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Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution
Institution

Institutions are social structure and social mechanism of social order and cooperation governing the behavior of a set of individuals. Institutions are identified with a social purpose and permanence, transcending individual human lives and intentions, and with the making and enforcing of rules governing cooperative human behavior....
 where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education
Secondary education

Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education is generally the final stage of compulsory education....
, takes place. It follows on from primary or elementary education
Primary education

A primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as Primary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth of Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization ....
.

There are many different types of secondary school, and the terminology used varies around the world. Children usually transfer to secondary school between the ages of 11-14 years, and finish between the ages of 16-18 years, though there is considerable variation from country to country.

a class="link1" onMouseover='showByLink("m7966362",this)' onMouseout='hide("m7966362")'href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/Ontario">Ontario
Ontario

Ontario is a Provinces and territories of Canada located in the Central Canada part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area....
 and British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
, secondary school is synonymous with high school and refers only to grades 9 to 12, while in Quebec
Quebec

Quebec , in French language, Qu?bec , is a Provinces and territories of Canada in the Central Canada and Eastern Canada regions of Canada....
 "secondary school" is the actual official term for grades 7 to 11 (dubbed Secondary 1 to Secondary 5) even though institutions teaching those grades are still commonly referred to as high schools.

a class="link1" onMouseover='showByLink("m7966365",this)' onMouseout='hide("m7966365")'href="http://www.absoluteastronomy.com/topics/England">England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 and Wales
Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
, secondary school is for children from the ages of 11 to 16 or 18.






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Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution
Institution

Institutions are social structure and social mechanism of social order and cooperation governing the behavior of a set of individuals. Institutions are identified with a social purpose and permanence, transcending individual human lives and intentions, and with the making and enforcing of rules governing cooperative human behavior....
 where the final stage of compulsory schooling, known as secondary education
Secondary education

Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education is generally the final stage of compulsory education....
, takes place. It follows on from primary or elementary education
Primary education

A primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as Primary education. Primary school is the preferred term in the United Kingdom and many Commonwealth of Nations, and in most publications of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization ....
.

There are many different types of secondary school, and the terminology used varies around the world. Children usually transfer to secondary school between the ages of 11-14 years, and finish between the ages of 16-18 years, though there is considerable variation from country to country.

Canada

In Ontario
Ontario

Ontario is a Provinces and territories of Canada located in the Central Canada part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest, after Quebec, in total area....
 and British Columbia
British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's Provinces and territories of Canada and is famed for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu ....
, secondary school is synonymous with high school and refers only to grades 9 to 12, while in Quebec
Quebec

Quebec , in French language, Qu?bec , is a Provinces and territories of Canada in the Central Canada and Eastern Canada regions of Canada....
 "secondary school" is the actual official term for grades 7 to 11 (dubbed Secondary 1 to Secondary 5) even though institutions teaching those grades are still commonly referred to as high schools.

England and Wales

In England
England

native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
 and Wales
Wales

native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
, secondary school is for children from the ages of 11 to 16 or 18. Secondary school incorporates Key Stage 3
Key Stage 3

Key Stage 3 is the legal term for the three years of schooling in state school in England and Wales normally known as Year 7, Year 8 and Year 9, when pupils are aged between 11 and 14....
 and Key Stage 4
Key Stage 4

Key Stage 4 is the legal term for the last two years of compulsory schooling and encorporates GCSE's in maintained schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland - normally known as Year 10 and Year 11 in England and Wales, and Year 11 and Year 12 in Northern Ireland, when pupils are aged between 14 and 16....
 of the National Curriculum
National Curriculum

The National Curriculum was introduced into England, Wales and Northern Ireland as a nationwide curriculum for primary education and secondary education public education schools following the Education Reform Act 1988....
 (year 7 to Year 11) and can also include sixth form
Sixth form

The sixth form , in the Education in England, Education in Wales and Education in Northern Ireland education systems, Commonwealth West Indian countries such as Barbados, Belize, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, and Malta is the final two years of secondary schooling when students are sixteen to eighteen years of age and normally prepare for...
. After 16, compulsory education ends, and young people can decide whether to continue their studies further, either at school or sixth form college, or enter the world of work.

Hong Kong

In Hong Kong
Hong Kong

Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located in Southern China in East Asia, bordering the province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south....
, the Government provides a 9-year compulsory education to students in the territory. Students are promoted to secondary schools after finishing their primary school education. Presently, secondary schools have 7 grades (Form/Secondary 1-7), but starting from school year 2009-2010, the 3-3-4 scheme will be implemented, and Form 4-6 will be changed into Senior Secondary 1-3, while Form 7 will be cancelled and universities
University

A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education....
 will provide 4 years of education instead of the present 3 years.

United States

In the United States
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
, the term applies to post-elementary school
Elementary school

An elementary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as Primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in many countries, especially in North America....
 education. This includes middle schools
Middle school

Middle school or junior high school serves as a "bridge" between elementary school and high school. The terms can be used in different ways in different countries, sometimes interchangeably....
, junior high schools
Middle school

Middle school or junior high school serves as a "bridge" between elementary school and high school. The terms can be used in different ways in different countries, sometimes interchangeably....
, and high schools
High school

High school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides all or part of secondary education. The term originated in Scotland and spread to the New World countries as the high prestige that the Scottish educational system had at the time led several countries to employ Scottish educators to develop the...
. Teachers who receive a secondary school certificate are able to teach in either middle or high schools in states where the certificate is valid.

Nomenclature

The names used to describe the institutions used for secondary education vary from country to country. Sometimes, the same terminology is used in different countries but with very different meanings.

  • Bachillerato (in Dominican Republic and Spain)
  • Catholic Secondary School
  • City academy
    Academy (England)

    An Academy in the education in England is a type of secondary school which is independent of Local Education Authority control but is public sector, with some private sponsorship....
  • City technology college
    City Technology College

    In Education in England, City Technology Colleges are state-funded all-ability secondary schools that charge no fees but are independent of local authority control, being overseen directly by the Department for Children, Schools and Families....
  • Collčge
    College

    File:Government college for Women Dhoke Kala Khan.JPGCollege is a term most often used today to denote an education institution. More broadly, it can be the name of any group of collegialitys, for example, an electoral college, a College of Arms or the College of Cardinals....
     (in France)
  • College
    College

    File:Government college for Women Dhoke Kala Khan.JPGCollege is a term most often used today to denote an education institution. More broadly, it can be the name of any group of collegialitys, for example, an electoral college, a College of Arms or the College of Cardinals....
  • College preparatory school
  • Collegiate
    Collegiate

    Collegiate may refer to:* Webster's Collegiate, Webster's Dictionary#The Collegiate DictionarySee also:* College...
  • Collegiate institute
    Collegiate institute

    A collegiate institute is a general term that can refer either to a school of secondary education or higher education....
  • Community college
    Community college

    A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries....
  • Community school
    Community school

    A community school is a type of school, provided for out of public funds....
  • Comprehensive school
    Comprehensive school

    A comprehensive school is a secondary school and State school for children from the age of 11 to at least 16 that does not select children on the basis of academic achievement or aptitude....
  • Comprehensive high school
    Comprehensive high school

    Comprehensive high schools constitute most public high schools in the United States. They are meant to serve the needs of all students, as compared to the common practice in other nations in which examinations are used to sort students into different high schools for different populations....
  • École d'enseignement secondaire (in Canada)
  • École secondaire
  • Enseńanza Media (in Chile)
  • Ensino Médio (in Brazil)
  • Escola secundária (in Portugal)
  • Preparatoria (in Mexico)
  • Escuela secundaria (in Argentina)
  • Framhaldsskóli (in Iceland)
  • Grammar school
    Grammar school

    A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries....
  • Gymnasium
    Gymnasium (school)

    A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English Grammar schools in the United Kingdoms or sixth form colleges and U.S....
     (is really upper secondary school)
  • Gesamtschule (in Germany)
  • Hauptschule
    Hauptschule

    A "Hauptschule" is a secondary school in Germany and Austria, starting after 4 years of elementary schooling. Any student who went to a German elementary school can go to a Hauptschule afterwards, whereas students who want to attend a Realschule or Gymnasium need to have good marks in order to do so....
  • High school
    High school

    High school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides all or part of secondary education. The term originated in Scotland and spread to the New World countries as the high prestige that the Scottish educational system had at the time led several countries to employ Scottish educators to develop the...
  • Högstadiet
    Högstadiet

    H?gstadiet is the Swedish term for the seventh to ninth grade of the school system. After h?gstadiet, there is no compulsory school attendance; however, most Swedish students go on to the Gymnasium for three more years of studies....
     (in Sweden)
  • Hřyskole
    Vocational school

    A vocational school , providing vocational education, is a school in which students are taught the skills needed to perform a particular job. Traditionally, vocational schools have not existed to further education in the sense of liberal arts, but rather to teach only job-specific skills, and as such have been better considered to be institut...
    , alternatively Hřgskole
    Vocational school

    A vocational school , providing vocational education, is a school in which students are taught the skills needed to perform a particular job. Traditionally, vocational schools have not existed to further education in the sense of liberal arts, but rather to teach only job-specific skills, and as such have been better considered to be institut...
    , Hřgskule
    Vocational school

    A vocational school , providing vocational education, is a school in which students are taught the skills needed to perform a particular job. Traditionally, vocational schools have not existed to further education in the sense of liberal arts, but rather to teach only job-specific skills, and as such have been better considered to be institut...
     or allaskuvla
    Vocational school

    A vocational school , providing vocational education, is a school in which students are taught the skills needed to perform a particular job. Traditionally, vocational schools have not existed to further education in the sense of liberal arts, but rather to teach only job-specific skills, and as such have been better considered to be institut...
     in the Sámi-speaking
    Sami languages

    Sami or Saami is a general name for a group of Uralic languages spoken by the Sami people in parts of northern Finland, Norway, Sweden and extreme northwestern Russia, in Northern Europe....
     area
  • Istituto tecnico (in Italy)
  • Liceo
    Lyceum

    A Lyceum can be*an educational institution , or*a public hall used for cultural events like concerts.*Mount Lyceum . The holy mount of the Arcadians....
     (in Italy)
  • Lise
    Lise

    Lise is a variant of Lisa:*Lise Meitner*Lise Myhre , Norwegian cartoonist*Lise Th?riault*Lise ThibaultIt may also refer to:*Claude Lise...
     (in Turkey)
  • Independent school
    Independent school

    An independent school is a school which is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operation and is instead operated by tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the investment yield of an financial endowment....
  • Junior High School
    Middle school

    Middle school or junior high school serves as a "bridge" between elementary school and high school. The terms can be used in different ways in different countries, sometimes interchangeably....
  • Lise
    Lise

    Lise is a variant of Lisa:*Lise Meitner*Lise Myhre , Norwegian cartoonist*Lise Th?riault*Lise ThibaultIt may also refer to:*Claude Lise...
  • Lycée (in France)
  • Liceu
    Liceu

    The Gran Teatre del Liceu , or simply Liceu in Catalan language, Liceo in Spanish language), is an opera house on La Rambla, Barcelona in Barcelona, Catalonia ....
     (in Romania and Republic of Moldova)
  • Liceum (in The Republic of Poland)
  • Lukio (in Finland
    Finland

    Finland , officially the Republic of Finland , is a Nordic countries situated in the Fennoscandian region of northern Europe. It borders Sweden on the west, Russia on the east, and Norway on the north, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland....
    )
  • Lyceum
    Lyceum

    A Lyceum can be*an educational institution , or*a public hall used for cultural events like concerts.*Mount Lyceum . The holy mount of the Arcadians....
  • Meánscoil (in Ireland (Irish), in English the term "secondary school" is most common)
  • Menntaskóli
    Menntaskóli

    A Menntask?li is an Icelandic language equivalent to a gymnasium , although it works differently from other countries.In Iceland grade school goes from 1st to 10th grade, which are the only mandatory school years in Iceland....
     (in Iceland)
  • Middelbare school (in the Netherlands)
  • Middle school
    Middle school

    Middle school or junior high school serves as a "bridge" between elementary school and high school. The terms can be used in different ways in different countries, sometimes interchangeably....
  • Polyvalente (in Quebec)
  • Private school
    Private school

    Private schools, or independent schools, are schools not administered by local, state, or national government, which retain the right to select their student body and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students tuition rather than with public funds....
  • Public school
    Public school

    The term public school has two distinct meanings depending on the location of usage:* in the United States, Australia and Canada: A school funded from tax revenue and most commonly administered to some degree by government or local government agencies....
  • Realschule
    Realschule

    The Realschule is a type of secondary school in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein. It has also existed in Croatia , Denmark , Sweden , Hungary and Russian Empire ....
  • Secondary college
    Secondary college

    Secondary College is the common name for secondary schools in Australia....
  • Secondary modern school
    Secondary modern school

    A Secondary Modern School is a type of secondary school that existed in most of the United Kingdom from 1944 until the early 1970s under the Tripartite System, and was designed for the majority of pupils - those who do not achieve scores in the top 25% of the eleven plus examination....
  • Secondary school in the Soviet Union
    Soviet Union

    The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics was a Constitution of the Soviet Union socialist state that existed in Eurasia from 1922 to 1991.The name is a translation of the , romanization of Russian Soyuz Sovetskikh Sotsialisticheskikh Respublik, abbreviated ????, SSSR....
  • Secondary technical school
    Secondary Technical School

    A Secondary Technical School was a type of secondary school in the United Kingdom that existed in the mid-20th century under the Tripartite System of education....
  • Secundair onderwijs (in Belgium
    Belgium

    * A small German-speaking Community of Belgium exists in eastern Wallonia. Belgium's linguistic diversity and related political and cultural conflicts are reflected in the history of Belgium and a complex Communities and regions of Belgium....
    )
  • Secundairia (only secundaria, in Peru)
  • Segundo Grau (in Brazil)
  • Sekolah Menengah (in Malaysia)
  • Sekolah Menengah Atas (in Indonesia)
  • Sixth form college
    Sixth form college

    A sixth form college is an educational institution in England, Wales, Northern Ireland, Hong Kong or Malta where students aged 16 to 19 typically study for advanced school-level qualifications, such as Advanced Level ....
     (in England
    England

    native_name =|conventional_long_name = England|common_name = England|image_flag = Flag of England.svg|image_coat = England COA.svg|symbol_type = Royal Coat of Arms...
    , Wales
    Wales

    native_name = Cymru|conventional_long_name = Wales|common_name = Wales|image_flag = Flag of Wales 2.svg|national_motto = ...
    , Northern Ireland
    Northern Ireland

    conventional_long_name = Northern Ireland|native_name= Tuaisceart ?ireannNorlin Airlann|motto =|image_map = Europe location N-IRL2.png...
    , Hong Kong
    Hong Kong

    Hong Kong , officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, is a territory located in Southern China in East Asia, bordering the province of Guangdong to the north and facing the South China Sea to the east, west and south....
     and Malta
    Malta

    Malta , officially the Republic of Malta , is a densely populated developed country European microstates microstate in the European Union....
    )
  • Strední škola (in The Czech Republic)
  • Stredná škola (in Slovakia)
  • Szkola srednia (in The Republic of Poland)
  • Ungdomsskole (in Norway
    Norway

    Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a constitutional monarchy in Northern Europe that occupies the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula....
    , meaning Youth school)
  • Vidusskola (in Latvia)
  • Vocational school
    Vocational school

    A vocational school , providing vocational education, is a school in which students are taught the skills needed to perform a particular job. Traditionally, vocational schools have not existed to further education in the sense of liberal arts, but rather to teach only job-specific skills, and as such have been better considered to be institut...
  • Voluntary secondary school
    Voluntary secondary school

    A voluntary secondary school in Ireland is a type of secondary education school that is privately owned and managed, often by Church body authorities, especially in the case of the Roman Catholic religion....
  • Voortgezet onderwijs or Middelbaar onderwijs(in the Netherlands)


See also

  • Secondary education
    Secondary education

    Secondary education is the stage of education following primary education. Secondary education is generally the final stage of compulsory education....
  • Educational stages
  • High school
    High school

    High school is the name used in some parts of the world to describe an institution which provides all or part of secondary education. The term originated in Scotland and spread to the New World countries as the high prestige that the Scottish educational system had at the time led several countries to employ Scottish educators to develop the...
  • Public high school
    Public high school

    A public high school is a secondary school that is financed by tax revenues and other government-collected revenues, and administered exclusively by, and at the discretion of, state and local officials....
  • Secondary education by country
  • Secondary schools and high schools by country
  • List of education articles by country
    List of education articles by country

    This is a list of articles on education organized by country:...
  • List of schools by country
    List of schools by country

    This is a list of lists of schools, sorted by country. The list does not include educational institutions providing higher education, meaning tertiary education, quaternary education, or post-secondary education, for which see list of colleges and universities by country....