Education in the United Kingdom is a devolved matter with each of the countries of the United Kingdom having separate systems under separate governments. The UK Government is responsible for England, whilst the Scottish Government, the Welsh Government and the Northern Ireland Executive are responsible for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, respectively.
For details of education in each country, see: Education in England Education in Northern Ireland Education in Scotland Education in Wales
In 2018, the Programme for International Student Assessment, coordinated by the OECD, ranked the overall knowledge and skills of British 15-year-olds as 13th in the world in reading, literacy, mathematics, and science. The average British student scored 503.7, compared with the OECD average of 493.
In 2014, the country spent 6.6 per cent of its GDP on all levels of education – 1.4 percentage points above the OECD average of 5.2 per cent. In 2017, 45.7 per cent of British people aged 25 to 64 attained some form of post-secondary education. Of British people aged 25 to 64, 22.6% attained a bachelor's degree or higher, whilst 52% of British people aged 25 to 34 attained some form of tertiary education, about 4% above the OECD average of 44%.
Stages
In each country there are five stages of education: early years, primary, secondary, further education (FE) and higher education (HE). The law states that full-time education is compulsory for all children between the ages of 5 (4 in Northern Ireland) and 16. In England, compulsory education or training was extended to 18 in 2015. Before they reach compulsory school age, children can be educated at nursery; the four governments all provide universal funding for children from the age of three years old or younger.
Further education is non-compulsory, and covers advanced education which can be taken at further (including tertiary) education colleges and higher education institutions (HEIs). The fifth stage, higher education, is study beyond A-levels or BTECs (and their equivalent) which, for most full-time students, takes place in HEIs such as universities and colleges.
The National Curriculum, established in 1988, provides a framework for education in England between the ages of 5 and 16. Although the curriculum is compulsory, some private schools, home educators, academies and free schools design their own curricula. Following devolution in 1999, the Welsh Government took responsibility for education in Wales and the curriculum began to differ from that of England. The National Curriculum for Wales was established and is now being succeeded by the Curriculum for Wales.
In Scotland, the equivalent is the Curriculum for Excellence. Scotland's qualifications system of National 4/5s, Highers and Advanced Highers are very similar to Advanced Subsidiary (AS) and Advanced Level (A2) courses in England.
The Northern Ireland Curriculum is a separate system.
Further education
Further education (FE) refers to post-secondary education in England and Wales. FE covers a wide curriculum of study and apprenticeships, including A-levels, BTEC, NVQ, and others, ranging from entry level to top level (3, equivalent to A level) that leads to higher education. The sixth form is post-16 study taken after completing GCSE (General Certificate of Secondary Education) at school; academic further education are generally offered by sixth form colleges or by 11–18 schools with an attached sixth form. Further education colleges generally provide a wider curriculum and more vocational education, although not limited to it. Tertiary colleges provide both academic and vocational courses.
Higher education
In the United Kingdom, higher education is offered by universities and other institutions (colleges, institutes, schools, and academies) and includes both research-oriented and higher professional education. Universities provide programmes that lead to a degree (bachelor's, master's, or doctorate) and non-degree programmes that lead to a vocational qualification such as a certificate or diploma. British higher education is valued around the globe for its quality and rigorous academic standards. Several British universities are ranked among the top universities in the world, including the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and UCL.
Entry qualifications
Students who sit for GCSEs usually take 7-10 or more subjects, requiring 20 to 25 examinations. Students take a variety of subjects, including English Language, English Literature, Mathematics and Science.