\paperw3360 \margr0\margl0\ATXph16380 \plain \fs20 \pard\tx3255\tx6525\tx9780\ATXts240\ATXbrdr0 \f1 \fs22 Visitors to Britain often have a somewhat distorted image of British edu
cation because of the outstanding fame of certain of the countryÆs educational institutions. Prestigious seats of learning like \b \cf4 \ATXht12351000 Oxford and Cambridge\b0 \cf0 \ATXht0 , or Θlite colleges such as Eton and Harrow, in fact account for
only a fraction of the nationÆs access to knowledge. With a state school system that has come in for a lot of criticism in recent years and increasing unemployment levels even among those with university degrees, the real picture is both more complex a
nd less enviable than outsiders might at first imagine. Yet certain institutions, despite spending cuts and staff reductions, continue to offer people a wide range of possibilities for learning and pleasure. Foremost among these are the Colleges of Fur
ther Education, where people of any age can ôgo back to schoolö and learn just about anything, as well as the magnificent network of lending libraries spread across the whole country.\par
