PIRLS 2006 Encyclopedia

PIRLS 2006 Encyclopediapolicy, commission policy-related research, issue guidelines in the area of curriculumand assessment, and oversee teacher training and supply. 8Education is compulsory for students ages 5–16. The curriculum, for students, ages5 to 14, is defined in the national guidelines. The education system includes preschool,primary, and secondary education, as well as further and higher education. Education inScotland is free for all students and provided by local authorities. However, in September2005, 3% of primary students and 5% of secondary students attended private schools,9, 10which are not publicly funded.For students, the academic year lasts a minimum of 190 days (38 weeks). Teachers’contracts allow for 5 additional days, which are devoted to school in-service education.The school year runs from the middle of August to the end of June. The averageschool week is 27.5 hours; for teachers it is 35 hours. Virtually all students, ages 5 to 16,attend school. 11ScotlandStructure of the Education SystemPrimary schools, for ages 5 to 12, are organized into Primary 1 to Primary 7 classes.Teachers follow the national curriculum guidelines for this age group, and specialistsmay provide support in art, drama, music, and physical education. In September 2005,there were 2,194 publicly funded primary schools in Scotland with 390,260 students,representing a reduction of 30,261 students since 2001. 12 The student enrollment inthese schools ranged from 2 to 804 students. 13 In 2005, about one third of the publiclyfunded primary schools had a student enrollment of fewer than 100. 14 Of primary schools,15% were denominational (mainly Catholic). 15 There also were 60 private schools withprimary departments. 16 In rural areas, there are a few combined primary and secondaryschools. In other areas, there are a few infant schools, which admit children beginningat age 3 and then transfer them to a primary school.Almost all secondary education, with the exception of those schools in very remoteareas, begins at age 12 and includes 4 years of compulsory education, followed by anadditional 2 years for those students who wish to continue their education. Subjectspecialists teach mostly on a whole-class basis. In the early secondary years (S1/S2, ages11–14), classes are usually made up of students with mixed-ability levels, particularly inpractical and social subjects. In S3/S4 (ages 13–16), most students are in classes groupedby broad levels of ability, and in the senior school (S5/S6, ages 15–18), classes tend to beself-selecting according to the level of study, although, in some subjects, students alsomay be placed in classes according to their ability level. In the first 2 years, studentsfollow the curriculum defined in the national guidelines for this age group, and fromSecondary 3 onwards, students follow the syllabus for national examinations and theNational Certificate. In September 2005, there were 385 publicly funded secondaryschools in Scotland with 315,840 students. 17Opportunities for higher education are provided primarily through colleges anduniversities. There are 39 incorporated colleges and four other colleges in Scotland.These colleges provide a wide range of vocational and non-vocational education and342