike their male counterparts, girls were educated primarily to become wives and mothers.

Although girls and boys were educated for different purposes, growing numbers of girls' schools placed a strong emphasis
on maintaining the academic rigour that had already been established in boys' schools. Independent schools became co-educational in the late 1970s, partly due to social and economic changes in Britain that left many independent schools under financial strain. Many independent schools today are co-educational although, in London and the counties surrounding London, independent single-sex education has been largely maintained.

The independent education system has different stages: pre-prep schools which accept children from the ages of 2-7 and prep schools which accept children from the age of 7 and go up to 13. Senior schools vary – some start at 11 and others start at 13. Children leave school at 18.

The entry procedure for independent schools varies according to each school. Many schools have their own exam or a common entrance exam for entry at 11 or 13. Foreign children often have to take an EFL (English as a first language) test in addition to a common entrance examination.

"The state school system is simpler – children start at 4 or 5 and go to senior schools at 11. Most state schools are called 'comprehensives' and often set children in lessons depending on their abilities. There are also grammar secondary schools for more able children. For a child to get a place in these schools they will often have to sit an 11+ examination. Schools receive money from the government although some schools are grant maintained and their funding system is different," says Holmes. Students who wish to pursue higher education must do either advanced level in England or highers (exams undertaken by 5th or 6th year high-school pupils after one year's work) in Scotland.

Students typically enter university at 17 in Scotland and 18 in England, respectively. Most students must use the universities and college admissions service to apply to universities, however for some subjects there are different admissions services, such as NMAS for nursing and midwifery diplomas. Many students in Scotland opt to remain in school for a sixth year, and take advanced highers (previously known as certificate of sixth year studies – CSYS) as the Scottish system uses the end of February
to determine the admission age. Many students are 17 when they start university despite staying for the 6th year.

Students who apply for a Scottish university while attending a Scottish secondary school do not need to pay university tuition fees as they are paid by the Student Awards Agency
for Scotland.

The UK is recognised worldwide for the high quality of education in its schools and colleges, and a number of them figure on the list of top-ranking educational institutions.

The University of Leeds is the second largest in the UK and offers a range of programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. "Students from the Middle East study across a range of subjects but engineering is popular, as are earth and environment related subjects, biological sciences and some social sciences such as business, communication studies and law," says Susan Hunter, senior international officer, Leeds University.

The University of Leeds has a special international student office team which helps international students with a range of issues including meet and greet, welcome and orientation, visa advice, social activities, advice on opening a bank account or registering with the doctor. In addition, there are a number of clubs and societies students can join as well as student societies or particular national student groups such as the Saudi student society, Oman student society and Qatar student society among others.

"Students getting a degree from the UK will have an excellent passport for their future career as the quality of British education is recognised worldwide. In addition, students are welcomed and looked after in a multi-cultural environment that is friendly and safe," says Hunter.

Studying in the UK gives foreign students an edge as it offers them the advantage of gaining a qualification that is not only highly regarded worldwide, but equips them with skills and knowledge at the highest level.

"The UK student experience is one that combines high academic study with a strong sense of community and social experiences due to a strong emphasis on developing the person as well as gaining the qualification," says Paul Cullen, International Officer, Writtle College in Essex. "The advantage of studying for an undergraduate degree over three years instead of four (as in other countries) and one year postgraduate courses also gives an advantage to students who wish to study for a shorter time but yet gain a high quality qualification. Also the multicultural nature of the UK is of strong interest as well as being able to study a degree in the English language which will give students high employability when returning home,"he says. A number of prestigious UK-based institutions such as Middlesex University and the Manchester Business School have opened centres in the UAE to cater to the demand for their professional courses. The London Business School opened its campus in Dubai in August 2007 at the Dubai International Financial Centre. "The Financial Times recently ranked our MBA programme in London as the number one in Europe and number two in the world.

"We now run our Executive MBA programme at our Dubai campus. This programme is aimed at executives with a minimum of four years managerial experience. It is academically a very rigorous programme, and after the first 11 core modules (all taken in Dubai) our students go to London for several block weeks to take the elective modules," says Dr Kevin Dunseath, Director, London Business School, Dubai.