UK School System, Robert Burns, Mark Twain & Hemingway
Understanding the UK School System
Nursery: Aged 6 months to 3/4 years old. Not compulsory. Learning through playing and interaction. Private.
Primary School: Age 4/5 to 10/11 years old (Reception to Year 6). Learning through structured activities. One teacher teaches every subject in one classroom. A new teacher each year. At the end of Year 6, students take SATs (Standard Assessment Tests) to determine groups in high school.
High School/Secondary School: Age 11-16 (Year 7 to Year 11). Learning through planned, structured lessons following the national curriculum. In Year 9, students choose subjects (English, Maths, and Science are compulsory). In Year 11, students sit GCSE exams in chosen and compulsory subjects. GCSEs are a mix of tests and coursework.
College/Sixth Form: Aged 16-18. Attendance is compulsory unless undertaking an apprenticeship. A maximum of 3 or 4 subjects are studied. Throughout Years 12 and 13, students are assessed through coursework and A-Level exams (Advanced Level Qualification). College is A-Level specific, while Sixth Form is an extension of high school.
Types of Schools
- Public/State Schools: Most students attend these.
- Faith Schools: Have a specific religion as the core of their teachings, including prayer and religious traditions.
- Grammar Schools: Require passing an entrance exam.
- Private Schools: Tuition fees typically range from £10,000 to £40,000 per year.
- Special Educational Needs Schools: Cater to children with learning difficulties.
- Single-Sex Schools: Schools separated by gender.
Universities: Higher education institutions offering degree programs.
School Uniform
Students: Smart shirt tucked in, school tie, school blazer with the school badge, long skirts or trousers, plain black, smart shoes.
Staff: Male teachers wear a smart suit with a blazer. Female teachers wear skirts/dresses of an appropriate length, blouses, trousers, and a school ID badge.
How to Address Teachers in the UK
- Call them Sir or Miss, Mr. [Surname] or Miss/Mrs. [Surname].
- Raise your hand to speak.
- Use polite and formal language.
- Do not call them by their first name (rude).
- Do not shout or speak over them when they are speaking.
- Do not use bad language or slang.
The Average Secondary School Day
- 8:30-9:00: Form time and registration or assembly
- 9:00-10:00: First lesson
- 10:00-10:15: Break time
- 10:15-11:15: Second lesson
- 11:15-12:15: Third lesson
- 12:15-12:45: Lunch break
- 12:45-13:45: Fourth lesson
- 13:45-14:45: Fifth lesson
School Holidays
Half term (one week off school) every 6-7 weeks. Two weeks off for Christmas. Two weeks off for Easter. The end of the Summer term is the last week in July. Six weeks off for summer before returning. Bank holidays are always on a Monday.
Robert Burns: Scotland’s National Poet
Robert Burns, also known as Rabbie Burns, lived from January 25, 1759, to July 21, 1796, and died aged 37. He was a Scottish poet and lyricist, considered the national poet of Scotland, and celebrated worldwide. He is the best-known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is in a “light Scots dialect” of English. He also wrote in standard English and is often political. He is regarded as a pioneer of the Romantic movement.
Traditions
On Robert Burns’ birthday, Scottish people recite his poetry. A traditional Scottish meal of Haggis, neeps, and tatties is eaten.
- Haggis: A Scottish dish consisting of a sheep’s or calf’s insides mixed with suet, oatmeal, and seasoning.
- Neeps: Turnips, usually mashed.
- Tatties: Potatoes, usually mashed.
The traditional drink is a dram (small amount of whisky).
His Legacy
Burns is the only poet in the United Kingdom to have a public holiday dedicated to him. His work highlights the lack of Scottish Gaelic and Scottish dialect speakers in modern times and the importance of keeping the language alive in the UK. His poetry has been combined with traditional Scottish songs such as ‘Auld Lang Syne’ (for old times’ sake). Examples of Scots words include: Luve (love), bonnie (lovely), gang (go).
Mark Twain’s *Adventures of Tom Sawyer*
Adventures of Tom Sawyer is a novel published in 1876. The setting is a small fictional town (St. Petersburg), based on Hannibal, Missouri, where Twain grew up. The genre is adventure, satire, and a coming-of-age novel.
Key Themes
- Youthful curiosity and mischief
- The clash between societal rules and individual freedom
- Friendship and loyalty
Fun Fact: Tom Sawyer was partly inspired by Twain’s own childhood.
Main Characters
- Tom Sawyer: Mischievous and adventurous protagonist.
- Huckleberry Finn: Tom’s best friend who lives a carefree life.
- Aunt Polly: Tom’s strict but loving guardian.
- Injun Joe: A dangerous villain.
Themes
- Freedom and Adventure: Tom represents the spirit of adventure and the joys of childhood.
- Friendship: Tom and Huck’s bond showcases loyalty and trust.
- Moral Growth: Tom learns to take responsibility and show courage.
- Critique of Society: Twain uses humor to criticize adult hypocrisy and social norms.
About Mark Twain
Real Name: Samuel Langhorne Clemens. Born: November 30, 1835, in Florida, Missouri, USA. Died: April 21, 1910, in Redding, Connecticut, USA. Nickname: “The Father of American Literature”. Fun Fact: “Mark Twain” is a riverboat term meaning “two fathoms deep”.
Ernest Hemingway’s *After the Storm*
*After the Storm* was first published in Cosmopolitan magazine in 1932. It was re-published in the ‘Complete Short Stories’ collection in 1987, which contains all 49 previously published stories and 21 extra unpublished stories added in by his sons.
Writing Style
Hemingway’s writing style is influenced by his time as a journalist. Sentences tend to be short and concise but grab the reader’s attention. It is characterized as being ‘terse minimalist’ (not overly descriptive and gets straight to the point). There is a lack of adjectives, elaborate metaphors, etc., and imagery is created through short, abrupt sentences.
Ernest Hemingway Biography
Born in 1899 in Illinois, United States, Hemingway committed suicide aged 61 in 1961. He served as an ambulance driver in the First World War. After the war, he moved to Paris, where he worked as a foreign correspondent for a newspaper. In 1928, he returned to America, settling in Florida. In 1937, he traveled to Spain to cover the Spanish Civil War, using his experience to write his novel *For Whom The Bell Tolls*. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction in 1953 and the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1954.
What Happens in the Story?
The story begins with a fight between the narrator and another man. After a storm, the narrator finds a sunken ship filled with treasures. He tries multiple times to access the riches but is unsuccessful. Others eventually loot the ship, leaving him with nothing.
Significance of the Fight
The fight at the beginning of the story establishes the narrator’s aggressive nature and foreshadows his struggles.
The Woman and Her Jewelry
The woman dead in the water with all of her jewelry symbolizes lost wealth and the insignificance of material possessions in death.
The Birds
The narrator mentions birds frequently throughout the story, representing survival, freedom, and nature’s resilience, contrasting with the narrator’s failures.