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UNITED KINGDOM Comparative Table

England Ireland Northern Ireland Wales
Population 55.98 million 4.83 million 1.88 million 5.43 million 3.13 million
Language English and other major Irish, English Irish, English, Ulster Scots Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Welsh, English
languages spoken by English
minority groups include:
Polish, Punjabi, Urdu,
Bengali, Gujarati, Arabic,
French, Portuguese, Welsh
and Cornish.
Politics Today England is governed The Republic of Ireland is a Northern Ireland has had Scotland has limited self- The Welsh Government
directly by the Parliament of parliamentary democracy devolved government government within the (Llywodraeth Cymru) is the
the United Kingdom. So, the with a written constitution within the United Kingdom, United Kingdom, as well as devolved executive of Wales.
basic political system in and a popularly elected presided over by the representation in the UK The government consists of
England is a constitutional president who has mostly Assembly and a cross- Parliament. Executive and ministers, who attend
monarchy and parliament ceremonial powers. The community government legislative powers cabinet meetings, and
system. government is headed by a Excepted matters such as respectively have been deputy ministers who do
prime minister, the international relations, devolved to the Scottish not, and also of a counsel
Taoiseach, who is appointed taxation and elections are Government and the Scottish general. It is led by the first
on the nomination of the never expected to be Parliament at Holyrood in minister, usually the leader
lower house of parliament, considered for devolution. Edinburgh since 1999. The of the largest party in the
the Dáil. Members of the On all other governmental UK Parliament retains National Assembly, who
government are chosen matters, the Executive control over reserved selects ministers and deputy
from both the Dáil and the together with the 90 matters specified in the ministers with the approval
upper house of parliament, member Assembly may Scotland Act 1998, including of the assembly. The
the Seanad. legislate for and govern UK taxes, social security, government is responsible
Northern Ireland. defense, international for tabling policy in devolved
relations and broadcasting. areas (such as health,
The Scottish Parliament has education, economic
legislative authority for all development, transport, and
other areas relating to local government) for
Scotland. consideration by the
assembly and implementing
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policy that has been

approved by it.
Economy England's economy is one of The economy of the Northern Ireland has Scotland has a Western-style The economy of Wales is
the largest in the world, with Republic of Ireland is traditionally had an open mixed economy closely closely linked with the rest of
an average GDP per capita of primarily a knowledge industrial economy, most linked with the rest of the UK the United Kingdom and the
£28,100 or $36,000. Usually economy, focused on notably in shipbuilding, rope and the wider world. wider European Economic
regarded as a mixed market services into high-tech, life manufacture and textiles, Traditionally, the Scottish Area. In 2017-18, according
economy, it has adopted sciences, financial services but the heaviest industry has economy was dominated by to Government Expenditure
many free-market principles, and agribusiness including since been replaced by heavy industry underpinned and Revenue Wales 2019
yet maintains an advanced agrifood. Ireland is an open services, primarily the public by shipbuilding in Glasgow, data, estimated gross
social welfare infrastructure. economy, and ranks first for sector. 70% of the coal mining and steel domestic product (GDP) in
The official currency in high-value foreign direct economy's revenue comes industries. Edinburgh is the Wales was £70.6 billion,
England is the pound sterling. investment (FDI) flows. In from the service sector. financial services centre of making the Welsh economy
England is a leader in the the global GDP per capita Apart from the public sector, Scotland, with many large the tenth largest of the UK's
chemical and pharmaceutical tables, Ireland ranks 5th of another important service finance firms based there, twelve areas ahead of only
sectors and in key technical 187 in the IMF table and 6th sector is tourism, key including Lloyds Banking Northern Ireland and the
industries, particularly of 175 in the World Bank tourism attractions include Group, the Government- North East of England. The
aerospace, the arms industry, ranking. Ireland's official the historic cities of Derry, owned Royal Bank of modern Welsh economy is
and the manufacturing side currency is the euro. Belfast, and Armagh and the Scotland and Standard Life. dominated by the service
of the software industry. many castles in Northern Scotland's primary exports sector. In 2000, services
London, home to the London Ireland. The official currency include whiskey, electronics, contributed 66% to GVA, the
Stock Exchange, the United is the pound sterling. and financial services. And manufacturing sector
Kingdom's main stock the United States, contributed 32%, while
exchange and the largest in Netherlands, Germany, agriculture, forestry, and
Europe, is England's financial France, and Norway fishing together contributed
centre, with 100 of Europe's constitute the country's 1.5%.
500 largest corporations major export markets.
being based there.
Education Education in England is Education is compulsory for Education in Northern The Scottish education Education in Wales differs in
overseen by the United all children in Ireland from Ireland differs from systems system has always been certain respects from
Kingdom's Department for the ages of six to sixteen or used elsewhere in the distinct from the rest of the education elsewhere in the
Education. Local government until students have United Kingdom, in this United Kingdom, with a United Kingdom. For
authorities are responsible completed three years of country, there are three characteristic emphasis on a example, a significant
for implementing policy for second-level education and kinds of schools: the Catholic broad education. Scotland minority of students all over
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public education and state- including one sitting of the Maintained Schools, the follows the Curriculum for Wales are educated either
funded schools at a local Junior Certificate Protestant Controlled Excellence (also known as wholly or largely through the
level. England also has a examination. Primary Schools, and the Integrated the CfE) for nursery, primary medium of Welsh: in
tradition of independent education commonly starts Schools. There are 466 and secondary schools. 2014/15, 15.7% of children
schools and home education; at four to five years old. Roman Catholic-managed Children in Scotland and young people received
legally, parents may choose Children typically enroll in a schools in Northern Ireland. complete seven years of Welsh-medium education.
to educate their children by Junior Infant class at age The number of pupils primary school, starting in P1 And additional 10% attend
any permitted means. The four or five depending on attending Catholic-managed (the equivalent of Reception schools that had a significant
state-funded education parental wishes. The levels schools is approximately classes in England), going up portion of the curriculum is
system is divided into stages of Ireland's education are 37%. Controlled schools in to P7 (the equivalent of Year bilingual. The study of the
based upon age: Early Years primary, secondary and Northern Ireland (nursery, 7 in England). After this, they Welsh language is available
Foundation Stage (ages 3–5); higher often known as primary, special, secondary do six years of secondary to all age groups through
primary education (ages 5 to "third-level" or tertiary and grammar schools) are school from S1 to S6 nurseries, schools, colleges,
11), subdivided into Key Stage education. In recent years under the management of (equivalent to Y8 to Y13 in and universities and in adult
1 (KS1) Infants (ages 5 to 7) further education has grown the school's board of England). Secondary schools education. The study of the
and Key Stage 2 (KS2) Juniors immensely. Growth in the governors and the in Scotland are also known as language is compulsory for
(ages 7 to 11); secondary economy since the 1960s employing authority is the high schools or academies. all pupils in State Schools
education (ages 11 to 16), has driven much of the Education Authority (EA), until the age of 16. Education
subdivided into Key Stage 3 change in the education and this sector is the largest is compulsory beginning with
(KS3; ages 11 to 14) and Key system. education sector in the term following the child's
Stage 4 (KS4; ages 14 to 16); Northern Ireland. On the fifth birthday but may take
Key Stage 5 is post-16 other hand, integrated place at either home or
education (ages 16 to 18); education is expanding, school. Most parents
and tertiary education (for Northern Ireland has a choosing to educate through
ages 18+). highly segregated education the school-based provision,
system. The churches in however, enroll their
Northern Ireland have not children in the reception
been involved in the year in September of that
development of integrated school year, with most
schools, these have been children thus beginning
established by the voluntary school at age four or four
efforts of parents. and a half.
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How big is the influence of British English language on Colombian education today?
Taking into account that England is the cradle of the English language and the
importance of this language worldwide, it is possible to affirm that British English has
had a great global influence, especially in Latinamerican Spanish-speaking countries,
such as Colombia, who sees the English language as a development opportunity in areas
such as economy and education, and also like the possibility to communicate with others
in any world place. For this, currently, in Colombia, English is taught as a foreign
language and the teaching of the English language is compulsory at all levels of
education (basic, high school and higher education), however, Colombia wants English
becomes in its second language and that Colombian students reach bilingualism, in
order to achieve this, the government working on it hand in hand with the Ministry of
National Education, it has put in action different programs like the National Bilingualism
Program in 2004 until now with the current program, Colombia Bilingual. In addition,
the United Kingdom, through the British Council, has a great presence within the country
and helps connect Colombians who are interested in learning or teaching English, as well
as those who want to certify their English level, and in this way, it is contributing to the
process bilingualism that is carrying out in Colombia.