UK Education Through Teachers’ Eyes: Open Lecture by Michael Kearney

On 4 November 2026, bachelor’s students of the programmes “Secondary Education (English Language and World Literature)” and “Philology (Germanic Languages and Literatures, English and German)” attended the online open lecture “The UK Education System: Current Challenges Through Teachers’ Eyes”. The speaker was Michael Kearney, a member of the National Executive of the National Education Union (NEU) and City of York District Secretary. The lecture aimed to deepen students’ knowledge of British cultural studies and show them the realities of British schools first-hand.

Students followed a British pupil’s journey from the Reception class at the age of four to leaving school at eighteen. They learned how school years are divided into Key Stages, how primary school differs from secondary school and what sixth form is. The speaker also explained the choice between academic A-Levels and more practical BTEC qualifications, as well as higher education: bachelor’s and master’s degrees and the PGCE, one of the most common routes into teaching in the UK.

What made the lecture especially valuable was the insider’s perspective. As a teachers’ union representative, Mr Kearney spoke not only about how the system is structured but also about the challenges British teachers face every day. Students were able to ask questions, compare British and Ukrainian schools and practise understanding authentic spoken English.

For future English teachers and philologists, the meeting was a lively addition to their British studies course, bringing textbook knowledge to life. We sincerely thank Michael Kearney for an engaging and informative lecture!