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1、这是一篇关于英国教育现状的文章,英国人其实和我们一样遭受着大学资源匮乏的困境,英国的中学生想读好大学依然不容易,即使是交高价也不行,A-level的信封和装有我们的大学通知书的印有刘翔的EMS信封没有两样。 ITISasmuchasummerritualasWimbledon.EveryAugustBritain’s18-year-oldschool-leaverstearopenenvelopescontainingtheirA-levelresultsandseewhethertheyhavedonewellenoughtogetintotheirchosenun
2、iversities.Themostsuccessfulstudents(andtheprettiestones)findtheirpicturessplashedacrossthenationalnewspapers.Thelessfortunatefacetheprospectoftryingtogetaplacethrough“clearing”,themopping-upexerciseinwhichstateuniversitiesoffertheirunfilledplacestothebestoftherest. Butthisyear,thankst
3、oboththeparlousstateofgovernmentfinancesandrenewedattemptstomakeuniversitiescompeteamongthemselvesforstudents,thelandscapeissignificantlydifferent.Undergraduatesstartingintheautumnwillbethefirsttopayupto9,000($14,000)ayearfortuition,almosttriplethepreviousmaximum.Fearsthathigherfeeswoul
4、ddeterpoorerstudentsfromapplyinghavenotbeenborneout.WhiletherehasbeenasmallfallintheapplicationrateamongEnglishstudents(somewhatdifferentrulesapplyindevolvedScotland,WalesandNorthernIreland),thedropwassharperamongthosefromwealthierareas. Theproblemisnotlackofapplicantsbutlackofplaces.A
5、sDavidWilletts,theuniversitiesminister,pointsout,universitiesarestillheavilyoversubscribed—evenwithhigherfees,aroundaquarterofstudentswillfailtogetplaces.Sincefeesarepaidupfrontbythegovernmentandrepaidbystudentsonlyiftheygetadecentjob,tokeepdowncoststotaxpayersadmissionsaredeterminedbys
6、trictquotas.Ineffect,thestatedecideshowmanystudentswillgotouniversity. Inpreviousyears,quotasappliedtoallstudentsatstate-fundeduniversities.Thisyearthebest-performingamongthem—thosewithAABgradesorbetterontheirA-levels—areexcluded,whichmeansthattheuniversitiesabletoattractthem(ie,thebest
7、ones)canexpandasmuchastheywant.Andtheremaining,muchreduced,quotahasbeencutfurtherbyreserving20,000“margin”placesforwhichinstitutionscharginganaverageoflessthan7,500ayearcanbid. Thisintheoryhasintroducedaheftydoseofwelcomecompetition,andinrealityagreateroneofuncertainty.Ifpopul