Compare and contrast the UK education system with that of ONE country of your choice

WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES:

This coursework requires you to write a 1,000 word essay. Choose ONE of the following titles:

Compare and contrast the UK education system with that of ONE country of your choice

Compare and contrast the UK healthcare system with that of ONE country of your choice

Compare and contrast the London transport system with that of ONE large city of your choice

Procedure

Access the collection of sources related to the theme of your essay (E.g. ‘The UK Education System’) which can be found on the Academic Writing resit GSM Learn page, and read these in detail.
Choose another country/city and research information on its education / healthcare / transport system.
Write a 1,000 word essay comparing the systems in the two countries/cities.

Structure

The coursework should follow the structural requirements of a compare and contrast essay. This means you have to include the following:

Introduction (including a thesis statement)

Introduce the subject by giving some brief background information on the topic of education/healthcare/transport and/or the two countries/cities you are comparing.
Explain what you are going to do in the essay, identifying the main areas of comparison between the two systems and, if possible, including a purpose for the comparison.

Body paragraphs (3 – 4 paragraphs)

Discuss their similarities and differences of the two systems following a compare/contrast essay structure.
Analyse three areas such as the funding, organisation, and quality of each system (one paragraph each).
Provide evidence and examples using the relevant booklet and your own research, and comment on the implications for each country/city.

Conclusion

Summarise the main points of your essay in one concluding paragraph.
Include your own opinion as to which system is more effective.

Reference List

List your references at the end in the appropriate format.

Do not include a contents page, pictures, graphs or subheadings in your essay.

Research

In order to write your essay you will need to do reading and research. You should use a range of sources including books, journals, articles and websites. A minimum of three external sources is expected.
You should familiarise yourself with the online library system ‘MyAthens’ early on in the course. This will help you to find a city you are interested in and collect sources to integrate into your writing. You will need your username and password which will have been emailed to you but which you can also obtain from library services.

Throughout your essay you need to show evidence that you have researched the subject.

“According to Smith (2014) ……” or “It can be seen that ………………….. (Irving, 2012)”

Make sure you have the equivalent information for both countries. For example, if you have figures for the levels of funding in the UK, you should try to find the same information for the second country in order to make an effective comparison.

Do NOT use Wikipedia or websites featuring sample essays at any point in the assignment.

Preparation for the essay will start in class from week one. In order to receive guidance and support from your lecturer, it is VITAL that you attend all sessions. Failure to attend classes will result in you not having the necessary building blocks of information, advice and instruction to be able to complete the task successfully.