Education Education systems around the world

So how does your system work?

In Canada, it's:

Preschool (optional) > Kindergarten > Elementary (Grades 1-6) > Junior High (Grades 7-9) > High School (Grades 10-12) > University or college/polytechnic/art school based on your high school performance (no additional entrance exams needed)

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe the American system is similar, with the exception of an SAT exam required before acceptance to a university.

 

With me it was nursery (optional) > playgroup (optional) > Primary school (primaries 1-7) > Secondary school (years 1-6) > Uni / whatever

The last two years of secondary are optional (You can quit at 16), but almost everyone does them.

That's in Scotland, IIRC the English system's slightly different.

 

In the US, the system can vary from state to state, city to city, even district to district. For me it was:
Mother's Day Out (Optional - a church-run, pseudo day care to give moms an occasional break during the week) > Kindergarten > Elementary School (grades 1-5) > Intermediate School (grades 6-8) > High School (grades 9-12) > University (4 year degree)

Some universities over here require a minimum score on the SAT or ACT, as well as an essay and interview. My university only required the SAT/ACT. Then there are the schools that just ask you to take the test, but only as a formality. The scores aren't really considered.

-monkey

 

well with me it was... (in England and more specifically in Norfolk - hint: the VERY Eastern bit)
Playshool (optional) > First School (4 years) > Middle School (4 years) > High School (4 years) > Sixth Form College (optional 2 years) > University (optional 3/4 years)

I understand there isnt many places doing this system any more.
During the First, Middle and High school it was a series of "Key Stage" exams cuminating with GCSEs. Once at Sixth Form those were AS levels and then A levels in the final year. And then at Uni its what ever course you do. I was BEng so i did 3 years and if i wanted to do MEng it would be an extra year. You needed decent results from GCSEs to get a decent place at College and then you needed decent A level results to get into uni.

 

For me (nottingham)...

Nursery (2 years) -> Primary (years 1-6) -> Comprehensive School (years 7-11) -> College/Sixth Form (years 12 and 13) -> University

 

Interesting. Over here, it's nursery/playschool (optional), kindergarten (1 year), elementary school (6 years), middle school (AKA Junior High) (2 or 3 years), then High School (3 or 4 years, for a total of 12 years), and then college/university (4 years to a Bachelor's degree). Junior High and High School time totals to six years, whether it's two years in the first and four in the second or three and three varies from school district to school district (I was in High School when we went from a 3 and 3 system to a 2 and 4 system... Having two years' worth of freshmen in a single year was interesting.)

 

Technically in the UK after High School (as the government have now coined it) it can also go to Apprenticeship as well. College can also cover University with certain courses.

In the UK High Schools cover Comprehensive schools and Grammar School, Grammar Schools generally being single sex and having entrance exams. Not sure what the deal is with them now though since some people want rid of them.

 

Just to point out the variation, I live probably about 100 miles from Techno-Dann and here it's always been a 5-3-4 system (elementry-middle-high). From there you go to a 4 year university or college, or into a 2 year community / tech college.

What's this "sixth form" stuff???

 

Sixth Form basically is AS and A levels taking place at a school rather then a college. Colleges here don't do years 7-11, where as institutions with a 6th form do.

Years 12 and 13 (aka Lower and Upper 6th respectively) are 6th form, but in college it's your first or second year.

 

I've heard that in Ontario, Canada (and possibly other provinces), there used to be a Grade 13. It's not defunct (at least in Ontario), and they have since switched to the 6+3+3 then post secondary system.

 

England
Ages 3-4: Nursery
Ages 4-11: Primary School (classes being reception then years 1-6)
Ages 11-16: High School (years 7-11, ending with GCSE exams)
Ages 16-18 (optional): Sixth form/college (first year has AS exams, second has A2 exams, forming the whole A-level. Typically four subjects as well as 'General Studies')

 

The current system in Norway is:

When you are 6 years old you begin in primary school. This is year 1-7. After that you have junior high school (year 8-10).

the rest after that is optional, but almost everyone go to college. Here you can choose either to do 3 years as a preparation for university (where you can do 3 or 5 years. Depending on what degree you want), or you can do a vocational oriented course. Normally the vocational ones is 2-3 years in school (depending on what you want to educate in) followed by 1,5 to 2,5 years as an apprentice. (total 4,5 years). After this you can take a test and get a certificate of apprenticeship.

I'm currently working on a combination of the two. I did a vocational course of 3 years, and worked 1,5 years as an apprentice. now i'm working on a course that is preparation for university. (basicly the 2nd. and 3rd. year of the original preparation course. This only takes 1 year, though. (It's a pretty tough course)). After this it way easier to get into university. Besides, i have work experience, which is very valuable when i will apply for jobs.

damn... i will have spent 16,5-18,5 years of my life in school before I'm done! (back when i started you began school when you were 7, and only had 6 years in primary school. Which mean that i skipped 5th. grade! Yay for me! )

 

Terminology in England alone seems as varied as in the whole world.

Playgroups aka Pre-School - usually private and parents pay for somebody to keep the sprog amused while they get some peace.
Nursery aka Infants:
Primary aka Junior:
Some areas have a Middle School, eg 9-13, but very variable. Fee-paying ones are Prep (Preparatory) schools.
Secondary - Usually Comprehensive (no entrance qualification): 11-18. (Public schools 13-18 after Prep school.)
Some areas have a separate Sixth Form College, others it's just the top two years in the Comp or Grammar.
Further Education - University, College, Institutes, etc.

Legally, a child must start school (or authorised education elsewhere) the term after their 5th birthday and can leave the last Friday in June in the school year that they reach the age of 16.

And, in the UK, a 'public school' is a fee-paying but non-profit-making private school.

 

I thought most people started at 4, and people who were born after the school year started, i.e. born sept to dec started at 5?

Where I was we had pre-school/nursery/whatever you want to call it, no idea how long I was there for, 2 years I think, ages 2-4. This is a privately run thing to give mothers some time off.

At 4 you have a reception year (I don't think this required by the government which you explain cp's post)
Key Stage 1 (KS1) is three years, age 5-8
KS2 is another three years, age 8-11

For me, those three were all in the same school called a Primary School, but that isn't always the case, sometimes they have schools for each KS level. I also had SAT tests at the end of each KS but I believe not everyone has one at the end of KS1. So I had Primary school, which involved a reception year to get used to going to school at 4, and then years 1-6 of normal school.

Then you have;

KS3, three years again I believe, ages 11-14, at the end of this you have another batch of SATs
KS4, two years, 14-16, these two years are devoted to studying for the first formal qualifications people get, GCSE's, and you have the examinations for them at the end of the final year. I think the majority of people take 9 GCSE's, I think I've got 10.5 (took a half subject).

These two are grouped together in Secondary School, I don't think these are ever split up, in my school KS3 was years 7 to 9 and KS4 was called year 10 and 11. You get several types, public, grammar, etc. I have no idea what the actual difference is between them, you get GCSE's at the end of it regardless what type you attend. I think by law everyone needs to do English and Maths GCSEs, and the government recommends a language like French, my school required you take either French or German unless you were incredibly bad at it.

After that, you're free to do whatever you chose, after year 11 you no longer have to take any education by law.

What most people do after this point is either go into an apprenticeship to get a vocational qualification in a field, or they go for "Higher Education" and take A-levels (or equivalent).

Apprenticeships vary in length, but usually involve working for 4 days a week and spending 1 day in a college or similar institution.
You can take A-levels by either going to a Sixth Form, which is usually (or possibly always) part of a Secondary School, or go to a College that offers A-level qualifications. A-levels last two years, in the first year you gain the AS qualification, and in the second you take the AS to a full A2 qualification. Most people take 4 subjects in the first year, and one in the second year, giving them 3 A-levels and an AS level at the end. Once you have A-levels, not many people care about your GCSEs.

I stuck with the Sixth Form that was part of my secondary school as it was a very good school, not the best facilites, bit old and run down, but the teaching quality was usually high, and also got great support with stuff like applications to universities. Not everyone does this though, some move from one school to another school's sixth form, or some people go to college.

After you have A-levels you can then go for a degree, or can go for a better apprenticeship than the GCSE students would be on, sometimes also giving you a degree at the end of it (although obviously, a degree from a university is considered to be best by employers).

 

Western Australia, Australia (All states are somewhat different)

Age 4-5: Kindergarten
Age 5-6: Pre-primary
Age 6-12: Primary School
Ages 12-17: High School
Ages 17+ (Optional): TAFE/University/Etc...

Meh, something like that.

 

Belgium

Age 3.5 - 6: Kindergarten
Age 6 - 12: Primary School
Age 12 - 18: High school
Age 18+ (Optional): College or University

 

Scotland:

Playgroup/Nursery (1 year)
Primary school (7 years)
Secondary school (1-4 years, 2 extra optional years)

Only on my first extra year. looking to goto uni after

 

I thought most of england all had the same system?:S

For me it was:

Reception: Years 1 - 2
Junior School: Years 3 - 9
Senior School: Years 10 - 11
Now just about to join sixth form which will be: Years 12 - 13

 

I did say legally. My grand-daughter's birthday is in August, she was just 4y 1m when she moved up to junior school, and the youngest in the class.

 

Germany:

1-4 grade Elementary School (mandatory)

Then you have the choice if you attend

5-9 grade Basic School (mandatory)
5-10 grade Middle School
5-12/13 grade Gymnasium

Then Uni/Polytechnic/Art School......


Finland

1-6 grade Lower Level (mandatory)
7-10 grade Higher Level (mandatory)

then ether
10-13 grade Gymnasium or
10-13 grade Vocational school

then Uni/Polytechnic/Art School......