I've just lost a teammate from the UK due to "University".
Weak excuse for not playing. What's he going to do when he has to go to work?
Let me ask you Brits some questions:
First, children are now organsied into Year Groups, so for example Year 4 is age 8 to 9, which corresponds roughly to your grade system I think. This is relatively new, so folk over the age of 25 unless parents will still talk about "2nd Year Juniors" and all sorts of similarly arcane terms. The Harry Potter books still use the old terms, so in the 4th Book Harry is a "4th Year" that is "4th Year of Secondary School" now more usually termed Year 10.
A grade is a mark you get in an exam or essay (only). A term is a third of a year - September to Christmas for example. " A Half-Term" is half that, a period of 5 to 9 weeks depending on such mysteries as the positioning of Easter. "Half-Term" is often used as shorthand for the Half Term holiday (a week off for teachers to restock with valium)
1) What are levels?
O-levels (Ordinary level exams) were the exams old folk like Yours Truly took at 16. One in each subject, graded for the benefit of your future employers. O-levels are now called GCSEs (General Certificate of Education). A-levels are what you take if you stay on for an extra 2 years till 18, in the Sixth form. There is no Seventh form. Sixth form is 2 years, Upper Sixth and Lower Sixth. Even though all the other years tend to get called Year 10, Year 11 etc. Sixth Form, which is actually Year 12 and Year 13, always seems to keep its traditional name. Corresponds I think with your High School or perhaps "Junior High". Even though O-levels, are not called that any more A-levels (advanced level examinations) still are. Good grades in A-levels are needed to enter University. It used to be normal to study 3 A-level subjects for entry to University, now, I understand it is common to study 4.
2) At the University level, what's the difference between:
Readers
Posh name for Lecturers used in the posh Universities. I think.
Lecturers
Anybody employed by a University to teach. Will usually have a Masters Degree or Doctorate.
Professors (are there levels like Assistant, Associate, Full?)
It's both a post and a rank. A Doctor gets promoted to a Professor when he has published enough work of recognised standard and has to have made an outstanding and unique contribution to his field, and when a University has an available "Chair" (Vacant post). It's actually VERY senior compared to the title of "Professor" in many other countries. There are some ranks I believe - Professor Emeritus is a "Professor of great merit" - but their status depends most In think on which University, and the size and reputation of the department/faculty they control.
Laurence G. Tilley
http://www.lgtilley.freeserve.co.uk
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At 06:26 PM 09-04-02, you wrote:
