[originaltext]I: Good morning, everyone. Today I’d like to introduce Professor

I: Good morning, everyone. Today I’d like to introduce Professor Jarvis, from the University of Survey, who is going to talk to us about British education. Well, Professor Jarvis.
J: Very pleased to meet you.
I: So, Professor Jarvis, could you tell us something about the history of British education?
J: Well, British education began in medieval churches and monasteries where, for the most part, religious subjects were taught. But over the centuries, the system slowly changed, and became available to more and more people. And during the 16th and 17th centuries charity schools for poor students and grammar schools for the more affluent were predominant, and they continued right up until the late 19th century.
I: So what brought about this change?
J: The 18th-century attitude toward education was influenced by French philosophers, who were great proponents of education for all, so during the 19th century large numbers of schools were built to provide education for as many people as possible. Indeed, in 1870, the government passed an act of parliament, known as the Elementary Education Act, which stated that all children, from the ages of 5 to 10, should receive a free elementary education. Compulsory education was extended by law to the age of 11 in 1893, and to 12 in 1899. At the end of World War I the minimum age at which children could leave school was raised to 14.
I: So children in Britain now leave school at the age of 14?
J: No. Towards the end of World War II, in 1944, another education act was passed by parliament. This raised the school leaving age to 15 and introduced a tripartite system of education consisting of grammar schools, secondary modern schools and technical colleges. It also introduced an examination system that determined which school children should go to. This examination was known as the 11 plus because it was taken at the age of 11 and was compulsory. Moreover, it ensured that only the children with top scores went to grammar school. For most, however, secondary modern schools were their destination. And in 1973, the school leaving age was raised, once again, to 16.
I: Are schools in Britain controlled by the government?
J: Yes, they are. In 1902 local education authorities were created. They received money directly from central government in Westminster, and were presided over by the Department of Education and Science. Today, however, local authorities are primarily responsible for the administration of the schools.
1. When was the Elementary Education Act passed in Britain?
2. Which group of children should receive a free elementary education according to Elementary Education Act?
3. Which is NOT one part of tripartite system of education?
4. In 1973, which was the school leaving age?
5. According to Professor Jarvis, who is responsible for the administration of schools in Britain nowadays?