A high school, called a secondary school in most of the world, is an institution that provides secondary education to adolescents, typically covering the years between primary school and university or working life. Lower secondary education generally serves students from about eleven to fifteen years old and upper secondary from about fifteen to eighteen, though the exact ages, names and structure vary by country. In the United States most systems separate a middle school for grades six through eight from a high school for grades nine through twelve, while other countries use different divisions and names entirely, such as the French college and lycee or the German Gymnasium and Realschule. Secondary schooling is meant to prepare students for either vocational training or further tertiary education, and in most high and middle income countries attendance is compulsory at least until age sixteen. This description is adapted from Wikipedia contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0; changes were made. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/
Facts
Core ClaimAn institution that provides secondary education, preparing students for vocational or tertiary education 2 Classification
Education LevelUpper Secondary Education (ISCED 3) 1 FAQs
Does the term secondary school mean the same thing in Germany as in the United States?
In Germany the term mainly means schools that lead to the Certificate of Maturity, while in the United States it means a single comprehensive high school.
Not exactly. In the United States, Britannica reports, students typically enter a neighbourhood secondary school at age 13 or 14, study there for about four years and graduate around age 18, and the American goal has been to serve everyone in one type of institution, the comprehensive high school. In Germany, by contrast, Britannica notes that the term secondary school refers to institutions offering courses that lead to the Certificate of Maturity, a qualification for entrance to higher education. That points mainly to the Gymnasium, which offers rigorous academic preparation, while the Hauptschule continues elementary education and the Realschule offers further general education and some prevocational courses.
Sources
1. Secondary School (Wikipedia)
Description, education-level classificationQuote, Description, education-level classification
A high school, called a secondary school in most of the world, is an institution that provides secondary education to adolescents, typically covering the years between primary school and university or working life.
View the Source 2. Secondary school (Wikipedia)
Lead section, paragraph on preparationQuote, Lead section, paragraph on preparation
Secondary schools follow on from primary schools and prepare for vocational or tertiary education.
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