EAPA3004 English for Academic Purposes 1 : Peer Learning in Higher Education

Introduction:

Higher education is the ultimate phase of formal learning-teaching experience after the virtual close of secondary education. Higher education is highly competitive and is mostly meant for the crème-de-la-crème bunch. After the completion of higher education, one could join the academia as a lecturer or high school teacher.

In the United Kingdom, higher education system is increasingly cosmopolitan, as it absorbs many international students into its education circuit. After completing the secondary education, the students start their higher education at English higher education institutes. In the United States, higher education is a voluntary final phase of conventional education after the completion of the secondary education. The higher education system is more flexible and attracts foreign students to the hilt. The system brings hundreds and thousands of European, Asian and African students within the education ambit. As far as the internationality of higher education is concerned, the United States of America is the top destination, followed by Germany and the United Kingdom (Knight 2015).

The assignment aims to compare and contrast the higher education system of England and another country. In this context, the second country is United States of America, which is also a paladin of anglicized higher education.

Discussion

The assignment seeks to elaborate on the organizational structure of the education institutes of the United Kingdom and the United States of America (chosen country). Both the countries have maintained unique standards in the particular domain. Going back to history, The United Kingdom was the harbinger of westernized higher education. Based on the model of the United Kingdom, the education systems of India, New Zealand, Canada and Australia had been shaped during the early modern phase. Therefore, the education system of the United Kingdom was supremely conceived and executed (Boud et al. 2014).

The educators of the United Kingdom are the stellar figures, who carve out a unique space in the particular sphere. The education system of the United Kingdom sets up a quintessential mark and many developing countries (including India) emulate the system. At another spectrum, the United States of America represents a young civilization and the education system is strikingly different from the United Kingdom (Knight 2015). However, the education pattern of the United States of America is mostly emulated by the rest of the world in the coming generation. The United States of America monopolizes the global education system. In the ensuing paragraphs, the assignment aims to discuss the respective education systems of the United Kingdom and the United States of America. The assignment selects a key area (funding) that governs the contours of the respective education systems.

As far as the key area (funding) is concerned, the United States of America holds a favored position. Due to the augmenting cost of education in the United States of America, many international students seek financial resources that can easily finance the higher education. Most international students think that the U.S education system is comparatively flexible than the United Kingdom. The foreign students have ample finance options such as education loan schemes, student/research assistantships, fellowships and international foundation scholarships. These financial resources are indispensable for the international students. The American organizations provide scholarships to learners and interest-free loan scholarships to students hailing from Latin America and the Caribbean Island. The Rowe Fund program finances the research and post-graduate levels of education. The Rotary scholarship and Full Bright scholarships are mostly given to the top caliber students from Asia (Bok 2015). In addition, student assistant programs are pervasive.  At the same time, part time employment is also a flexible option for the students.

On the other hand, the United Kingdom operates in a rigorous manner and the funding opportunities are getting slender day by day. Like the United States of America, the United Kingdom does not provide student/research assistantship programs to the international students. Therefore, the foreign students have to depend on selected scholarships like Commonwealth program, Charles Wallace and British Gates Scholarships (Bryk et al. 2015). Most foreign students bank on loan scholarships and their personal finances. Therefore, the scholarship opportunities are not expansive in the United Kingdom.

Conclusion:

Summing up, the higher education systems of both the countries are unique in many ways. The United Kingdom is the herald of the westernized scientific education system. The modern education system of the United Kingdom was imitated by the Commonwealth countries. The United States of America is much younger in this domain. However, the United States of America occupies a colossus space in the particular sphere and excels in almost all departments.  As far as the funding opportunities are concerned, the United States is much ahead in the race.

References:

Bok, D., 2015. Higher education in America. Princeton University Press.

Boud, D., Cohen, R. and Sampson, J. eds., 2014. Peer learning in higher education: Learning from and with each other. Routledge.

Bryk, A.S., Gomez, L.M., Grunow, A. and LeMahieu, P.G., 2015. Learning to Improve: How America? s Schools Can Get Better at Getting Better. Harvard Education Press. 8 Story Street First Floor, Cambridge, MA 02138.

Knight, J., 2015. Updated definition of internationalization. International higher education, (33).